Showing your own apartment?

Has anyone been required or asked to show your own apartment when you have no vacants and live on site? What are your feelings about this?

I have, as long as I have notice it isn't a big deal to me. I don't want to do it every day but once in a while it isn't a big deal. We typically show units that have given us a notice that they are going to be vacating though. If you do that make sure you go and check them by yourself before you bring a resident in to see them.

I've done that at a senior community that I managed. We gave the resident a small rent credit as a token of our appreciation. We always made sure to give proper notice as well

Showing one's own apartment has pros and cons to it. I think it is up to the manager as some companies allow the manager on site to do things to their flat that may not be offered to the regular tenants. Whatever a prospective tenant sees in the manager's unit will be possibly seen as it is okay for them to do the same.

The other thing to consider is that if you open your home up for a prospect tenant and then they move in, it is after hours and they come to your flat, but now you keep them at the door and not allow them in what message is being sent? Can be a safety issue too!

Even though I never lived on site, I am not an advocate of having any of the working staff to show their units. Now that is just me.

There are those properties which have turnover rates which are high; I would keep one flat as the show flat. Let the bean counters work on how they can make it a business expense
:evil:

I think if it's a small community, the office is in the manager's apartment, and the available unit floor plan is the same, it's OK to show the manager unit.

Since my office is not in my apartment, I do not show my home.

Sometimes a prospect does ask to see my unit and I explain that it's my personal family residence and I do not like to invite strangers in.

There is no real reason for a Prospect to know the unit being shown is one in which a team member lives. To them, it could be a "Model" or it can belong to a really super Resident who allows us to show their unit on occasion. In order to use any occupied apartment, I think you should first consider this: 1. the unit style (is it "just like" the one the Prospect would be offered?) 2. the decor (does the decor reflect company standards? In other words, did the current resident paint their apartment or have they installed fixtures not present in any other unit as Nate said.)3. cleanliness and presentation (it would not be fun to walk in to show the apartment and find the occupant's underwear strewn about and dirty dishes in the sink. Even when notice is given, this can happen.)4. Finally, it there some type of compensation expected? Certainly, a resident should be compensated for the privilege of showing it, but an employee may not feel "bold" enough to ask since they may feel it is a duty.

I once toured at a property that used a tenant's apartment as the model. The resident was a smoker, and I'm allergic to cigarette smoke; the resident also had a dog, and (you guessed it) I was allergic to it. I honestly didn't notice how great the apartment was, the size, the features, or anything else besides the fact that I thought I was going to die ten seconds after stepping into the unit!

My point is: If you're going to use a resident's apartment as the model, it needs to be one that is both well-taken care of and one that doesn't present a hazard to a prospect! In other words, it should be a "safe bet" for all parties involved. I live on site and only once have shown my apartment to a prospect (simply because there's a pony wall in it and the prospect wanted to see if she would like that in her own unit); if it was something management wanted, I would certainly be amiable to it with notice (and perhaps some sort of incentive ... i.e. free carpet cleaning?! Ooh, la, la!) ... but I think as an onsite staff member I'd be wary of letting prospects into my or any employee's apartment.

LOL did you say the word "strangers" to the prospect?

I probably didn't call them strangers to their face, but when it comes to my personal home, I'm not inviting people I don't know inside.

I just tell them I have no apartments available to show them.

I showed my own apartment and it was VERY awkward.
I was defiantly pressured to show "the exact apartment" by the prospect, but I felt like they would not only judge me, but the property as well, by my decorations or lifestyle. We had a model that looked exactly like my unit, EXACTLY. This did not satisfy the prospect or the manager. I wanted him to show my home for me, but that was not an option I was given.
My show style/script was thrown out the window the minute we entered my home. It was basically "yeah, its the same as the model but now you get to see all my personal stuff and have my dog bark at you." I never want to have that feeling again.
Please don't have your onsite employees show their own home. Show a model, and the exact unit after they move out.