Cover blown while secret shopping our comps

Has anybody ever been secretly shopping the comps only to cross paths with one of your vendors and they blow your cover? Awkward ????????????

The year I was president of HAA I was blind shopping the competition. After giving my cover story, Leasing agent said hi john. Magazine with my pic on the cover was on her desk.

yep, got popped for that one too John with the Go Getters cover. The manager loved letting me lay out my whole story and everything before she slid the magazine across the desk!

I suck at lying so I've just gone to comps with a goody bag for the manager..I get way more inside info than pretending to be a prospect

Yep. Lol

Yes, I was at an event at a new property and was on a tour with a group and a fellow chamber member said to me, “Well Daron, you know all about this too don’t you?” Right in front of the leasing agent but, I just rolled with it and it was fine. I didn’t misrepresent myself but was trying to lay low.

Have you ever shopped comps and run into one of your associates interviewing at one of the comps?

We hold some amazing events at big lease ups w 20+ vendors, it allows managers, regionals and leasing staff to check out a comp instead of sneaking around... been very successful we get them introduced and get them a tour

I had our UPS driver bust me at a competitor ???? ???? it was awkward

That happened to me years ago, someone I worked with back in the day was a tech at the property I was shopping

As a vendor of 20+ years I can vouch this happens!

Way too many times!

All my comps are properties owned by one company. and we all know each other.

Lol this has happened to me

I was shopping a comp once, but didn’t realize my brother-in-law’s new girlfriend worked there. She recognized me from Facebook and straight up called me out on it. I didn’t recognize her and had no idea she worked there lol!

Yeap happen to me lol

I always get busted by the property managers that have worked for me over the years...

The UPS guy busted me! LOL!

Way too many times !

I just tell them who I am and why I am shopping their property. Nine times out of ten they appreciate the honestly.

Not a vendor. But it has been a previous employee!!!

A manager had canceled a meeting with me last minute last year, so I ran to say hi to some of my favorite properties in the city over. While i was waiting to talk to the property manager of the site, the manager that just canceled on me (from another management company) was coming out of the same office, just getting out of a good interview by the looks of it. She looked up and saw me and looked like a deer in head lights and was red as can be. I couldnt help but laugh. Luckily this industry is so small with some amazing people so we all 3 had a great laugh.

Happened to me with the UPS guy...have to say...our UPS guys rocks and he figured it out and back peddled a bit.

Yessss!!! ???? Once, my assistant and I ran right into one of our vendor reps at a comp! He blew our cover and we came clean and told them we were just familiarizing ourselves with the area because neither one of us lived locally (which was true but still).????????

Yes!!

Previously fired maintenance guy.

Happened to me once and thankfully I was in front of the leasing agent so I was able to ???????????? and the vendor caught it and zipped her lips lol I was like oh man, my cover is about to be blown ????????????‍♀️????

I recently had one of my leasing agents go shopping a comp and there was another prospector there at the time. He came back to our office and that Prospect from the other place was already at our place. LOL

I encourage everyone to shop and check out your own community with a set of new eyes. Truly beneficial

Always seems to happen.... you’d think they would figure out what’s happening. I guess there are worse things than your vendors being excited to see you.

These are so funny... Clear Evaluations can do your comp shops and no one will know ????!

LMAOOOOO, no but recently ran into a former coworker that I didn't realize recently went to work for the other company... awkward ????

I can't get away with it since I've worked in the same market for zillion years and am past chair (twice) of the local association. I just tell them the truth and ask if I can have a tour. Most of the managers in the submarket know each other and share information.

Yep! I happened to be on the cover of the local apartment association magazine sitting on the leasing consultants deck! Awkward for sure!

My shop story was always that I was looking for a place for my brother who was moving to the area, or taking an associate and claiming to be helping her/him look for a new place. It helped to never have to make up a name in person, though I always had a (probably bizarre) blast coming up with a fake name and cover story for email and phone shops

The only time I was busted was during a shop where not only I ran into a former resident, but the new assistant manager happened to be a former team member as well!