Lowest Leasing Commission Rate In the Industry - Leasing Consultant Equity Residential Employee Review

2.0
Feb 26, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Gives you experience in all aspects of residential real estate. As a leasing consultant, you not only lease apartments, but deal with resident's complaints, service requests, lease renewals and transfers.

Cons

The lowest pay in the industry by far. Base salary is at the low end, but the commission is a joke. You have to lease 5 apartments in a single month just to make over $500 in commission. They pay a tiered commission rate that is way below any other residential landlord din NYC. After leasing 6 apartments you reach the "high tier". This is when your commission rate becomes comparable to other landlords. Most landlords in NYC pay 10% of the first month's rent towards commission, not even close here. So good luck leasing over 6 apartments every month just to get to the starting point of the commission that other landlords pay. Its almost insulting to the intelligence and handwork of the leasing agent. Besides the low commission rate, you are also expected to handle a great deal of resident management work (which you are paid nothing extra to do). However you do get to deal with renewals, at a little under $150 per renewal. Although, its not easy. The renewal offers to residents are insanely high and above market and before you can negotiate down you have to go through a whole song and dance.

avatar
Equity Residential Response
10y
We appreciate you taking some time to tell us about your experience working at Equity. We are consistently comparing our compensation against other companies using market data to ensure that we are competitively paying our employees. We are transparent in regards to pay and would be happy to discuss with you our total compensation philosophy that also includes benefits, discounted share purchasing, 401k matching, apartment rent discounts and more. Please reach out to your Community Manager, Regional Manager or HR Department to gain a better understanding of your compensation.

Explore other reviews about Equity Residential

5.0
May 28, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

great benefits and pay along with culture

Cons

don't have any at the moment

avatar
Equity Residential Response
1w
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with Equity Residential. We’re thrilled to hear that you’ve had such a positive experience and that our benefits, compensation, and culture have stood out to you. Creating an environment where employees feel supported, valued, and empowered to succeed is a key priority for us, and it’s rewarding to know that those efforts are reflected in your experience. Feedback like yours reinforces our commitment to investing in our people and fostering a positive workplace culture. Thank you for being part of the Equity Residential team. We appreciate all that you do and look forward to your continued success with us!
2.0
May 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Housing discount, strong portfolio exposure, opportunity to work across multiple communities, and valuable experience in a fast-paced leasing environment.

Cons

Management loves to preach “teamwork” until something goes wrong, then suddenly it’s every employee for themselves. Very documentation-heavy culture where certain managers seem to enjoy writing people up more than actually developing talent. Communication is inconsistent, accountability is selective, and favoritism is hard to ignore. Commission structure is shockingly low for the workload and expectations. Leadership often presents itself as organized and supportive, but behind the scenes there’s a lot of blame-shifting, targeting of employees, and policy confusion — especially regarding employee housing and lease transitions. My own experience at the end of my employee lease felt retaliatory and left a very negative impression.

avatar
Equity Residential Response
1mo
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback about your experience as a Multisite Leasing Consultant. We appreciate your recognition of the opportunities for portfolio exposure, cross-community experience, and the fast-paced learning environment. Roles like yours require adaptability and strong relationship-building skills, and we value the contributions of our onsite teams. We’re sorry to hear that aspects of your experience, particularly around communication, consistency, leadership support, and trust, did not meet expectations. We understand how important it is for employees to feel supported, developed, and treated fairly, especially in collaborative team environments. Your feedback regarding communication between HR and onsite teams, management practices, and employee housing processes is valuable and helps highlight areas where we can continue to improve. We also encourage you to continue sharing your feedback with your HR Business Partner or through our confidential Call to Action Hotline, available 24/7 by phone at 800-231-5699 or online at CallToActionHotline.com, so concerns can be reviewed appropriately. Thank you again for sharing your perspective. Feedback like yours plays an important role in helping us strengthen the employee experience across our communities.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All