Joining this company was the biggest regret of my career. - Community Manager Equity Residential Employee Review

1.0
Apr 5, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

For the big names in the industry, EQR pays well to those who come with experience. They are also very transparent with their pay and how much room you have to grow your salary. Good resume and salary booster if you don't care about sticking around for too long.

Cons

The culture of this company is poor. Morale of employees is very low as many feel spread too thin, burnt out, and not cared about. At times it was almost toxic how negative everybody was. The rate of employee turnover is insane! I saw other reviews describing the company as the "walmart of property management". Couldn't agree more - this company is cheap, cheap, cheap. They will cut everything they possibly can from the budget and scrutinize every dollar spent without any concern to the impact on the revenue these poor decisions can have. If you are lucky, capital projects will eventually get approved but they will drag their feet forever to get them done. I couldn't believe some of the safety hazards at my property! Support from facilities leadership is a joke. The corporate culture seemed more like some words on a poster than anything anyone actually tried to live by. Messages from Senior Leadership came across as robotic and ingenuine. They try to implement a one size fits all approach to their management style and on-site employees are not empowered to make any decisions on their own, micromanagement is an understatement.

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Equity Residential Response
9y
While we disagree with your characterization of our overall culture, management style, and business practices, we are very sorry to hear that you feel this way and that you regret your time with us. We are committed to seeking ongoing feedback from all of our employees in an effort to improve areas of opportunity and to maintain strong engagement and retention; our senior leaders are currently in the process of doing just that by holding Town Hall meetings in each market, designed to empower our employees to challenge authority, ask questions, and be heard. We hope that if others have the same concerns, they will come forward and share examples to help us improve. We wish you all the best.

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

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Equity Residential Response
3w
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!
1.0
Jun 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The communities are physically nice

Cons

The biggest problem is the current tour policy is sheer insanity. On-site staff are already burning out by headcount being reduced whenever possible, and on top of it, they have made tours unlimited (5 tours can be booked at once, and this can happen every 30 minutes, even for 1 person working). Leasing agents and on-site staff are going to leave, burn out, continue calling out causing further short staffing. PLEASE do something about this policy before our office staff disintegrates, it is truly awful.

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Equity Residential Response
1d
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and for your continued contributions to Equity Residential. We appreciate your recognition of our communities and the care that onsite teams put into creating positive experiences for residents every day. We're sorry to hear about your concerns regarding tour scheduling, staffing levels, workload, and the impact these changes may be having on employees and residents. We understand that onsite teams play a critical role in our success, and feedback about operational processes, resource allocation, and employee experience is important. We appreciate you sharing your perspective and specific concerns. Input from our onsite teams helps inform ongoing conversations about how we support employees while continuing to meet the needs of our residents and communities. We also encourage you to continue sharing your feedback with your HR Business Partner, leadership team, or through our confidential Call to Action Hotline (800-231-5699 or CallToActionHotline.com) so concerns can be reviewed through the appropriate channels. Thank you again for your honesty and feedback. We value the work our onsite teams do each day and appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.
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