This job can be a great job, but it does have its cons. - Retoucher The RealReal Employee Review

3.0
Mar 11, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Good benefits (which can be hard to find for creative people looking for artistic careers, so this is a huge plus) -Paid time off (but sick leave and vacation leave is not separate) -Free shuttle to and from the bart station -Free food ($50 lunch credit every month and bagels on fridays) -The job itself is visual, so you can listen to music, audio books, podcasts and etc.

Cons

Low salaries - The cost of living in the city is ridiculously high, the job isn't easy, and it requires extensive training. It's a job that takes a lot of skill and talent, but the pay does not adequately reward the skill sets required or compensate for the cost of living in the Bay Area. Mandatory overtime week - At the end of every month, we all have to work monday-saturday. Having a one day weekend is widely disliked and horrible for morale. Recovering (mentally and physically) from overtime weeks takes a while, and is probably why people are always sick. Scheduled breaks - Until recently the company was flexible with the two (paid) 15 minute breaks and one (unpaid) 30 minute lunch break, which could be taken as needed. Some people would take three 5 minute breaks just to get up and move (since we sit in a room with no windows all day), or add their 15 minute break to lunch. But now our breaks must be taken at a scheduled time together. Everyone was unhappy with this decision because our freedom (which was one thing that people really liked about this job) was taken away, and it felt like we were being treated like children. We were told this was implemented because there are too many of us to keep track of, but that's bs because many of the larger departments don't have synchronized breaks. Safety - For months employees have been complaining that there are no lights in the parking lot. The workplace is located in an isolated area, and parking is behind the building. People have to use their phone flashlights just to get down the stairs. Not to mention cars have been broken into and strange people are sometimes seen lingering in the parking lot at night. Warehouse physical work - When the warehouse workers need extra help (which is a rare occasion) we are asked to “volunteer” to work there. Those who do not volunteer are made to feel like bad employees.

Explore other reviews about The RealReal

5.0
May 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Overall, the receiving team is very sweet and engaging. They try to help you when you need it or ask for it.

Cons

When you don't reach your goal, they do get on you/

2.0
Jun 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Pay and commission can be good, but the structure is unnecessarily convoluted and not as generous as it seems, and you will have no work/life balance if you want to actually make consistently high commission. If you have a true passion for luxury and fashion, you do get a lot of opportunities to handle and interact with special/rare items, and depending on store location you can meet a lot of interesting industry people and celebrities, especially during Fashion Weeks

Cons

Poor and unsupportive management with extremely unrealistic demands and expectations; you will get virtually no training, but are immediately expected to know how to do everything. The overall company culture is just unpleasant and very cliquey, and there's constant employee turnover. The online customer service system is terrible, so you will frequently have to handle customer issues that have nothing to do with you/your sales.

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