Smart, Hardworking People.... - Anonymous employee Equity Residential Employee Review

5.0
20 Feb 2013
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I work in the corporate office in Chicago, and love working for EQR. I'm a long term employee (10+ years), and have no plans to leave. Most of the leaders are smart, hardworking, and approachable. Culture is casual, yet fast paced and keeps me interested and challenged. More junior level employees are given the chance to work on really high level work, and are recognized for their contribution. I feel that all of the corporate teams work well together, and there is a true sense of it being a "group effort". I also love that we have gotten much better at remembering what our corporate role is--ensuring that our on site staff can do their jobs well and feel supported.

Cons

I sometimes wonder if there is any strategy involved with how people are paid--talking with co-workers, it seems that different rules apply to everyone. Although the vacation and paid time off is decent, my vacation is less here than it was when I was working for another larger firm headquartered in Chicago. I also feel that we are sometimes slow to adapt to technology & how today's workforce wants to work--it's gotten better in the last year, but I still feel like we lag behind comparable companies.

Explore other reviews about Equity Residential

5.0
28 May 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
1mo
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
7 May 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.
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