I have been doing a job on the side to supplement my real estate income. I have been working as a temp leasing agent. It is interesting. I feel busier than ever.
This weekend I took two gigs working at an apartment complex in Van Nuys. I like these jobs because they give you a lot of "reps" answering the phone, dealing with residents, and giving apartment tours. As a real estate agent, the job is mostly about finding a client before you get to doing any of that.
In my experience, these temp jobs give you a lot of leeway. Maybe it's enough rope to hang yourself if you're not careful. You show up to the office, sit down at the desk, and start answering the phone with minimal instruction. I like that because I'm the sort of person who likes to dive right in.
So on Friday I get to the apartment in Van Nuys a bit before 9 a.m. A resident lets me in the door. I look outside and see a man looking up and down the street, and I get his attention. Jesus is the porter. He gives me a tour. He passes me a pricing sheet and hands me a couple of keys to open the units that are vacant and ready to be shown.
After that he leaves me in the office.
The phone rings. I give an official greeting and help someone looking for an apartment like I'm part of the team. Later I find out that all the calls are recorded and posted to the company-wide software so people can keep track of which clients need to be followed up with and what they were asking for.
Shortly after my first call, the manager gets in touch with me and tells me I can work there the following day as well. I had originally been scheduled to work at two different buildings. I dare venture to assume that she heard my call and thought I did an alright job.
There were other moments where not having instruction didn't work out as well. On most of my tours I had to respond to questions that I didn't have the answers to.
"I'm not sure. If you leave your information, I can have someone get back to you about that."
That became a phrase I got very used to uttering. It's uncomfortable to admit you don't know some things, but I got more used to it.
It was very useful that I spoke fluent Spanish. I was speaking Spanish with my main point people. I also had a family of five come in where the mother only spoke Spanish. I could give them a showing and some information without the son having to act as a translator.
It was a good couple of days. I'm really glad I took those shifts. Most of the shifts that are offered to me from the temp agency are too far for me or are not ideal timing-wise. But this one worked. I was there on time. I filled in for the person that was out, and I held my own in an unfamiliar chair.
I am grateful for the experience.
