From one West Coast city to another, Zack made the move from Seattle and started his career in Los Angeles at Common. Although he started out scheduling tours and speaking with members, a big part of his job now consists of on the ground local marketing. Zack’s role has definitely changed over time — but what’s stayed the same is his love for what he does.
Keep reading to learn more about Zack’s experience at Common, and head to www.common.com/careers to learn more about our company, our values, and how you can join our team.
What’s your day-to-day like at Common?
The first thing I do while chugging my morning coffee is check my email and set my schedule up so I know who has confirmed their tours, who has canceled, and where I will be going for in-person tours. From there, my day consists of virtual and in-person tours, answering any questions for prospective members, and communicating with people via text or email to ensure that every tour has an application link for the room of their choice.
When I have some downtime, I’m out doing local marketing both online and in-person in addition to checking in on current members that I’ve helped in the past to ensure all is well. Every day is so different and that in itself is the best job perk.
What’s your favorite part about working at Common?
Moving to a new city from Seattle felt very isolating. My favorite part about working at Common is the people, specifically my coworkers. My team has truly become my new family since I moved to Los Angeles and I talk to them on a daily basis and hang out with them as well. My favorite company perk is the PTO policy — Common encourages us actively to take time off for ourselves, which is great.
What’s one surprising thing you’ve learned in your current role?
One thing I’ve learned is that the role is really fast paced. Before coming to Common, I worked as a real estate agent in Seattle with my own small team. Working with residential home buyers is a very slow and steady process taking months at a minimum. In leasing and especially at Common, we move very quickly and so do our members. It is near impossible to ever be bored in this job and that’s exactly what I’ve always wanted.
What was your first week at Common like?
I wasn’t used to working in a start-up environment but quickly grew to love it. I didn’t have to be something that I wasn’t to keep up appearances like I had to do in my past corporate experiences — I’m able to be myself at work and have fun. Common didn’t teach me to sell “their” way, they inspired me to find my own style.
How has your role changed since you started?
My role has definitely changed in that we continue to find more efficient ways to not only make our job easier but also make the customer experience even better. One big example of this change is our recent push for more on the ground local marketing. We walk to different small businesses in the area and share the story of Common as well as work with them to offer our current residents incentives to visit and shop at these businesses in the neighborhood — it’s a situation where everybody wins!
Some fun stuff:
Which city are you based in and what do you love about it? Los Angeles! It truly is summer here almost all year round and even what LA natives consider a “cold” day is still summer weather in most other parts of the country. Living in California means you’re one road trip away from the mountains and vineyards or one sitting in traffic from the beach or hiking. I’m also a lover of all foods and there is plenty to choose from including fruit stands selling fresh cut fruit on almost every sidewalk. It also doesn’t hurt that you’re less than an hour flight from Vegas or San Francisco depending on whatever mood you’re in.
Favorite hobby? It’s a very close tie between hiking or hanging out at the beach: Manhattan to get away from the tourists, Santa Monica for some boardwalk fun, and Malibu for some alone zen time. I don’t know if this truly counts as a hobby but there’s nothing more relaxing than riding a bike from Venice Beach to Santa Monica and feeling the ocean breeze, being surrounded by palm trees, and feeling the sun in your face.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I always wanted to be a pilot when I was a kid! Going to different places, meeting different people, and experiencing new things has always been an interest of mine.
Your favorite team outing/bonding activity (a virtual hang out counts)? I might be a little biased here but I have to say the LA team really knows how to have a great time and live up to the phrase “work hard, play hard!” We do a lot of fun weekly virtual meetings where it’s just an update on how we’re all doing for the week and catching up with each other. When we do meet up in-person for team happy hours once a month, it’s always nothing short of a blast and no matter how much time has passed since we last saw each other, we catch up right where we left off.
Favorite place? The Pacific Coast Highway (the PCH if you are a Los Angeleno). I’ll find any excuse I can to drive up and down that highway and just enjoy the views alongside me. When I get tired of driving, Point Dume in Malibu is definitely my favorite place to just unwind and have some me-time with my phone off while watching the waves crash and dolphins do dolphin things.
Favorite Common home? My favorite Common home is Common Edenhaus in East Hollywood. It’s an amazing complex with stunning views of the Hollywood skyline that just gleams in the night sky from the rooftop. That mixed with the fact that the apartments are built in a multi-level townhouse style which means tons of room for activities. It’s just a winner on all fronts and probably the reason it’s currently fully leased.
Are you looking for the next move in your career? We’re looking for personable people to join our Sales, Member Experience, Property Services, and other teams across the country. Head to our Careers page to learn more and apply!