In a viral TikTok, a tenant shared an email from her property manager, who, in it, asked if the tenant could let them use her apartment for marketing photos for the building.
The video features Alexis Posario (@alexisposario) dancing in front of a screenshot of the email from her building management. The email reads, “Your unit impressed so many people at the corporate office that I am reaching out to see if you’d be comfortable with us photographing your apartment to use as ‘staged’ photos for the [redacted] studio floorplan.”
They call Posario’s apartment “adorable” and say that if she agrees to this, she would get an Amazon gift card and an on-site cleaner would clean the apartment “as a thank you.” The total amount on the gift card was not specified.
The video, posted on March 16, got over 1,000,000 views.
Commenters suggested she needed to advocate for more than just a gift card. “Ask for a discount on rent. They’re saving money by not hiring an interior decorator,” one person recommended.
“I did this once for a $50 gift card lol they used it in ALL their marketing. Looking back I should have asked for more but I didn’t know any better,” another said, to which the Posario responded that she’s nervous to ask for anything extra.
In another comment, Posario said her building offers a $300 rent credit to anyone who refers a future tenant to the building. “I mean I am kind of referring people in a way,” she wrote.
In a follow-up, Posario revealed property management is bringing in a staging company.
In a pinned comment under the video, Posario updated her followers and told them she asked for “rent/parking credit or discount” instead.
“I will let you guys know when they respond!!” she promised.
The Daily Dot reached out to Posario via TikTok comment.
Source: https://www.dailydot.com/irl/landlord-amazon-giftcard-marketing-photos-tiktok/