Ellis Mystery Shopping Review (EPMS): Apartment Shops and Pay

Last reviewed: June 2026 — Initial profile. Confirmed Ellis’s switch to PayPal payments (effective April 2025) and that EPMS is owned by Grace Hill.

If you want to shop apartments, you’ll end up at Ellis. Ellis mystery shopping is the biggest name in the field by a wide margin, and for most renters-turned-shoppers it’s the first door into apartment mystery shopping.

Ellis — full name Ellis Partners in Management Solutions, or EPMS — has run apartment mystery shops since 1984. Shoppers have completed more than 600,000 shops for the company, and it sends out over 8,000 a month for some of the largest apartment management firms in the country. It’s now owned by Grace Hill, a multifamily training and software company.

Here’s the honest version. Ellis is legitimate, steady, and the clear leader in its lane. It’s also known for a dated online system and long, detailed reports. The shoppers who do well here learn to work around both. Let’s break down what Ellis offers, what it pays, and whether it’s worth your time.

Ellis at a Glance

Track Record

Few apartment mystery shopping companies can match Ellis for sheer staying power. Four decades in business, 600,000-plus shops completed, and a steady 8,000 a month means there’s almost always work available somewhere. That volume is the single best reason to sign up: apartment shops are one of the more reliable corners of this industry, and Ellis runs more of them than anyone.

The company works exclusively in multifamily housing, evaluating how leasing teams handle prospective renters. Its clients are large apartment management companies that use the feedback to coach their staff. For you, that focus means consistent shop formats once you learn them — you’re not jumping between wildly different industries. That consistency is a big part of what makes apartment mystery shopping a sustainable niche.

What You’ll Shop

Every Ellis assignment centers on posing as a prospective renter and evaluating the leasing experience. The format changes by shop type, and each one pays differently.

Phone shops

You call an apartment community as an interested renter, usually through a toll-free recorded line, and evaluate how the agent handles the call. These are quick and need no travel, but they pay the least and still require a full report.

Onsite shops

You make the call and then visit the community in person to tour and evaluate the leasing presentation. This is the classic apartment shop — more time and effort than a phone shop, and better pay to match.

Video shops

You complete a phone-and-onsite shop while wearing a hidden camera, capturing the visit on video. These carry the highest pay, especially when a bonus is attached, but they demand the most preparation and the longest reports.

Virtual, internet, and self-guided shops

Newer formats round out the mix: virtual leasing experiences (a call plus a virtual tour), internet lead shops (submitting an online inquiry and judging the response), and self-guided tour shops. These reflect how apartment leasing has moved online, and they’re a good fit if you’d rather work from home. For the broader picture, see our guides to apartment mystery shopping, phone mystery shopping, and video mystery shopping.

How to Sign Up With Ellis

Setting up an Ellis mystery shopping account takes only a few minutes, and there’s no cost to join. Ellis approves new shoppers through a simple online process, then lets you pick your own work from a job board.

1. Register online. Fill out the one-page registration and sign the independent contractor agreement. You’re a contractor, not an employee.
2. Review the reference materials. Ellis gives you access to online guides that explain how its shops and reports work. Read them before your first assignment.
3. Accept a shop from your portal. Log in, browse available shops in your area, and self-accept the ones you want. New projects post often, so check daily.
4. Complete the shop and submit your report. Follow the project instructions exactly, then write up an objective, detailed report.
5. Get paid. Approved shops are paid once a month by PayPal.

One detail to know: Ellis sets a self-accept limit on how many shops you can hold at once. Turn in timely, accurate reports and that limit climbs. Miss deadlines or submit sloppy work and it drops.

What Ellis Pays

Ellis mystery shopping pay depends entirely on the shop type and any bonus attached. Each project lists a flat fee in its description, and that fee is what you earn for completing it. Because apartment shops involve no purchase, there’s no reimbursement — the posted fee is the whole deal.

Based on what shoppers report, basic phone shops can pay as little as $5, onsite shops commonly land around $40, and video shops start near $25 to $30. The real money is in bonuses: shoppers say a bonused video shop can clear $100, which makes a couple of hours of work genuinely worthwhile. Pay varies by project, market, and demand, so always read the fee before you accept. Remember that shop fees are taxable income — our mystery shopping tax guide covers how to track it.

Getting paid

Ellis pays once a month, electronically. As of April 2025, all shop payments go out by PayPal. Like most companies on a monthly cycle, payment for a given month’s approved shops typically arrives the following month, so plan for a few weeks between finishing a shop and seeing the money.

Pros and Cons

Tips for Shopping With Ellis

Ellis rewards shoppers who learn its system and play to the better-paying work. A few habits make a real difference.

• Chase the bonused shops. The base fees are modest, but video and bonused shops are where the pay becomes worth your time. Watch for them.
• Specialize once you find your fit. Many shoppers stick to one or two shop types with shorter reports and learn them cold. That speeds up your reporting and protects your hourly rate.
• Research the property first. Spend a few minutes on the community’s pricing and amenities before your call or visit so you sound like a real prospect.
• Take careful notes. Apartment reports want specifics — the agent’s name, what they showed you, whether they asked for a deposit. Capture details as you go.
• Write objectively. Report what happened, not how you felt about it. Our guide to writing reports that get approved applies directly to Ellis’s detailed forms.

Is Ellis Legit?

Yes. Ellis is a legitimate, established mystery shopping company — it’s been running apartment shops since 1984 and never charges shoppers to join. The complaints you’ll read are about its dated platform and report demands, not about whether the company is real.

That said, the usual rules still protect you. A real company never asks you to pay to join, and never sends you a check to deposit and wire part of it back. Ellis does neither. If you ever see those signs from any company, walk away — our guide to mystery shopping scams shows how the cons work.

Contact Ellis

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ellis cost anything to join?

No. Registering as an Ellis mystery shopper is free. Any company that charges a fee to sign up is not one you should work with.

How much does Ellis pay?

It depends on the shop. Basic phone shops can pay around $5, onsite shops often run near $40, and video shops start around $25 to $30 — with bonuses that can push a video shop past $100. Each project lists its fee before you accept.

How does Ellis pay shoppers?

By PayPal, once a month, for the prior month’s approved shops. Expect a few weeks between completing a shop and getting paid.

Do I need experience to shop for Ellis?

No. New shoppers are welcome, and Ellis provides reference materials to help you learn. A background in leasing or property management helps, but it isn’t required — careful reading and clear writing matter more.

Why do people complain about Ellis?

The common gripes are a dated online portal, long narrative reports, and low base pay on phone shops. None of that makes Ellis a scam — it’s a legitimate company that simply asks for thorough work.

Can I do Ellis shops part-time?

Yes. Ellis mystery shopping is very part-time and as-available, with no minimum. You self-accept shops around your own schedule, which makes it easy to fit around other work.

Is Ellis Worth It?

Ready to explore more? Browse our full mystery shopping company directory, see how Ellis stacks up in our guide to the best mystery shopping companies, or start with the basics in how to become a mystery shopper.