account manager

warehouse associate

retail sales associate

loss prevention officer

receiver

The RealReal

Just saying now that I think my opinions may be slightly biased because I already have a currently terrible home life. I just don't get a break either way. But I am going to try my best to stay neutral and talk about both the good and bad things based on my experience working here so far.

So I would just like to start off with the fact that I am very glad I got this job because of how much it taught me- both the good and bad things about having a job, life in general and fashion. I got my foot in the door of  the fashion industry and I've learned so much about this field that I feel like I have a solid foundation now. Even though this position paid me dirt, I was able to save enough money to move out soon and I've made some solid friends here despite the drama at work. I just really love most of my coworkers and I've met some of the nicest, most fun and hilarious bunch. 

However, SO many things need massive improvement. I truly believe in this company and I absolutely love the concept The RealReal pushes for in terms of recycling luxury fashion- "sustainable fashion", if you will. The unfortunate thing is that our management and HR, more or less, is utter garbage. Everything is a mess and unorganized. This is my biggest problem here. They act so unprofessionally at times, will blatantly take out their anger on us, leave us hanging for days and never give us straight answers about anything at all. They treat us literally like little cogs in a machine. Our wellbeing and needs do not matter to them as all they ever care or talk about is the numbers we provide for them. That's all its ever been about, numbers and quotas. And God forbid, if they ever mess up, they will never admit to it and somehow we end up paying the consequences of their incompetence. 

I suggest to everyone applying here, that come here only if you were in my boat and are desperate for a way in the fashion industry or if it's just for the money. Otherwise, I am telling you that you deserve way better than any of this. You will end up forfeiting your soul, mental & physical health to this corporation and it's NOT worth it.

Good luck.

At TRR production is valued above all else. Quality in terms of authenticity and condition, mental sanity and emotional stability, and work-life balance all come second to the quantity of production. TRR cares about pushing units through and as a worker there, you are treated inhuman and  like a robot. Nothing you say matters even when communicating with your direct managers or HR. As one of the many cogs in the engine, your will be treated as disposable and read a script every time you vocalize an issue, being told the company is young and a startup (... it is 8 years old). 

Despite the company having a culture of productivity as the way to reach the next level up, favoritism runs rampant and dictates who will move up and when. There is really no rhyme or reason to promotion, they bait you with the notion that internal advancement is huge within TRR and that production will get you there. This is a lie to make you work harder for them and then in turn the reason you are not promoted. For example, when asking about a possible move up within my category, my manager's response was "we will be hiring out of house." There is absolutely no investment in employees within TRR. Once you are there, they will suck the soul out of you and you will forever think that a happy work place does not exist (you will realize this is not true when you work elsewhere). The reality is everyone there is looking for something else but no one says so because they are afraid of being punished and treated even worse. They say they value authenticity, but the second you are authentic as an employee and voice concerns, they provide you with food (literally a company lunch) and expect you to move on with no problem fixed

LONG STORY SHORT: Do not work here, you are far too valuable as a human being to work for a company that does not value you.

There are positives and negatives as with any job anywhere. Coworkers can be cool, fun product to see, it’s definitely in growth mode so if leaves a lot of opportunity for those who actually put in the effort to improve processes and try new things- not as rigid as a lot of other companies. For salaried employees then offer unlimited pto, some quarterly bonuses, and for all hourly employees generous pto and 50 dollars a month for snacks as well as bonus incentives based on performance.

On the flip side, it is very disorganized. Directors are basically not present unless shoot is hitting the fan- and half the time can’t tell why the business is failing based on what’s happening on the floor. Then do a great job at bringing good people and management in- but if they don’t have a “I can figure it out alone” mentality the turnover is quick due to very little training and direction and communication across the board. The leadership dynamic is very much a mix of people who have been there for a while who are stuck in processes that are a part of why the business isn’t profitable versus a mix of new people trying to make impactful change almost against each other- and a lot of people who care to grow and do better with no guidance in between slowly losing their drive.

It can definitely be mentally taxing and very rewarding all at once. They expect a lot in comparison to the pay, seem to do more damage control than preventative processes, and across the board lose great potential employees in the process. For people who want a challenge and want to help mold a successful business this could be great, but for people used to regular corporate leadership positions- I’d run. 

There are a lot of issues with this company, but I've realized many companies nowadays operate from a place of greed, not a wholesome goal--like reselling old clothes. Should be a good thing, right? But when all employees are held to the same time goal/UPH, regardless of the employee's physical, mental, or emotional ability on any given day, it shows a lack of flexibility and a lack of regard for their employees' wellbeing.

I also want to note that, while a sign-on bonus might sound tempting, it is predatory to offer a bonus to minimum-wage employees with the expectation that they will pay back the bonus within 30 days if they were to quit.

Some other areas in which the company shows a disregard or disrespect for their lesser-paid employees is when they choose to keep the company open on days with inclement weather (to the point of schools closing), and a lack of  snow and ice removal. That, and keeping the business open on legal holidays for the non-exempt (lesser paid) employees.

While this sounds like every other corporation, it still isn't right. Pushing yourself to meet a quota when you may be sick, injured, or experiencing a hard time, for minimum wage, is never okay. And I wish companies (specifically HR because they're the closest thing to the head of the company that you can communicate with) would see harmful policies and decide to do better for their employees even if it means CEO's make a tiny bit less, but unfortunately they don't care.

The RealReal loves to mask all its problems as start up woes but the reality of it is this is an 8 year old company. the mission of sustainability and and authenticity is a fraud to the customers with their cheesy advertising because if you walk through the disgusting musty warehouse you can see that there is lack of structure and the organizational processes are so inefficient. 

A typical work day as a ''copywriter'' is doing quality control and data entry. you are timed against a productivity goal which forces most to rush through their work and be highly inaccurate even though the marketing says experts evaluate every item.

Even though you may specialize in one aspect you will be asked to juggle multiple things at once and tasked to do projects outside of your expertise with little helpful training/guidance by managers who are external and don't even know the day-to-day of the employees they are tasked to lead.

The culture here is terrible. It's like the movie "Mean Girls'' where teamwork means only caring about your department an blaming other departments in the pipeline for mistakes. They barely promote from within, and if they do you have to be a ''favorite''. You can be the best worker and they will pass you up if you challenge the status quo. 

There is really high turn over from warehouse technicians to the corporate suite. beware working here, they don't even pay close to the occupational averages in san francisco

They never hire permanent CSRs what they do is catch your attention with a misleading job ad then shock you with the job is temporary and they will decide to keep you. They will assign you as many tasks as possible while working for them. This is not a company that rewards hard work. They reward friendship. It is all about who you know and how much smooching you are willing to do to keep your job. The best department there is the Consignor Relations Department. Yes, they have their issues but they are a lot more serious and hard work is expected and rewarded. What this company wants are friends. The CSR managers do not all agree on every subject. We expect this no one will agree on everything. But there is an issue when there are consistent inconsistencies. The issue is the customers. Yes, the customers. These managers will tell you different information which leads to confusion. Sure this is great when you have customers upset when they are hearing mixed information from the same company. Yes, the company has the potential to be great if they fix the issues with their authentication process. They expect the unrealistic. If you happen to surpass their unrealistic expectations you are not rewarded at all. They just pile higher expectations onto your plate and begin to scrutinize every interaction you have. The Customer Service Representative isn't worth it. The Consignor Relations position is where the true potential is.

**Review of The RealReal**

I’ve had the opportunity to work at The RealReal and feel compelled to share my experience. Unfortunately, my time there was marked by several challenges that significantly impacted my job satisfaction.

Firstly, the inflated sales quotas set by the company were unrealistic and created an intense pressure that often felt unmanageable. Despite putting in long hours and putting forth my best effort, meeting these targets was consistently out of reach, leading to constant stress and frustration.

Management was another major issue. The leadership style seemed disconnected from the day-to-day realities of employees. There was a noticeable lack of support and understanding from management, which made addressing concerns or seeking help difficult. This disconnect led to a work environment where constructive feedback and support were minimal.

The company culture, too, was a significant drawback. While there were some positive aspects, the overall atmosphere felt competitive in a way that was more demoralizing than motivating. The emphasis on hitting sales targets often overshadowed employee well-being, creating a culture where numbers were prioritized over genuine support and collaboration.

In summary, my experience at The RealReal was marred by unrealistic sales expectations, ineffective management, and a challenging company culture. These factors combined to create a work environment that was ultimately unsustainable for me.

A typical day at work:  You will a lot of favors for stressed-out workers while slackers "finesse the system."

What I learned:  The hard-working employee is almost always expected to do their jobs as well as other worker's jobs from various different departments with little to no regard to how they wind up feeling after the shift is over.

Management:  After some time, you slowly but surely begin to feel a sense of hopelessness when you inform them of a serious recurring problem affecting production.  

Workplace culture:  It always seems to be about the "buddy system" at that workplace.  However, even if you do manage to become part of the buddy system, you wind up being the person that does the odd job (i.e.:  how do you take your coffee or what lunch would you like me to order for you today.)

The hardest part of the job:  Navigating through the countless moments of slackers having casual conversations with other workers, hearing the complaints of hard workers and how management doesn't seem to care, and keeping yourself away from workers that are hiding in strategically placed racks at their work stations to hide from doing any work due to the frequent "pass the work along" situations.

The most enjoyable part of the job:  Clocking out to do more important things like build on your dreams or spend time with your family.

Repetitive, but manageable work. As long as you can keep up with the demands, the job is relatively simple, though it heavily focuses on meeting quotas. Plenty of things for you to learn from various departments.
 The team is a major positive. Your colleagues will appreciate your presence and work, creating a supportive environment despite the challenges.


 Unfortunately, there's a noticeable disconnect between what management values (accuracy and speed) and their ability to offer adequate support or guidance to help employees meet those expectations. Management struggles with framing goals for you to meet if you don't have them already in mind. There's also a significant problem in the poor communication across departments, leading to confusion, frustration, and sometimes a lack of clarity on things like policy changes or even pay raises.



Overall, TheRealReal can be a solid stepping stone for someone seeking work experience and new skills. However, the lack of supportive management and ongoing communication issues may make it tough for long-term growth. If you're self-motivated and adaptable, you might find the role manageable. But if you're looking for a more supportive work environment or better growth opportunities, this may not be the best fit.

A regular day at work is walk in, immediately get an email with quota for the day and then pretty much just work like your life dependent on it. Maybe ta a lunch depends if it's Tuesday Seamless (which they cut down our price amount to spend) and Thursday pizza day. There was bagels on Fridays which was a total bonus. IF you reached your quota then you can leave which can be at anytime. It can be at 5:00, 5:15 or 5:30. Never really left on time.

I honestly learned about time management in a workplace. I surely walked out with tough skin. 

The workplace was diverse. I enjoyed working with fellow coworkers. Everyone there is very friendly, fun, welcoming and helpful. I got along with everyone from all departments and never had a problem. The coworkers really got me through the day. Great team.

The hardest part of the job was hands down the quota. Having to reach your quota no matter what every single day. Hopefully you don't have a bad day and miss it by 10. Extremely cut throat. Making quota is overwhelming huge deal and having to make your quota within two months. It's overwhelming and extremely stressful to make quota everyday and MAYBE having to stay late. Tons of pressure. 

There is probably only about a couple things that are enjoyable. Coworkers are great and the food themes that occurs once and a while which is pretty cool. Pretty much the free food is all around awesome.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Account manager 6 salaries reported	$58,333 per year
Warehouse associate 3 salaries reported	$23.04 per hour
Retail sales associate 1 salary reported	$21.00 per hour
Loss prevention officer 2 salaries reported	$18.59 per hour
Receiver 5 salaries reported	$16.05 per hour

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