What flavor do you like your kool-aid? - Sales Development Representative AppFolio Employee Review

1.0
Dec 7, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Colleagues are fun to work with - Kitchen - Chance to earn a few extra bucks here and there - Software is great - Other departments seem to have fun...

Cons

Where to begin? Clearly the October 17th review isn't a real employee, only been there for a month, or they were told to say something. The previous negative reviews from the past year are dead on. Seriously.... take those into heavy consideration when thinking about applying for the company as an SDR. The executive team really doesn't care about the SDR department. They tell us we are the heart of the company and sales (duh... every SDR department is) and our feedback is heard. Is it though Mrs. CMO? Have you read these SDR reviews on Glassdoor? How has the executive team and management not put two and two together? We know why ;) Managers drink any flavor that is given to them by the executive team. Speaking of managers, lies lies lies. They are really good at micromanagement (they should write a book about it), not fighting for you, using your words against you, and covering up everything they say. Often times they tell you one thing, it'll change, they won't tell you it changed, you're still believing and achieving for the originally thing, and then once you achieve it, they'll say, "Oh. Sorry. Forgot to tell you. It's actually...". Examples of this include but not limited to: KPIs, bonus pay outs, promotion criteria, department transfer The "anonymous", optional employee survey. We were told to take it and encouraged to say good things. They practically watched us fill it out. You think any SDR is going to be honest? Anonymous surveys in a company don't exist. The pay is awful for an SDR and the bonus/commission you get when the ISR/AE decides to make it an Opportunity (fair?) is a joke. Plus, most SDR departments will pay either a bonus or a commission of the final sale to the SDR. This happens at AppFolio only if you've suffered enough as an SDR and made it to White Belt, Ninja, Green Beret, or whatever dumb thing they decide to call it. SDR jobs are a dime a dozen in the D/FW Metroplex. I guess it's because of this reality that they think they can easily put a body in a seat, so they don't change and listen to actual reviews and complaints. The executive team won't change. If you're looking for an SDR job, I highly encourage you to read all the reviews and make an educated decision. The company culture is great. I'll give you that. But as an SDR within the company under the current management and executive team... I can't wait to read the CMO's response. I'm sure it'll be a generic thank you, we value our SDR team members, we strive to be the best, blah blah blah. I've met all the executive team over my 13+ months of employment there and they are all fake and clueless. Why didn't I leave earlier? Because I was promised several things and believed in that. Guess I saw that light. But at the end of the day, executive team doesn't take the SDRs opinions into any consideration. Because if they did, the management, current atmosphere/mood, and turnover rate wouldn't be what it is.

avatar
AppFolio Response
9y
I will say, it's the first time I've been called 'Mrs. CMO’…..! Many of our SDRs start with AppFolio as their first or second job. We provide tons of training on sales skills, communication techniques, building and maintaining a growth mindset while working in a fast paced, technology environment. I actually think it’s great that you had the chance to interact with our executive team, we value having an approachable and open team. The SDRs who have been promoted to sales, customer success and marketing positions use their time as an SDR to build super valuable skills, they own their own destiny by mastering the work and making the most of this great opportunity. I'm sorry to hear that you missed that chance and hope you find the opportunity to take advantage of it at your next position.

Explore other reviews about AppFolio

5.0
May 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Work/Life balance is amazing. Working with insanely intelligent people is always a plus.

Cons

None that i can think of.

3.0
May 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Frequent team outings and social events that help build relationships across the team. Generally a friendly, social environment!

Cons

The property management team is highly competitive when it comes to promotions, and I’ve seen BDRs remain in the same seat for years or eventually leave, as internal advancement opportunities can be limited. However, for top performers, there is promising upside, and you get to work with some of the best leaders in the organization. On the investment management team, leadership quality is more uneven, and there appears to be a lack of management experience, which has created gaps in coaching, accountability, and overall team development. As a result, performance outcomes have lagged, with the majority of BDRs and AEs struggling to consistently hit target. Team turnover has also been notably high, and leadership engagement only increased after a large portion of the team had already decided to leave, which by that point felt too late to rebuild morale or trust.

avatar
AppFolio Response
1w
Thank you for sharing your feedback. It’s great to hear that you enjoyed our culture and team outings. We take your comments seriously – especially regarding the need for proactive management support, better coaching, and clearer advancement opportunities for our BDR and AE teams – and we are actively working to address these areas to ensure our reps feel supported and set up for long-term success. Thank you again for helping us improve, and we wish you the very best.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All