Bummer - Anonymous employee AppFolio Employee Review

2.0
4 Sept 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

High potential for a midsize tech company in a desirable area, but unfortunately falls victim to the corporate cliche of patting themselves on the back while failing to deliver on almost all of their "values" in practice. Great culture - if you fit in. The Santa Barbara office is a microcosm of the surrounding area, with nearly all white leadership and cliquey management that don't gel very well with people who do not look, sound, and think like them (can't tell you how many times the office chit chat was centered around nannies, vacation properties, golf trips, or summers in Europe). You will feel fairly compensated if you're not an individual contributor or a POC, especially for roles requiring an in-office presence. It's really refreshing to be surrounded by hard working, bright, and kind people who are genuinely happy in their jobs, and really demoralizing to see that only a certain type of person is rewarded and recognized for said hard work. I also have to add that the vibe at the San Diego office is significantly more chill, and that there are plenty of talented and intelligent folks across the business that would probably have nicer things to say about their experience at AppFolio than I do!

Cons

Pay is paltry against industry standards and the bare minimum needed to live in such an obscenely HCOL area but they're too out of touch to realize that. There gets to a point where "change management" no longer accounts for the relentless chaos and burnout caused by a revolving door of leadership, and managers openly admit they have no idea what the heck is going on. A lot of saying one thing/doing another, milking overburdened staff for all they're worth and calling it "cross training", and micromanagement of communication styles which led me to believe they don't actually care about good work being done, they just want it done their way. Their motto is "better, better, never best", which at first seems humbling and motivating but turns out it just means that nothing you do will ever be good enough :) Very low trust in executive leadership headed by the deeply uncharismatic robot in human clothes that is the CEO - big fish, small pond energy abound.

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AppFolio Response
8mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your honest feedback. We care deeply about creating a workplace where everyone feels included, supported in their growth, and fairly rewarded for their impact. I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t your experience, and I truly appreciate you sharing your perspective. Wishing you continued success in your career.

Explore other reviews about AppFolio

5.0
4 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

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

Cons

None that i can think of.

3.0
23 May 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.

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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.
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