Real Estate Agent Tenant Screening

The statistics back growing rental trends. At the end of 2018, a little less than half of respondents to a survey said they couldn’t afford a home. 

 

That’s one reason why real estate agents who stay ahead of the latest industry curves are interested in tenant screening. It’s a great way to complement your other income. This industry niche makes sense for a number of reasons like:  

 

• You know the markets landlords rent in.  That means you can help a landlord get the best candidate/price for their unit(s).
• You can help them avoid spending a bundle on advertising by handling the tenant screening process. Most realtors have access to the local MLS system to draw from.
• You can help them increase the values of their investments. Better tenants mean better resale value.  

Working with an online tenant screening solution is efficient and affordable. However, realtors looking to partner with one need to check a few boxes.

 

What You’ll Need in Tenant Screening for Real Estate Agents

Security

This is at the top of the list for a very good reason. You may or may not be tech savvy as a realtor. Either way, there are a few safeguards that make the Internet a safer place to handle sensitive information.

 

A Dedicated Server 

Looking for a dedicated server is important. Make sure you work with a tenant screening company that has this feature and updated firewalls. Technical jargon aside, these two items help to form a digital moat that protects sensitive data. 

Industry leading digital security is a must have so everyone feels comfortable. Don’t forget to look for PCI-compliance too. That’s the framework to protect credit card data. 

 

Credit Checks

These go a long way in helping landlords make the decisions they’re happy with.  To get an accurate picture, the screening company should be pulling data from all three credit bureaus. That’s Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. 

 

Criminal Background Checks 

Convenience is one of the keys to good criminal background checks. When you’re working with a company that does everything in the cloud, the information is safe. It can be accessed from anywhere.

 

Eviction Checks 

Transparency goes a long way when you’re narrowing down yourtenant screening for real estate agents choices. A place that gives copies of the reports to both the landlord and agent is above board and playing by the rules. 

Same goes for other metrics like electronic residency and employment verifications. 

 

A User Friendly Dashboard

Everything needs to come together or there’s really no point in a real estate professional using one of these services.  You don’t have time to corral the info from different sources.  

That’s why a user friendly digital dashboard is critical. After all, being able to track your progress and statistics lets you stay that all-important one step ahead. 

That dashboard should be mobile friendly too. That way you’ll be able to work on the go.   

We’ve got all these bases and more covered. If you’re a real estate agent looking to get started with tenant screening, sign up for a free account today.