Hello

Phone screen first...

have them drive by, peek in if empty.

Then call back saves much time...

What animals do you have?

Is your gross monthly income at least $X?

Have you ever been evicted?

Why are you moving?

What is your approx. credit score?

Who else will be occupying the property?

I send a Google Form to pre-screen. I let them know up front I check our free online court system.

Of the emails from Zillow/Trulia/etc, I probably only get 20% that even bother to answer.

That tells me they won't respond to other emails and texts either.

My tenants don't visit my house. Unless they looked it up they wouldn't know where it is.

I don't talk by phone to tenants or prospects. You can judge a lot by e-mails. The showings tell me a lot - if they take place. If they're late by more than 2 minutes I'm alraady gone.

With a single family home I like to pre-screen a person first on the phone. However when I having an open house, I list the address in the add with the time a date.

Phone screen. I listen to what is going on in the background. I say "how will you be paying for the apartment?" "How many people are coming with you?". "What kind of cat or dog do you have?"

Then, because I have a waiting list, I say that I have someone interested in the apartment that I have to call so please give me your name and phone number and if they don't take the apartment, I will call you back.

Lee & Pookie!

(great to see your better half's name in lights!)

No. I have a life.

I don't need to do ANY of that stuff. It wastes my life.

Traditional LLing does this whole thing BACKWARD.

One app. Online. Treats everyone equally.

Our "pre-screening":

**THEY** need to SCREEN THE HOME and themselves before we spend a minute of our life on them. Is it what they want? Where they want? The right price?

They look at the pics and video on Trulia or our website.

Drive by, look in the windows. Apps on the sign.

If interested fill out a free application online or take a pic of the handwritten app with your phone and text it in. Done.

We cannot help anyone until we have their app in hand.

NOW we know if they are interested and what they can afford.

If they pass our quick look we'll give them the lockbox code. (text us when you enter, text us when you exit and lock up)

Works. Saves our life for us to enjoy.

Helps us rent faster while other LLs are emailing forms and waiting for replies. We're workign with the ones who are ready to rock.

BRAD

PS Millennials and iGen don't email.

I'll back my system with stats.

I posted a new video walkthru and within 5 hours 20 people had already viewed it. Whew! Saved me a BUNCH of showings and calls!

One video has 900 views. Not a second of my life used.

We approve 1.5 apps out of 10. (Ours are free. We know if they are going anywhere in 5 minutes.)

I just saved myself 8.5 unqualified showings or phone calls or texts.

If they don't qualify we don't waste time (life) on them.

.

We sign leases on 90% of approved apps without s single showing. The phone calls or texts are to say "You're approved! Which home do you want? Are your ready to get the keys?"

I've gotten a bit more "liberal" lately and just text them the code and a link to our application. No pre-screen. 2 weeks doing this with 3 vacancies. So far, no issues. We'll see. I may regret this, but so far I got one rented this way.

I do not prescreen.

In ontario refusal to, show a prospective tenant, or a someone pretending to be a prospective tenant,....for virtually ANY reason can get you in front of the ontario human rights tribunal. Assumed guilty.

Not to disparage Brad at all -- I know he's highly successful and I don't doubt his methods-- but I too was a bit surprised by the length of the recorded message. Many of my callers hang up within 10 seconds of the voice mail starting (I listen in behind the scenes occasionally on Google Voice). 8 minutes would = zero results in my market.

Drive by the outside first....

Pick up info sheet on sign complete with a QR code

Call me at the phone number at bottom of info sheet

phone screening....

Put them at ease, first. Then ask friendly questions like "is your pet f r i e n d l y?"

WHY are you moving? Looking for real advantages like lower rent, larger size, better location or apartment. Nearer to the work place? - What are their circumstances now???

Being too tough leads to getting lied to. "No pets" and then you will find 16 dog turds and the carpet soaked with dogs' urine..." (ask me how I know)