Assuming you have Ads on Zillow and CL, and you don't answer your phone and let all incoming calls go do directly to voicemail,...then how does your screening process begin? If your voice mail message re-directs callers to your website,...again, how does your tenant screening process actually work?

With only voicemail messages to work with, how do you decide who gets a call back and who does not?

And if you use lock-boxes, how much screening do you do before giving out that combination on the lock-box?

My screening begins with the voice mail. The message describes the rent, the deposit, that we don't work with the Section 8 program and that folks are to leave their name and number if they want a call back.

Gail,

I do everything through e-mail. I say in ad that e-mail is "highly preferable"

its a strike if they use the Google voicemail. However I can text back using google

"All inquiries have to fill out the prescreenig questionnaire. That is how I know they are qualified and actually interested"

nhsailmaker,

One of the things I am trying to figure out here is,..does anyone rent out a property without having ANY verbal conversation with an applicant?

Why do you send these leads to voicemail? Use a number specifically for these leads so you know who these folks are. Google can get you a number....the whole idea is for you to find the right person.

I want to talk to these folks and get them screened on the phone and get them matched up with the right property. If they pass the initial phone screening, I'll send them some pics via text from my cell phone. If they like what they see in the pics, I have them call me again on my cell phone. These folks are absolutely a top priority to respond to at this point. I let them know what they will need to get moved into the place and let them screen themselves out.

Roy - My cell phone is MY cellphone for friends and family - not for tom dick and harry

Tenants have a different number and that is the google # and that notifies me immediately when somebody calls - in case of emergency. Frankly I can't ever remembering any emergency call because none of my buildings have flooded or burned down. That is an emergency - not having a breaker trip. Tenants are trained to e-mail ALL issues regarding leasing to me and e-mail handyman for property issues

The screening starts by sending them to a website where they fill out a quick application. Then you get to review it on YOUR time... not when they called.

Roy... yes, scammers.

I have a landline for advertising. My cell phone is for current residents and contractors.

Roy...Applicants who leave a name and number get a call back...unless of course, their message involves children screaming in the background.

It's not unusual with the call backs I have to go over the requirements (income three times the rent, good credit, no history of dispossessory filings or evictions). If the confirm no issues with these we can then continue on to making an appointment to view the property. Sometimes I suggest they drive by the place first to check out the neighborhood. This is especially true if they ask me about the neighborhood or they are moving from a more "high class" area looking for a cheaper place.

Many calls do not leave a message. I suspect those are folks who have seen the "For Rent" sign on the houses and called, heard the rent amount (or the fact I don't accept Section 8) and it's either above their desired rent or they have vouchers.

Gail

"All calls go to voicemail" and lock box showing accomplishes everything traditional screening/showing/application process does but only uses a fraction of the time.

Roy, as you may recall, I posted a detailed, step-by-step account called "Automate screening" on Sept 14. Do a search and it should pop right up. It should answer all of your questions about how I do it. Others may do it differently.

You talk to them during the 2 minute in-home visit. Really, the home should "say" everything that needs to be said. But you can spend as much time as you like talking to them. I've never needed more than 5 minutes. Plenty of time to see, hear, smell everything that is important.

Do they like to go fishing? That's nice. Maybe we'll talk about fishing a bit. What are your favorite spots? Do you ever gut fish in the sink? (*wink) I had a guy tell me 'yes' once.

***

Me: Oh, is that your pit bull I see in the yard?

Them: Um...well, we're watching him for a friend...

***

Me: Is this car parked on the yard yours?

Them: Oh, no...that belong to my cousin who moved in with us last month, but he's not coming with us.

Me: Mmmm... I see.

***

Sid,

I will search for your Automate Screening post. I am sure it is a good one.

Very seldom do I pick up the phone. Those few inquiries that contact me via voicemail (vs email or text) get the same automated response via text (since I now have their number in my system) that everybody else does. It essentially gives the bare minimum of my requirements and something to the effect that since it is currently occupied showings are limited but that the first step to a showing is to provide the requested information (names of each person over 18, household income, employers and maybe a couple other things). Those few that respond back (with the requested information) are either serious and well qualified or desperate and out of options. A few follow up questions and Google searches usually makes it pretty easy to discern the difference between the two. From the handful that look promising I will schedule showings back to back and go from there.

Roy,

Here's where I start:

Is anything accomplished on a call back? Not really.

The liars convince you to drop everything and show the property, only to get an application and realize they don't qualify.

Or we spend OUR time (life) weeding out people with questions that they COULD HAVE easily put on an application.

We START with the application. Make apps super easy to get - at the house in a pouch on the sign, on website, at business where they can walk in and pick up one.

We can screen court records in mere minutes. MOST are eliminated right there.

Paystubs: they take a photo with their smartphone and text it to us, same with DL.

Quick check on Facebook, Google...

with this basic screening we text them and ask about available funds. (ever go thru the whole showing thing and they don't have the money!?)

If things look OK we text them the lockbox code with instructions to text us when they enter and text us again when they lock up.

Stats for OUR last 30 days:

315 incoming phone calls from prospects straight to voicemail. Outgoing message does NOT invite them to leave a message.

75 applications

49 denied based on no employment or less than 6 months employment

13 denied based on eviction records or current eviction

2 denied for self employed or SSI/disability only (not garnishable)

11 pre-approved for lockbox code

From that 11:

5 went elsewhere or ghosted (disappeared), never toured

6 actually toured 2 different homes via lockbox so 3 lockbox tours per home.

4 leases signed

.

That WOULD have been 315 calls x 10 minutes each = 3150 minutes or 52.5 HOURS!! on the phone. 3% of those calls are legit prospects so 51 of those hours would have been a total waste of my time (my life).

Life is short. All we have is time. Protect your time!

BRAD

Thanks to Brad for posting his actual time stats. I'm not quite as diligent keeping track as we have fewer units and fewer vacancies, but I do not think it is unreasonable to say that I save 15-20 hours of my life per vacancy by using "all calls to voice mail" + pre-screening + lock box showing.

Oops! Typo!

6 lockbox toured 4 homes. Avg 1.5 per home.

" 315 calls x 10 minutes each"

Brad ... what on earth do you talk about for ten minutes with a prospect? For unqualified prospects, it takes me less than one minute to shoot thru my phone screen questions. Most of the time, it takes two to three minutes to set up a showing if they pass

Roy,

Sisco said "the reality is that good quality applicants communicate by text. Dregs want to talk".

In my market, the direct opposite is true. Time wasters only want to send texts,...serious applicants make phone calls.

For example: Let say your rental house is on fire,...would you want your tenant to text the fire dept. or call 911 ?

Roy, it is ironic that you use the fire department example in your question:

Our Fire departments get many, many texts reporting fires, our coroner receives notification of deaths via text. I learned this during a conversation on Wednesday with the county coroner.

I noticed the text only preference in my daughter who is now 28.....if you want to lose her business or that or her circle- require that they call via voice.

For those younger, I think the the voice call feature of a smart phone is like paper checks- completely non existent.

Sisco,

Most of the younger people who send me texts, it is obvious from their text messages they do not have a firm grip on the English language. Spelling is horrible, everything is abbreviated in some type of code language that I do not understand.

My preferred tenant is middle aged with good long term jobs ( with extra points for being married). Those tenants are perfectly happy to do business on the phone.