07/08/2025
Hey everyone! This is Kate with NSR Property Management. Today I got a call from a gal who asked us to verify the legitimacy of someone who was claiming to be renting out houses in the area. I thought this was such a good idea of hers to check with us, because we were able to confirm that it was a scam. This became a good opportunity to share with the community. Here are a few tips on how to spot scammers posing as property managers/owners renting out homes.
1. *Property managers are required to be real estate brokers, and must have a broker's license!* If someone is not a broker, they can only be a property manager's assistant, like myself. Ask for their DRE number, then call a local real estate office and ask them to look it up - all real estate agents have access to this database and would be happy to verify this for you.
2. Another thing local real estate offices can do is look up the owner of the property you're interested in renting. The scammer today was not claiming to be a property manager, but rather the owner of the home. When we looked it up, the names didn't match.
3. Ask the person to explain their application fee. The purpose of this fee is to cover the cost of running credit reports and criminal background checks. For example, it costs NSR $35 when we run a background check on an applicant, and that's what we charge. In the case of the scam we saw today, the man wanted a $100 application fee, but his business claimed that they didn't run credit or criminal background checks on applicants. *NEVER give someone your SSN unless you're sure they are running a legitimate business!!* The only reason we need your SSN on an application is to run the credit/background check. So if the person claims they don't require these checks, why would they want your SSN and a $100 application fee? 🚩🚩🚩
4. Is the person willing to answer your questions? Remember that you are a potential client, and you have a right to information about the service you're interested in. If they dodge your questions or can't provide information about the home, take that as a red flag. When I pretended to be an prospective tenant asking the scammer about the home, he evaded my questions and couldn't give me details about the house itself.
I hope this helps. The bottom line is that you can always call a real estate office if you ever have a question. Stay safe out there, and happy summer!
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