Zillow Application Submitted without Seeing the House

[Jack Quin]

Hi,

I use Zillow to list my house. I finds that, after I list my house, I often receive some applications and the applicants don’t even see the house. They tend to have lower credit scores or other issues. Should I waist my time on those applications? One applicant has a 530 score but seems to have a stable job with 3X income. I am wondering whether I should proceed. But this population seems to be risky. Anybody has a similar situation？

[Charles Carillo]

@Jack Quin

For us, a 530 credit score is a no-go from the start. 3x income is great, but they do not pay their bills.

When I self-managed and listed on Zillow or any other platforms, I usually would initially assess people by speaking to them on the phone. 2-5 minutes on a phone call with a prospective tenant will give you a good idea of what to expect. Go through your requirements, one by one, that you also listed in the ad, and confirm that they meet all of them. They will confirm they meet them or tell you a lovely story. The more they talk, the more you will learn. If you are comfortable with them, set up a showing, or if not, tell them the property manager will call them to set up a showing (they are applying to so many places that they rarely follow up when no one calls).