My fiancé and I are moving to a new area and have decided to rent a place. We found a property in a neighborhood we really like that had a "For Rent" sign. We called the number and were able to view the property within a few hours. The house is being rented out by an older couple. We didn’t meet the wife, but we were able to meet the husband during the showing. He was a really nice guy, but didn’t seem to know many of the details regarding fees. He mentioned that he’s a "humble realtor" and that his wife is the "broker" who knows all the answers. He advised us to text him if we didn’t get a response from her.

We obviously love the place, and it seems to fit our needs. However, even though we found it a bit odd that the husband didn’t have all the details right away, we decided to move forward with the application process. The husband told us to apply through Zillow, so we filled out the application on the platform.

Before completing the application, we spoke to the wife over the phone to clarify some questions. She was very pleasant and explained that their website doesn't work, which we thought was a bit unusual. She also mentioned that they've been in real estate since 2006 and have managed over 30 properties (though this is more of a side business for them), which suggests a mom-and-pop operation. I noticed their business is listed as an LLC on their Zillow profile, and we also found that they have a few other unrelated LLC businesses that didn't seem to work out for them over the years and were short-lived. However, aside from that, I couldn't find much information about them, and the only online presence seems to be the wife's LinkedIn profile (though I've never met her in person and am just going off her profile picture on Zillow).

After submitting the application through Zillow, we attached our income (two months of pay stubs for each of us from our current jobs), work references, credit and criminal background, rental history, and the contact info for our current landlord (who just so happens to be my fiancé’s father). Within 24 hours, they approved our application and followed up with a request for more information. These requests have come through email, and they’ve asked us to send over the following:

1. The most recent pay stub from my fiancé's previous job, which he left in June 2024 (he started a new job in August 2024 and provided the last two months of income).
2. Whether we are related to the landlord from our previous rental, and if so, to specify the relationship.
3. Where we are currently living.
4. A copy of our current driver’s licenses (for both of us).

Again, all the verifying documents have been submitted through Zillow, but now we are communicating with the wife via email (outside of Zillow). We feel hesitant to send her another pay stub and a copy of our driver’s licenses.
One thing that did provide some reassurance is that we took the initiative to verify they own the property through a county property search. It was recently purchased in December 2024, which aligns with the timing she mentioned on the phone.

However, despite all the communication being professional, I’ve had trouble finding additional information about their business online.

I’m wondering if I’m being overly cautious, but I want to make sure everything is legitimate and avoid any potential scams. Does this process seem normal to you? Should I take extra steps to verify their identity and legitimacy?

Orlando, Florida

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