Rental Screening Simplified
Realtor® info
We've made a great video just for Agents. Kick back, relax, and
enjoy the show!
Welcome to Rental Screening Simplified!
Need assistance? Have questions? Click on the "Contact Us" link at the top of the page.
For Realtors®, SoftScreen is a snap!
A cost-free, legally compliant, absolutely effortless, snap!
- Click Here to register, and create your FREE Agent Account
- Enter the address of your Rental Listing
- That's it!
SoftScreen is Rental Screening Simplified
A powerful platform with features that make rental screening manageable and easy.
Now any Tenant can share their reports in one of several ways...
- Tenants can log in and proactively locate your listing by its address, sharing Reports directly with YOU and the Property Owner.
- OR... The Tenant's Showing Agent can join in to locate the listing by its address and invite their Tenant to order, receive, and provide Reports directly to YOU and the Property Owner.
- OR... Listing Agents (or even the Property Owner) can choose to send an invitation directly to a Tenant right from their SoftScreen dashboard.
For the Tenant's Showing Agent - get the ball rolling
SoftScreen is GREAT for YOUR Tenant clients!
- Tenants receive their own Reports!
- Our Reports are a Soft Hit that won't impact their score
- Reports can be re-shared, again and again, up to 150 times, at ZERO additional cost, making multiple rental applications a snap!
- SoftScreen also includes the Tenant's Rental Application, eliminating the need for paperwork
- SoftScreen is, hands down, the BEST possible option for Tenants when rental Screening is needed.
There's No Paperwork, No Contracts, No Credentialing!
SoftScreen is Available for EVERY Realtor®, at EVERY Brokerage Firm and for EVERY Single Rental Property in the United States!
Every.Single.One!
SoftScreen lets ANY Tenant order and receive their own Reports, and at the same time, provide complete and total access to their Rental Screening Reports with ANY Listing Agent, and ANY Property Owner for ANY Property available for rent or lease.
Think of it as receiving an email that's also been cc'd to others!
It's the very same information, secure and reliable, sent to multiple recipients at the same time!
Anytime a Tenant orders and provides their reports to you, we let you know with email notification.
Just log in to view the complete set of Reports - Credit with Score, National Criminal and National Eviction, along with their super thorough Rental Application.
SoftScreen also provides Tenants with the freedom to share their Reports over and over again, with other recipients, as many times as needed, up to 150 shares in a 30-day time frame AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. A great feature if you are the Tenant's agent in a competitive market and your client needs to apply for more than one address!
We know there are a lot of questions!
SoftScreen has answers...
For Professional Real Estate Agents, the prospect of conducting a rental transaction can be daunting. Much of the concern stems from issues that swirl around the proper distribution and handling of the Tenant's consumer reports. Credit, criminal, even eviction reports.
- Who orders the reports?
- Who receives them?
- Can they be shared between agents?
- Can the Landlord have a copy?
- How do I make sure the Tenant's information is safe?
These are all excellent questions to ask. Unfortunately, there are often too few answers. And mistakes, if made, can be very problematic, to say the least. But don't worry, SoftScreen will make everything totally simple and safe! We handle it all, seamlessly providing legal compliance, and making sure EVERYONE is covered and EVERYTHING is done the correct way.
- With SoftScreen, Tenants order their own reports
- Reports are delivered directly to Tenants, Agents and Property Owners
Worries about not being able to share reports are a thing of the past! - SoftScreen does the job for everyone. Safely, legally, and always making sure the Tenant's information is protected.
Tenants always know who they are sharing their reports with, and agents no longer have to worry about any of the heavy lifting typically associated with rental transactions!
It all starts with an address!
Because Rental Screening requires a Rental Property.
The Listing Agent or the Property Owner starts by entering the Rental Property's address... Simple!
(With SoftScreen, even a Tenant's agent can enter the address!)
That's it!
Now sit back, relax, and screen tenants like a boss!
Reports just show up. Automatically. Anytime a Tenant provides them!
We'll let you know immediately! We always send you an email the moment they do!
Would you like to avoid receiving the report and send it
only to the Property Owner?
We can do that too! SoftScreen gives Listing Agents the option of having reports go only to the Property Owner. You can enter the property's address on behalf of your client OR you can ask them to set up the property themselves.
"You've been invited"
SoftScreen invitations can help make Rental Screening happen...
Listing Realtors® and Property Owners, as well as a Tenant's Showing Agent...
Just enter the rental property's address in SoftScreen to invite prospective Tenants to be screened for tenancy. Agents on both sides of the transaction can even invite one another on behalf of their clients.
How to View the Tenant's Reports
Just log in to your SoftScreen dashboard and click on your "View available reports" button. Reports for every Tenant who has applied for every one of your rental property listings will be visible. Everything in one organized place.
You're Welcome!
Letters of Adverse Action - Denial of Tenancy
We've got your back!
What happens if a Tenant isn't suitable based on something in their consumer reports? The FCRA requires a letter of adverse action be sent to the applicant. We've got this covered! With a simple click of the mouse, SoftScreen will notify the Tenant with the appropriate letter that meets your obligation under the FCRA.
And finally, a very important note to Real Estate Professionals about the FCRA and legal compliance (the serious stuff)
SoftScreen delivers a much sought after solution to the challenges faced when taking part in rental transactions that require a Tenant's consumer report(s).
SoftScreen's goal is to seamlessly provide legal compliance on behalf of all involved.
By delivering report(s) only to those who have a legally permissible purpose for receiving them, SoftScreen protects the Tenant by making certain their consumer data is shared appropriately, and limited to only those with a legally permissible use for receiving it.
In this way, all parties are protected; The real estate professional, the Property Owner and most importantly, the Tenant, who's confidential consumer data is at the heart of it all.
With this in mind, please consider the following:
In accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and its Amendments, the federal law(s) that governs the accuracy, completeness, privacy, and distribution of consumer data, a Tenant’s Consumer Report, be it Credit, Criminal and/or Eviction, may ONLY be used in accordance with a Permissible Purpose.
For Real Estate Professionals, the Permissible Purpose for using the Tenant’s consumer report(s) is Tenant Screening, also referred to as Rental Screening.
The ONLY recipient of the report(s) SoftScreen provides can and should be the LISTING AGENT, Property Manager and/or the Property Owner along with the Tenant.
The LISTING AGENT, Property Manager and/or the Property Owner are the End User Recipients, the one(s) who will use the report(s) for the legally permissible purpose and intended use - a decision on the tenancy.
A Tenant’s Showing Agent CANNOT utilize the report(s) to make a decision on tenancy, thus, in accordance with the FCRA, has no valid need or right to receive the report(s) from SoftScreen
As such, a Tenant’s Showing Agent SHOULD NOT be the recipient of the report(s)
A Tenant’s Showing Agent CANNOT receive the report(s) directly from SoftScreen
A Tenant's Showing Agent CANNOT receive the report(s) directly from SoftScreen and then re-distribute the report(s) to any other recipient.
For a Tenant's Showing Agent, receiving the report(s) directly from SoftScreen, (i.e. falsely posing as the End User Listing Agent) and then dispensing the report(s) to another recipient, (cooperating agent or broker, landlord or any other) the Showing Agent would, by virtue of their actions, be falsely acting as, and holding themselves out as, the End User AND as a Consumer Reporting Agency. In the eyes of federal law, this is considered obtaining consumer information under false pretenses.
NOTICE: THE FCRA PROVIDES THAT ANY PERSON WHO KNOWINGLY AND WILLFULLY OBTAINS INFORMATION ON A CONSUMER FROM A CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCY UNDER FALSE PRETENSES SHALL BE FINED UNDER TITLE 18 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE OR IMPRISONED NOT MORE THAN TWO YEARS, OR BOTH.