Method, medium, and system for renter pre-qualification, rental facilitation, and regulatory compliance

• US 7,881,982 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rentvalet, LLC
• Original Assignee: Rentvalet, LLC
• Inventors: Pohl, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg; Yogesh C
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, MATTHEW E
• Application Number:
  US12/622,168
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted

Abstract

Consumers who are interested in various rental properties can create a list of those properties, and notifications of that interest can be sent to the property managers associated with those properties. A system could be implemented to send multiple notifications (e.g., to each manager of a property on the list) with a single request by the consumer. Such notifications can be used to provide property managers with information used to screen applicants, and/or can allow property managers to seek to access additional information about the consumer. Whether any additional information has been accessed can be tracked to verify that access is only provided in compliance with relevant regulation. This type of functionality can be integrated with a system that allows regulatory investigations to be allocated to, and performed by, compliance representatives using mobile devices, and can also be integrated with functionality that allows consumers to present themselves as pre-qualified applicants.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more computers;

one or more memory connected to the one or more computers, wherein the one or more memory is configured to cause the one or more computers to perform the following steps;

receive a request to purchase a set of background information for a consumer;

receive a first set of vacancies identified by the consumer;

determine a first set of property managers associated with the first set of vacancies;

generate an invitation for each property manger in the first set of property managers to view the set of background information;

in response to receiving a request, from a property manager in the first set of property managers, to view the set of background information,

determining whether inspection materials associated with a physical site of the property manager are complete and whether the set of background information is accessible;

if the inspection materials are complete and the set of background information is accessible, providing the set of background information to the property manager;

if the set of background information is not accessible, presenting an interface operable to allow the property manager to invite the consumer to repurchase the set of background information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more memory is configured to cause the one or more computers to receive the request to purchase the set of background information for the consumer prior to receiving the first set of vacancies.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein receiving the first set of vacancies identified by the consumer comprises importing a set of shopping cart data from an internet listing service.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the steps further comprise, after generating an invitation for each property manager in the first set of property managers:

a) receiving a second set of vacancies identified by the consumer;

b) generating a second set of notifications;

i) wherein the second set of notifications is automatically generated based on the second set of vacancies;

ii) wherein the second set of notifications comprises a notification for each property manager associated with a vacancy from the second set of vacancies;

iii) wherein each notification from the second set of notifications comprises an invitation to view the set of background information;

c) sending the second set of notifications;

i) wherein each property manager associated with a vacancy from the second set of vacancies is sent a notification based on a single action by the consumer.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a database, wherein the steps further comprise:

a) receiving a tenancy rejection;

i) wherein the tenancy rejection is received from the property manager;

ii) wherein the tenancy rejection indicates the property manager is not interested allowing the consumer to rent a vacancy associated with the property manager;

b) based on receiving the tenancy rejection, generating a lead message for a second property manager;

i) wherein the lead message indicates compatibility between the consumer and a vacancy associated with the second property manager;

c) sending the lead message to the second property manager.

6. A method comprising:

receiving a request to purchase a set of background information for a consumer;

receiving a first set of vacancies identified by the consumer;

determining a first set of property managers associated with the first set of vacancies;

generating an invitation for each property manger in the first set of property managers to view the set of background information;

receiving a request from a property manager in the first set of property managers to view the set of background information;

in response to receiving the request to view the set of background information, determining whether inspection materials associated with a physical site of the property manager are complete and whether the set of background information is accessible;

if the inspection materials are complete and the set of background information is accessible, providing the set of background information to the property manager;

if the inspection materials are not complete, transmitting a message to an operator of a mobile device to perform a physical site inspection;

if the set of background information is not accessible, presenting an interface operable to allow the property manager to invite the consumer to repurchase the set of background information;

wherein the steps above are performed using a computer processor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving the request to purchase the set of background information for the consumer takes place prior to receiving the first set of vacancies.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the first set of rental vacancies identified by the consumer comprises importing a set of shopping cart data from an internet listing service.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises, after generating an invitation for each property manager in the first set of property managers:

a) receiving a second set of vacancies identified by the consumer;

b) generating a second set of notifications;

i) wherein the second set of notifications is automatically generated based on the second set of vacancies;

ii) wherein the second set of notifications comprises a notification for each property manager associated with a vacancy from the second set of vacancies;

iii) wherein each notification from the second set of notifications comprises an invitation to view the set of background information;

c) sending the second set of notifications;

i) wherein each property manager associated with a vacancy from the second set of vacancies is sent a notification based on a single action by the consumer.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

a) receiving a tenancy rejection;

i) wherein the tenancy rejection is received from the property manager;

ii) wherein the tenancy rejection indicates the property manager is not interested allowing the consumer to rent a vacancy associated with the property manager;

b) based on receiving the tenancy rejection, generating a lead message for a second property manager;

i) wherein the lead message indicates compatibility between the consumer and a vacancy associated with the second property manager;

c) sending the lead message to the second property manager.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which when executed by a computer processor cause the computer processor to perform the following steps:

receive a request to purchase a set of background information for a consumer;

receive a first set of vacancies identified by the consumer;

determine a first set of property managers associated with the first set of vacancies;

generate an invitation for each property manger in the first set of property managers to view the set of background information;

in response to receiving a request, from a property manager in the first set of property managers, to view the set of background information, determining whether inspection materials associated with a physical site of the property manager are complete and whether the set of background information is accessible;

if the inspection materials are complete and the set of background information is accessible, providing the set of background information to the property manager;

if the set of background information is not accessible, presenting an interface operable to allow the property manager to invite the consumer to repurchase the set of background information.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to receive the request to purchase the set of background information for the consumer prior to receiving the first set of vacancies.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the first set of vacancies identified by the consumer comprises importing a set of shopping cart data from an internet listing service.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to further perform the steps of:

a) receiving a second set of vacancies identified by the consumer;

b) generating a second set of notifications;

i) wherein the second set of notifications is automatically generated based on the second set of vacancies;

ii) wherein the second set of notifications comprises a notification for each property manager associated with a vacancy from the second set of vacancies;

iii) wherein each notification from the second set of notifications comprises an invitation to view the set of background information;

c) sending the second set of notifications;

i) wherein each property manager associated with a vacancy from the second set of vacancies is sent a notification based on a single action by the consumer.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to further perform the steps of:

a) receiving a tenancy rejection;

i) wherein the tenancy rejection is received from the property manager;

ii) wherein the tenancy rejection indicates the property manager is not interested allowing the consumer to rent a vacancy associated with the property manager;

b) based on receiving the tenancy rejection, generating a lead message for a second property manager;

i) wherein the lead message indicates compatibility between the consumer and a vacancy associated with the second property manager;

c) sending the lead message to the second property manager.