Why do scams cluster around new construction?
New buildings come with polished developer renderings, lots of open units, and renters who are often moving from out of town. That combination is easy to copy. A scammer lifts the renderings, posts a listing below market, and asks for a deposit before you can tour. With 144 new communities on our board on Oct 25, 2026, the real options are plentiful, so a deal that requires speed and cash before verification is the first warning sign. Working with a licensed Texas brokerage is one layer of protection; the steps below are the rest.
Four warning signs
| Warning sign | What it looks like | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Renderings, no real photos | Only architectural images, no unit number | Ask for the actual unit number and photos or a live video walk |
| Payment before a tour | “Send a deposit to hold it” by app or wire | Pay only through the property’s official portal |
| Price far below the area | Well under nearby new builds with similar finishes | Compare with the board’s dated numbers |
| An agent you can’t verify | No license number, or one that doesn’t match | Check the TREC license lookup |
Verify the leasing office directly
Don’t use the phone number or email in the listing. Instead:
- Find the community’s official website by searching its name.
- Call the leasing office using the number on that site.
- Confirm the unit number, the rent, and the special.
- Ask how they accept applications and payments. Real communities use an online portal or the leasing office, not a payment app to a person.
Check a TREC license
Texas real estate brokerages and agents are licensed by the Texas Real Estate Commission. You can search the TREC license lookup by name or number. Our brokerage, Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC, holds TREC #562021, and it appears on every page of this site. If someone claims to be a locator and won’t share a license number, treat that as a red flag. Our guide on how apartment locators get paid explains who pays a licensed locator.
A simple rule
Never pay to see an apartment, and never pay anyone except the property through its official channel.
Remote renters: extra care
If you’re leasing from out of state, you can still lease safely:
- Ask for a live video walk of the actual unit, not a recorded clip of the model.
- Get the written fee sheet and the special from the leasing office directly.
- E-sign through the property’s portal only.
Our guides on renderings vs. the real unit and leasing remotely cover each step.
How we protect you
Every building on our board is verified with the community, and every special is confirmed before it publishes. Before you pay anything, we confirm the community, the unit, and the terms, and we tell you how that community takes payments. If anything doesn’t match, we stop and check. It’s free to you, and your rent is the same either way.
