High-Risk Rentals: The Fraud Threatening the Real Estate Sector

Why the real estate sector needs to transform its validation processes?

The challenges of security and transparency in the real estate sector are no longer optional: they have become a critical priority. The figures confirm this. In 2024 alone, attempts at real estate fraud grew by 58%., reaching 4,500 registered cases, with estimated losses exceeding 600 million pesos annually. This phenomenon heavily impacts the rental segment, especially properties between 56 and 90 m², and is concentrated in cities like Mexico City (16%), Guadalajara (12%), Monterrey (11%), Tijuana (8%), and Querétaro (7%).

Behind these figures lie two concerning realities: landlords who are not the real property owners, and tenants who disappear leaving debts. It's an environment where both buyers and landlords are exposed, and traditional prevention tools prove insufficient.

Why is identity validation a blind spot in the real estate sector?

Companies like Century 21, RE/MAX, Properties24 either LaHaus have evolved their business models to adapt to the digital market. However, many of their processes still do not integrate automated validations or reliable research when engaging with buyers, tenants, or prospects. This is particularly relevant when outsourcing research through guarantee or insurance policies, which don't always guarantee depth or agility in analyzing customer profiles.

But the problem goes beyond specific fraud: it is about establishing reliable onboarding processes, aligned with principles of Know your customer (KYC) and regulatory compliance. This is already standard in other industries. In real estate, it's still a debt.

And developers? The challenge of attracting investment with transparency

Real estate development companies, such as Fibra Uno (FUNO), Javer, and Vinte, also face a structural challenge. When managing business models that include attracting new investors and accessing financing, they need to demonstrate not only financial solidity but also rigorous processes for validating their commercial allies and strategic partners.

In this regard, institutional and individual investors demand documentary transparency, legal traceability, and guarantees that contracts are entered into with verified and legally clean individuals. Failure to comply with this filter can have far-reaching legal, financial, and reputational consequences.

Your Identity: Technology applied to real estate verification

Faced with this situation, solutions like Tu Identidad are emerging as key allies in transforming the real estate model. This digital validation platform offers integrations that allow real estate agencies, rental platforms, and developers to fully automate identity and background checks.

Specific use cases that can be integrated into the sector:

• INE validation: biometric confirmation, document taxonomy analysis, photo authenticity, and matching with the actual user.
• Validation of proof of address: cross-checking with official databases and detection of altered documents.
• Employment history (IMSS): confirmation of employment history to assess the tenant's solvency.
• Blacklists and legal records: Check against commercial, criminal, and labor databases to detect active complaints or conflicting history.

A long-term investment, such as purchasing real estate

The real estate industry is at a crossroads. It can continue absorbing losses from fraud, contested contracts, or risky partnerships; or it can adopt technology that reduces these risks, improves the customer experience, and speeds up transaction closings.

The adoption of tools such as Tu Identidad raises the operational standard and builds trust and professionalism, something increasingly in demand by the new profile of investors, buyers and landlords.