"If you’re really, really concerned, just say no. If the person is really creeping you out and you’d never rent to them if they were the last person on earth, tell them you have nothing available."

Until the applicant is screened and fails that fair and consistently applied screening, there is no reason to reject that applicant. Every caller has a right to see a rental unit. It doesn't matter how they "seem". I have heard owners of properties tell me they do not want "families". This was being done in an area with a large minority population. He owned student housing which was, of course, underwater. That is direct violation of familial status (Fair Housing law). Thankfully, he was leaving the business and hiring a property manager. His license was going into escrow, thankfully.

You show the unit, regardless. You show at any time it works for you and the caller(s). Any agent in management doing showings of rentals should know safety measures. Making assumptions about callers and appearances is going to cause a problem for the manager and investors. An agent can lose a license over a violation of Fair Housing law. Lawsuits cost owners/investors. Tens of thousands can be wasted over a preventable violation.

Assumptions made can be very dangerous. If the situation is that dangerous, there are safety measures which are missing. These safety measures have to be understood by everyone doing showings. If there are staff members who are not licensed and who are refusing to take showings due to personal perceptions, somebody else will have to do that job instead. I am aware of scams with showings. I have a BS detector, too. I never refuse a showing. I will do group showings to lessen the usual rate of no-shows (50%-70%). Call these callers back and confirm showings ahead of time. This is all helps cut the usual waste of time for no-shows. If callers are bogus, they will never show but keep calling anyway. Make it clear that they have never shown and you not scheduling again. The game ends. Let these game players go elsewhere. The usual is that they will never pay rent either.

Staff must know safety measures. In vacant foreclosed properties in terrible shape, the same safety rules apply. You use your cell and have that imaginary conversation with that important person who isn't there. Anyone in that property who can hear now knows there is a real estate person on the property and that there is no immediate threat. Anyone can be on any property at any time. If you see or hear a squatter on a property, call local law enforcement for checking for trespassers and then leave.

For any event, keep detailed documentation in case of questions later on. If there is a claim made, you need to have your ducks in a row for self-defense. 99% of the time, there is never any problem. I usually like the applicants I meet. I enjoy our conversations and I take time to get opinions so I can bring those results back with me. If the unit is not renting, there may be a glaring reason why. That is what you tell the investor when he challenges the vacant unit. Sometimes no rental can be as simple as the usual lack of cleaning or usual lack of maintenance. If you know a certain aspect of that rental is costing you, get a picture with your cell; that broken window can prevent a profitable rental. There is your evidence again. A first impression can make or break a rental.