Revolutionizing Tenant Screening and Loan Underwriting: Introducing Trigo's Rent Data API

In today's rental market, landlords and lenders face numerous challenges when it comes to tenant screening and loan underwriting. One crucial missing piece of information is reliable rent data, which can provide valuable insights into a tenant's payment history and financial stability. Trigo, a cutting-edge start-up founded in 2022, aims to address this gap by aggregating consumer rent history and offering it through a real-time API and web application. With a mission to help landlords approve better tenants and lenders write more loans, Trigo is poised to disrupt the industry with its innovative solution.

Understanding the Problem

Bad Debt and Evictions: A Growing Concern for Landlords
Landlords in the United States are grappling with all-time high levels of bad debt and evictions. To mitigate these risks, they require more comprehensive data to make informed decisions. Trigo recognizes the importance of providing landlords with access to accurate and up-to-date rent history information to improve tenant selection and minimize potential financial losses.

Lenders' Challenge: Incomplete Underwriting Models
Financial institutions, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have acknowledged the significance of rent payment data in their underwriting models. However, the lack of consistent and reliable rent data limits lenders' ability to fully leverage this valuable information. As a result, they are writing fewer loans than they could, missing out on potential opportunities for credit expansion.

Trigo's Innovative Solution

Trigo Rent Data API: Bridging the Gap
Trigo has developed a comprehensive rent data aggregation platform that fills the void in the market. Serving as a federally regulated Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA), Trigo offers a real-time API and web application to provide landlords and lenders with the missing rent data they need. With their extensive coverage and automated outreach to landlords, Trigo ensures a seamless experience for users.

Unmatched Coverage and Instant Data
Unlike existing databases with minimal coverage, Trigo has already consolidated data from tens of thousands of rental units. With their rent data API, Trigo offers 25 times more coverage than traditional credit bureaus. This extensive reach enables landlords and lenders to access comprehensive rent history instantly, enhancing their decision-making processes.

Automation and Efficiency
Trigo leverages automation to streamline the data collection process. In cases where data coverage is lacking, Trigo's platform proactively reaches out to landlords, ensuring the continuous expansion of their rent data repository. By automating these outreach efforts, Trigo minimizes manual work and maximizes efficiency, providing a reliable and scalable solution for its users.

Founders with Expertise and Vision

Meet the Co-founders: Sam Stein and Abe Wheeler
Sam Stein, the Co-founder and CEO of Trigo, brings a wealth of experience to the table. With a background in finance and private company investing at renowned institutions such as Citi, Richard Branson's Virgin Group, and RedBird Capital, Sam combines financial expertise with a mission-driven approach. Raised in Atlanta and based in New York City, he holds a B.A. in Government from Harvard.

Abe Wheeler: The Tech Mastermind
Abe Wheeler, the co-founder and CTO of Trigo, is a tech visionary. With a strong background in full-stack engineering and experience at companies like Experian, Bloomberg, and Amazon's Consumer Payments division, Abe brings his expertise in handling large volumes of consumer and financial data. Abe holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Southern California.

Transforming the Rental Market: Trigo's Journey towards Innovation

The Spark that Ignited Trigo
Trigo's inception can be traced back to a pivotal moment when Sam Stein, the CEO and Co-founder, discovered a significant gap in the rental market. While reviewing his own credit report, he realized that none of his previous landlords had reported his rent payment history to the credit bureaus. This realization prompted Sam to delve deeper into the issue, and his research revealed that the market's rent data coverage was abysmal, with just 3% availability.

Meeting of Minds: Sam and Abe
Through the renowned startup accelerator program Y Combinator (YC), Sam met Abe Wheeler, the Co-founder and CTO of Trigo. The two entrepreneurs immediately recognized the potential of addressing the rent data gap and decided to combine their expertise to create a game-changing solution. With Sam's extensive experience in finance and private company investing and Abe's technical prowess in handling consumer and financial data, Trigo began its journey towards revolutionizing the rental market.

Trigo's Vision: Empowering Landlords and Lenders
Trigo's ultimate vision is to empower both landlords and lenders by providing them with comprehensive and reliable rent data. By leveraging their real-time API and web application, Trigo aims to help landlords make better-informed decisions during tenant screening, resulting in improved tenant quality and reduced financial risks. Additionally, Trigo recognizes the potential for lenders to expand their loan portfolios by incorporating rent payment data into their underwriting models. By bridging this critical data gap, Trigo seeks to facilitate increased access to credit for millions of potential borrowers.

Mission-Driven Approach and Social Impact
As a mission-driven founder, Sam Stein is deeply committed to making a positive social impact. Trigo's focus on improving tenant selection and credit accessibility aligns with Sam's vision of addressing societal challenges related to bad debt, evictions, and missed lending opportunities. By equipping landlords and lenders with the tools they need to make better decisions, Trigo aims to foster a more financially inclusive and stable rental market.

Data Privacy and Regulation Compliance
Trigo recognizes the importance of data privacy and operates as a federally regulated Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA). This designation ensures that Trigo complies with strict data protection regulations and adheres to industry best practices. Landlords and lenders can trust that their data is handled securely and in compliance with applicable laws, mitigating any concerns related to privacy and data integrity.

Who Can Benefit from Trigo?

Landlords: Enhancing Tenant Screening
Trigo's rent data API is a valuable resource for landlords seeking to improve their tenant screening process. By accessing comprehensive rent payment histories, landlords can gain deeper insights into potential tenants' financial behavior and make informed decisions. Applicants with positive rent histories are proven to be four times more likely to pay their rent on time and in full, reducing the risk of late payments and evictions.

Property Managers: Streamlining Operations
Property managers can also benefit significantly from Trigo's rent data API. By integrating Trigo's solution into their existing property management systems, property managers can streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and make data-driven decisions. With instant access to rent payment histories, property managers can quickly identify reliable tenants and proactively address potential risks.

Proptech Providers: Enhancing Service Offerings
Proptech providers, operating at the forefront of innovation in the real estate industry, can leverage Trigo's rent data API to enhance their service offerings. By integrating Trigo's solution into their platforms, proptech providers can deliver advanced tenant screening capabilities, providing their clients with a competitive edge. The comprehensive rent data furnished by Trigo can augment existing proptech solutions, adding value and increasing customer satisfaction.

Lenders: Expanding Credit Access
Financial institutions and fintech companies, including mortgage providers, personal loan providers, credit card issuers, and auto lenders, can unlock significant opportunities by incorporating Trigo's rent data into their underwriting models. With a more comprehensive understanding of a borrower's financial behavior, lenders can extend credit to a broader range of applicants, potentially increasing loan origination volumes and expanding access to credit for underserved populations.

Conclusion

Trigo, with its innovative rent data API and web application, is transforming the way landlords screen tenants and lenders underwrite loans. By filling the significant gap in rent data coverage, Trigo empowers landlords to make informed decisions, mitigating financial risks and improving the quality of their rental portfolios. Simultaneously, Trigo enables lenders to expand access to credit by incorporating reliable rent payment data into their underwriting models. With a mission-driven approach and a commitment to data privacy and compliance, Trigo is poised to make a lasting impact on the rental market, driving financial inclusion and stability for all stakeholders involved.