Steve Carroll
Co-Founder & CEO
Steve Carroll co-founded Findigs in 2018 and leads it as CEO. Before Findigs he co-founded Seated, the startup OpenTable acquired in 2018, and worked in securitized products at Nomura from 2014 to 2017. Eight years in, he makes one argument: a rental application deserves a decision, not a report.
He is also the most public voice at Findigs. When the company raised its $32M Series C in June 2026, he told Commercial Observer, "We are creating the category of leasing decisioning." He has told the Findigs story in Inman and Connect CRE, and on the SaaS Club and Multifamily 5 podcasts, going back to 2020. He is on record on the rest of the market too: "With other solutions, your staff are still the ones interpreting the signals."
At Findigs, Steve writes about strategy. Where leasing decisioning is headed, who should be accountable when fraud gets through, and what the economics of leasing look like when every application ends in a clear yes or no.
Articles by Steve Carroll
Economic Occupancy: What It Is, What Lowers It, and How to Protect It
A portfolio can read 96% full and still miss its Net Operating Income target, because a signed lease is a promise rather than a payment. This guide shows how to calculate economic occupancy on a real portfolio and how to read the gap against physical occupancy.
Steve Carroll · Aug 11, 2026
Rental Fraud: Common Tenant Scams and How to Avoid Them
Rental fraud has moved from crude fakes to AI-generated documents and synthetic identities. This guide breaks down the tenant scams property managers face, the warning signs that expose them, and the prevention practices that keep fraudulent applicants from becoming bad debt.
Steve Carroll · Jul 29, 2026
Leasing as a brand touchpoint: what renters expect from the application process
Discover how a clear, mobile-first application experience helps property teams build renter trust, improve conversion, and turn leasing into a stronger brand touchpoint.
Steve Carroll · Jun 4, 2026
The ROI of full resident decisioning
Explore how automated resident decisioning can help property operators lease faster, reduce operational costs, prevent fraud, and strengthen portfolio performance.
Steve Carroll · Jun 4, 2026
How to verify pay stubs without slowing down approvals
The single line item that decides whether a qualified renter signs this week or walks to the next listing is the pay stub. Operators feel the pressure on both ends of that step.
Steve Carroll · May 26, 2026
7 hidden costs of manual screening (and how to eliminate them)
See how manual screening creates hidden costs across leasing workflows, applicant experience, occupancy, fraud risk, and bad debt.
Steve Carroll · May 22, 2026
Rental fraud is a $275 million problem. Most of it goes unreported.
The FBI counted $275 million in rental fraud losses last year. Steve Carroll says that number is the floor, not the ceiling. Here's what the data actually shows.
Steve Carroll · May 14, 2026
When AI screening fails, operators pay the price
Most property managers don't know their AI screening tool is breaking the law. They find out when the lawsuit lands. Here's what the liability picture actually looks like.
Steve Carroll · May 13, 2026
Steve Carroll named to NYREJ's 2026 Ones to Watch
Findigs Co-Founder and CEO Steve Carroll has been named to NYREJ’s 2026 Ones to Watch: Industry Leaders, recognizing leaders reshaping the real estate industry.
Steve Carroll · May 12, 2026
Steve Carroll named to Inman's 2026 Future Leaders in Real Estate
Findigs Co-Founder and CEO Steve Carroll has been named to Inman’s 2026 Future Leaders in Real Estate, recognizing the most promising professionals under 40 driving innovation across the industry.
Steve Carroll · May 11, 2026
The hidden cost of manual application review
Every application a person reads by hand costs more than the hour it takes. It costs the applicants who leave while they wait.
Steve Carroll · Jan 15, 2026
How to Avoid Common Mistakes in Tenant Background Screening
Tenant background screening made easy-learn key checks, avoid common mistakes, and protect your property with smarter screening tools.
Steve Carroll · Nov 24, 2025
AI isn't just generating art. It's generating fake pay stubs too
AI tools are making rental fraud easier than ever. Learn how all-in-one screening platforms like Findigs help property teams spot fake documents, verify real income, and outsmart evolving scams.
Steve Carroll · Nov 14, 2025
How to spot fake IDs in the rental application process: no more eyeballing it
As it gets easier to purchase or create fake IDs online, property managers are turning to technology to help them catch ID fraud faster and more reliably.
Steve Carroll · Jun 9, 2025
How to identify fake bank statements without slowing down your application process
Find out how to identify fake bank statements before they cost you in the form of evictions, and why this is just one piece of a holistic fraud prevention strategy.
Steve Carroll · Jun 3, 2025
Concerned about ESA fraud? Here's how to create confidence in your process
Emotional support animal (ESA) fraud is a growing concern for property managers. Learn how to build a verification process that protects your property while treating residents fairly.
Steve Carroll · Apr 9, 2025
The rise of synthetic identities in rental applications, and what you can do about it
Methods for creating synthetic identities are more and more sophisticated, detection methods must evolve to keep pace.
Steve Carroll · Mar 26, 2025
Tenant background checks: creating pathways to housing
Background checks help you build communities where both you and your residents can thrive.
Steve Carroll · Mar 18, 2025
How to calculate the cost of vacancy loss (and raise the bar on occupancy)
The most effective property managers address vacancy from multiple angles. Find out about the true cost of vacancy.
Steve Carroll · Feb 27, 2025
Manual screening is costing you time, money, and tenants. Here's how to fix it
Learn how automated screening cuts application review time from days to minutes.
Steve Carroll · Feb 18, 2025
So you think you can catch fake rental applications? Here’s why it’s getting harder
If you’re ready to give up the detective work, Findigs can take the burden of endless investigation off your hands.
Steve Carroll · Feb 6, 2025
How automated tenant screening boosts your rental revenue
Automated screening can help you fill more units, reduce fraud, and make fair decisions
Steve Carroll · Jan 23, 2025
Why I started Findigs, a letter from CEO Steve Carroll
I started Findigs to redesign the way people rent. Renting gets a bad rap. But for many of us, renting can be the right decision.
Steve Carroll · Nov 17, 2022Stop screening, start leasing
See how Findigs decisions every application automatically.