How Tether Safe Identity Verification Works
A step-by-step look at our safety verification process — and our goal for filtering data.
Receive Client Inquiry
A real estate professional receives a call, text, or email from a prospective client wanting to schedule an in-person meeting or showing.
Look Up Identity
The real estate professional uses Tether Safe Identity Verification to verify the identity through phone number and address lookup — confirming who they're about to meet.
Safety Verification
Tether Safe Identity Verification provides criminal conviction information only. No financial data, no non-conviction arrests, no economic profiling.
Informed Safety Decision
The real estate professional can make an informed decision about whether it's safe to meet in person — based on safety information only, not financial or economic data.
Important: Tether Safe Identity Verification is intended for personal safety verification only. Tether Safe Identity Verification is not a consumer reporting agency, and its results must not be used for housing qualification, tenant screening, creditworthiness, insurance, employment, or any other purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
What We Filter Out — and Why
In our view, not relevant to safety; fair housing sources reviewed by our legal team informed this choice
We believe in the presumption of innocence; federal and state sources discuss impacts on protected classes
In our view, not relevant to safety and outside our goal of safety-only verification
Not relevant to safety; excluded to keep our service focused on safety rather than consumer reporting
In our view, not relevant to safety; our goal is safety, not client qualification
Disclaimer: Filtering explanations on this page reflect Tether RE's views and the reasoning our legal team formed after reviewing public sources. They are informational only. This is not considered legal advice. Consult qualified legal counsel for guidance on your practice.
Why We Filter Background Check Data
This is our view and our goal for filtering. Each decision reflects our reasoning after our legal team reviewed federal, state, and industry sources — linked below for your review, not as legal advice.
We Filter Out All Financial Data
Why This Matters
Bankruptcies, liens, judgments, foreclosures, and asset information are excluded from Tether Safe Identity Verification. In our view, financial information is not relevant to physical safety, and we believe using it to screen prospective clients could raise fair housing concerns. Our goal is safety, not client qualification.
Related Regulations
We Filter Out Non-Conviction Arrests
Why This Matters
We exclude arrests that did not result in conviction because we believe an arrest alone is not proof of wrongdoing. Several states address the use of non-conviction records, and federal guidance discusses their potential impact on protected classes — sources our legal team reviewed in forming this approach.
Related Regulations
Safety-Only Purpose
Why This Matters
Tether RE is not a consumer reporting agency, and Tether Safe Identity Verification is built for one purpose: helping real estate professionals verify who they are about to meet. In our view, keeping lookups focused on personal safety — not housing qualification, credit, or employment decisions — supports fair and consistent treatment of every client.
Related Regulations