First Advantage

Review:

First Advantage is a background check company that offers a variety of risk-reduction services, including tenant screening checks and financial services. While the service is primarily used to screen future employees, it also provides advanced checks, such as identity fraud warnings and income verification for residential screening.

Pros:

• First Advantage's list of background checks is impressive, covering checks like fingerprints and drug and alcohol testing.
• The background services are competitively priced, with its entry-level plan costing less than Zumper and TurboTenant.
• All of First Advantage's plans include TransUnion identity verification and instant match.
• The company provides a free demo for a mobile fraud detection solution to help streamline checks.
• First Advantage offers tailored solutions for small businesses and large international companies with over 5,000 employees.

Cons:

• First Advantage specializes in employee background checks and doesn't offer the same tenant screenings as its competitors.
• Unlike its top competitors, First Advantage's residential screening does not include credit checks or previous address history.
• Landlords or property managers who'd like to conduct a credit check would have to pay for a separate package.

Reputation:

First Advantage has a mixed online reputation, with many reviewers complimenting the service's thorough background checks. First Advantage is not BBB-accredited, but it did receive 71 reviews that averaged 1.04 out of 5 stars. The majority of reviewers stated that customer support needed improvement, and turnaround time could take up to a month.

We also found 17 reviews on G2, where the company received 3.3 out of 5 stars. Most of the reviewers backed up previous reviews about poor customer service. However, some reviewers did compliment the service's accuracy and detailed reports. That said, most of the positive praise centered around the company's employee background checks.