Im a real estate agent and this is a real thing. Real estate investment trusts (REITs) call people directly to try to buy their house. It's because they have money to invest and there are not enough houses on the market. American Homes For Rent is one example of a REIT. Even companies like Zillow are doing this now. That's not to say their are not shady companies or even scams out there but this is becoming more popular. Typically they will offer you a fair price but they will then do an inspection and want to reduce the price for every little thing.