Very unprofessional.
I try to take over a lease from a current resident. The resident let me submit the application online and pay the application fee for each adults. Then another candidate also submit application. Leasing office inform both of us submit the documents for background check and said who get approved first who will get the apartment. Another one who get approved later will not be considered and they will not get the application fee back. What a for this process!
As I know, other company will process the application submit first, check the result, if not approved, they will consider another application.