Tufts does maintain an off-campus housing resource online, but a cursory check of the property listings shows that all the entries list landlord/realtor contact information only, and absolutely no physical street addresses (save a few mentions of "on the corner of X and Y.") I'm also very sure that no landlord or realtor, when they have a prospective tenant, suggests the tenant go check the place out by themselves. It just don't add up.

I think you were right to consider him sketchy. Could be a possible "casing the joint" type of operation, or ... ugh. Possible assault.

I'd be curious to see whether or not anybody else in the area received a similar visitor today and I hope nobody has been hurt.