Skip Tracing
I. Understanding Skip Tracing in Real Estate
Skip tracing is a method used to locate hard-to-find individuals by gathering their contact details, including phone numbers, emails, and addresses. In real estate, it helps in:
Finding absentee property owners who may be willing to sell.
Identifying investors, realtors, wholesalers, and brokers to build partnerships.
Contacting property owners directly to discuss potential deals.
II. Steps to Implement Skip Tracing for Lead Generation
Step 1: Define Your Target Audience
Before conducting skip tracing, clearly define your target audience:
Investors: People actively looking for rental properties, fix-and-flip projects, or long-term real estate investments.
Realtors: Licensed professionals who can refer clients or collaborate on deals.
Wholesalers: Individuals who acquire off-market deals and resell them to investors.
Brokers: Agents managing real estate transactions and networking with property buyers/sellers.
Step 2: Collect Initial Data on Potential Leads – A Detailed Guide
Skip tracing starts with data collection. Before using tools to find phone numbers and emails, you need basic information like names, addresses, or business details. This section explains where and how to find leads using different sources.
1. County Tax Records – Finding Absentee Owners & Investors
What It Is:
County tax records are public documents showing property ownership, tax history, and mailing addresses.
They help identify absentee owners (property owners who do not live in the property), a key target for real estate investors.
How to Access:
Go to the local county website where the property is located.
Example: If looking for properties in Los Angeles, California, visit the Los Angeles County Assessor’s website.
Use the "Property Search" feature (some counties call it "Parcel Search" or "Tax Roll").
Search using:
Owner name (if you already have a potential lead).
Property address (to find out who owns it).
Parcel number (if available).
Example:
Suppose you find a house owned by John Smith, but his mailing address is in a different city/state.
This suggests John Smith is an absentee owner, possibly an investor willing to sell the property.
You note down his mailing address and later use skip tracing tools to find his phone number/email.
Pro Tip:
Counties vary in their online access. If tax records are not available online, visit the county office in person or hire a local title company to retrieve records.
2. MLS (Multiple Listing Service) – Identifying Realtors & Brokers
What It Is:
MLS is a database of real estate listings used by licensed real estate professionals.
It helps find active realtors, brokers, and agents who are buying/selling properties.
How to Access:
Use public MLS sites, such as:
Realtor.com → (https://www.realtor.com/)
Zillow → (https://www.zillow.com/)
Redfin → (https://www.redfin.com/)
Search for properties in your target area and note the real estate agents handling the deals.
Most listings show:
Agent’s name
Brokerage name
Office phone number
Email (sometimes)
Example:
You find Michael Davis, a realtor with Keller Williams Realty, actively listing properties in Miami.
His office contact is available, but no personal details.
You use skip tracing tools to locate his direct email/phone number.
Pro Tip:
Join local real estate Facebook groups where agents share pocket listings (off-market deals).
3. LinkedIn, Facebook & Networking Platforms – Finding Industry Professionals
What It Is:
Social media is a goldmine for lead generation, offering access to real estate professionals, investors, and brokers.
How to Find Leads on Each Platform:
A. LinkedIn
Search for target keywords using LinkedIn’s search bar:
Example: “Real estate investor in Dallas” or “Commercial broker New York”.
Use LinkedIn filters to refine searches by:
Industry: Real estate
Location: Your target market
Connections: 2nd or 3rd degree (people you don’t personally know)
Send a connection request with a personalized message.
Example:
You find Sarah Johnson, a real estate wholesaler in Atlanta on LinkedIn.
You send a message:"Hey Sarah, I see you're involved in real estate wholesaling. I specialize in connecting wholesalers with cash buyers. Let’s connect!"
Once connected, you extract her email/phone using LinkedIn scraping tools (e.g., Apollo.io, Skrapp.io).
B. Facebook
Join real estate investing groups, such as:
“Real Estate Investors Network USA”
“Wholesale & Off-Market Deals”
Engage by commenting on posts and messaging active members.
Check group members’ profiles for contact details.
C. Other Platforms
BiggerPockets (https://www.biggerpockets.com/) – Find real estate investors nationwide.
Meetup.com (https://www.meetup.com/) – Look for investor networking events.
4. Real Estate Forums – Finding Investors & Wholesalers
What It Is:
Online real estate forums connect professionals sharing off-market deals, investment strategies, and business opportunities.
How to Use:
Create a free account on platforms like:
BiggerPockets → (https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums)
Connected Investors → (https://connectedinvestors.com/)
Search for discussions related to:
Finding cash buyers
Locating wholesalers
Partnering with brokers and lenders
Post a message or reply to discussions, introducing your business.
Example:
You reply to a post:“I have access to off-market properties in Texas. Looking for investors. DM me if interested.”
Interested investors reach out, and you collect their contact details for skip tracing.
Pro Tip:
Many investors list their email addresses in forum posts—an easy way to build a database.
5. Public Business Directories – Finding Brokers & Realtors
What It Is:
Business directories provide publicly listed contact details of real estate professionals.
How to Use:
Use free directories to find professionals in your target area:
Yellow Pages → (https://www.yellowpages.com/)
Realtor.com → (https://www.realtor.com/realestateagents/)
Zillow Agent Finder → (https://www.zillow.com/agent-finder/)
HomeLight → (https://www.homelight.com/)
Search for agents, brokers, and investors using filters (e.g., location, experience, specialty).
Extract names, brokerage details, and office numbers.
Example:
Searching “real estate broker in Chicago” on Zillow Agent Finder shows David Miller, a top-performing broker.
Zillow lists his office address but not his email.
You use skip tracing tools to retrieve his direct contact information.
Final Thoughts & Next Steps
Once you have collected names and basic details, use skip tracing tools to retrieve personal phone numbers and emails.
Next Steps:
Organize your leads in a spreadsheet (Name, Company, Phone, Email, Notes).
Use skip tracing services (BatchSkipTracing, PropStream) to enrich data.
Start outreach via cold calls, emails, and social media.
Step 3: Use Skip Tracing Tools to Locate Contact Information – A Detailed Guide
Once you have collected names, property details, or business information, the next step is skip tracing—finding phone numbers, emails, and addresses to contact potential leads. This guide explains:
✅ What skip tracing is
✅ How it works step by step
✅ Best tools to use and their strengths
✅ Real-world examples of using skip tracing tools
🔹 What is Skip Tracing?
Skip tracing is the process of locating someone's contact information using data sources such as:
Public records
Credit bureaus
Utility bills
Social media profiles
Property ownership records
It’s widely used in real estate wholesaling, investor outreach, and debt collection to find off-market deals, absentee owners, or motivated sellers.
Last updated
Was this helpful?