Skip tracing is an essential technique used in the real estate industry to track down property owners who may be difficult to reach. Whether you’re a real estate investor looking for motivated sellers or an agent trying to get in touch with the rightful property owners, skip tracing can help you find the information you need to move forward with a deal.
In this blog, we’ll discuss what skip tracing is, how it works, and how real estate professionals can use this method to effectively locate property owners and secure successful transactions.
What is Skip Tracing?
Skip tracing refers to the process of locating a person’s whereabouts, typically by gathering information from a variety of sources. In real estate, this is primarily used to find property owners who have moved, are difficult to contact, or are unresponsive. The term “skip” refers to someone who has “skipped town,” leaving behind little trace of where they have gone. “Tracing” is the act of finding them.
Real estate investors, agents, and agencies use skip tracing to find property owners in order to:
Close transactions more quickly by reaching out to the right contacts
Negotiate deals with motivated sellers
Offer assistance to owners who might be behind on payments or in financial distress
How Does Skip Tracing Work in Real Estate?
Skip tracing involves gathering and analyzing data from a variety of sources, including public records, social media, credit reports, and proprietary databases. Real estate professionals use a combination of manual research and specialized tools to uncover vital information about the property owner. Here’s how the process generally works:
1. Identify the Property and Owner
The first step in skip tracing for real estate is identifying the property in question. Once the property is selected, you will need to gather details about the property owner. This can include looking up information from deeds, tax records, or any available online property databases.
2. Research Public Records
Public records such as tax assessor databases, county records, and land registries can provide valuable details about property ownership. These records may contain the name and contact information of the property owner, as well as other vital details such as their mailing address.
3. Use Online Directories and Search Engines
Skip tracers often utilize online directories, such as Whitepages, Spokeo, or even social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook. These tools provide additional personal details, including phone numbers, email addresses, and addresses that can help locate the owner.
4. Leverage Paid Skip Tracing Services
For more accurate and extensive searches, real estate professionals often use specialized skip tracing services. These services pull data from proprietary databases, credit bureaus, and other advanced sources to uncover detailed contact information. Some popular skip tracing services include TLOxp, LexisNexis, and IDI Data. These platforms can provide additional information like the owner’s current phone number, previous addresses, and relatives.
5. Analyze and Cross-Verify Data
After gathering all the available information, it’s essential to cross-check the details to ensure their accuracy. Sometimes, skip tracing results may provide multiple leads or inaccurate data, so it’s important to verify each piece of information. By confirming the data from different sources, you can increase the chances of finding the correct property owner.
How Real Estate Investors & Agents Can Benefit from Skip Tracing
Skip tracing is an invaluable tool for both investors and agents. It allows you to locate property owners who may not be easily accessible, increasing your chances of striking lucrative deals. Here are some of the key benefits of skip tracing in real estate:
1. Locate Motivated Sellers
Many investors use skip tracing to find distressed homeowners who may be motivated to sell their property. These owners could be facing foreclosure, tax delinquency, divorce, or other life circumstances. By finding them through skip tracing, investors can offer solutions, such as buying the property directly, negotiating favorable terms, or providing other services that benefit the seller.
2. Contact Hard-to-Reach Property Owners
Some property owners may have moved away from the property but still retain ownership, making it difficult for agents or investors to get in touch. Skip tracing allows you to track down the new addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses of these owners so that you can reach out with an offer or inquiry.
3. Maximize Marketing Efforts
Traditional marketing methods like direct mail campaigns and cold calling can be ineffective if the contact information is outdated or incorrect. By using skip tracing to ensure that you’re reaching the correct property owner, you can significantly improve the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and increase response rates.
4. Save Time & Effort
Finding the right contact information through skip tracing can save a tremendous amount of time compared to traditional methods like door knocking, cold calling, or waiting for a response. With a targeted and accurate list of property owners, real estate professionals can focus their efforts on quality leads that have a higher chance of converting into successful deals.
5. Increase Deal Flow & Close More Sales
The ultimate goal of skip tracing is to connect with more potential buyers or sellers, increasing deal flow and enabling real estate agents and investors to close more sales. Skip tracing allows you to identify key opportunities and proactively reach out to property owners, rather than waiting for leads to come to you.
Skip Tracing for Real Estate: Best Practices
While skip tracing can be a powerful tool, it’s important to follow best practices to ensure its success. Here are some tips for maximizing the benefits of skip tracing:
1. Be Ethical and Respectful
Skip tracing must be done ethically and legally. Make sure you’re abiding by all local, state, and federal regulations when accessing and using personal data. Respect the privacy of property owners and ensure you’re providing value when reaching out.
2. Use Accurate and Reputable Tools
Choose reliable skip tracing services or tools that offer access to the most accurate and comprehensive data. The more accurate your information, the higher your chances of successfully contacting property owners.
3. Verify Your Leads
It’s important to verify the information you’ve gathered through skip tracing. Double-check phone numbers, addresses, and emails to ensure you’re reaching the correct individual. The more accurate your data, the higher the chances of a successful transaction.
4. Stay Organized
Skip tracing can involve collecting a lot of data. Keep everything organized by maintaining a detailed record of each property search, including the sources used, the contacts reached, and any follow-up actions taken.
How Zeron Lead Can Help with Skip Tracing for Real Estate
At Zeron Lead, we specialize in providing highly targeted and accurate skip tracing services for real estate investors, agents, and professionals. Our team of experienced researchers can help you locate property owners, validate their contact information, and ensure that your marketing efforts are focused on the right people.
Whether you need to find distressed property owners, track down absentee owners, or locate owners for potential deals, our skip tracing services can make the process faster, easier, and more effective.
Conclusion
Skip tracing is an essential tool for real estate professionals who want to maximize their opportunities and close more deals. By helping you find property owners quickly and accurately, skip tracing enables you to target motivated sellers, connect with hard-to-reach contacts, and increase the success of your marketing campaigns.
Ready to boost your real estate business? Zeron Lead offers precise skip tracing services to help you connect with property owners and maximize your sales potential.