Skip tracing basics for real estate investors

What it is

County records give the owner's name and mailing address. Skip tracing looks the owner up in other data, such as utility, credit header and marketing files, to find phone numbers and e-mails. It is often needed when mail gets no reply, or when the owner moved.

Do you need it?

Not always. Mail to the address of record works for many owners and has the fewest legal rules. Skip tracing helps when you want to call, when the mailing address is out of date, or when you work a small list in depth.

How it works

• You upload names and addresses.
• The service matches them to its sources and returns phones, e-mails and sometimes relatives.
• Results are rarely 100% correct. Expect wrong numbers and numbers on the Do Not Call list.
• Prices are charged per record or per match.

The rules

Calls and texts are covered by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and by the National Do Not Call Registry. E-mail is covered by CAN-SPAM. Many states add their own telemarketing rules. A skip trace service is a consumer data source, so do not use its data for credit, insurance, employment or tenant decisions (Fair Credit Reporting Act). Ask a local attorney before you start a calling campaign.

A practical workflow

• Narrow the list first so you pay to trace only the best leads.
• Export one row per property with owner name and mailing address.
• Send the file to your skip tracing service.
• Scrub the numbers against the Do Not Call list before any call.
• Track results by list, so you learn which lists respond.