Plus the Best Free Skip Tracing Website!
What is Skip tracing?
For years, skip tracing services have assisted debt collectors, private investigators and law enforcement in tracking down hard to find individuals. Skip tracing is an attempt to find information about someone such as a current address, phone number, email, occupation, birthday, marital status, potential family members and more.
Some services, such as those used by private investigators, can supply pervasive details about their clients, such as their criminal past and the automobiles they own. Whether you like it or not, your information is out there and a skip tracer’s job is to piece it together and provide the requestor accurate information.
Skip tracing services also help real estate investors contact potential buyers and sellers. It works by matching owner names with information provided on public record such as property and taxable mailing addresses.
There are various levels of data provided by different skip trace services. Using simple people search websites, you can get basic information about people. Other services, such as batch skip tracing services, search multiple records at once and can provide you with large lists of data.
Use of Skip Tracing Services in REI
When it comes to real estate investing, skip tracing services can be highly beneficial for various reasons. Skip tracing software will search multiple databases and provide you with owner contact information such as phone numbers and emails. This is especially helpful for real estate investors trying to contact an owner about a distressed property to find out if they would consider an offer.
A more detailed search may be required if you are looking at multifamily properties or commercial real estate. Because a company entity typically owns these assets, you’ll also need to track down the business owner of that entity.
Some skip tracing applications are more user-friendly than others in terms of functionality. Free skip tracing services require you to add addresses one at a time and only provide limited data. Other paid services provide batch skip tracing to make it easier to locate information on several properties simultaneously.
Batch Skip Tracing Services
A batch skip tracing service is the most popular and most beneficial skip tracing service. It is utilized by real estate investors and wholesalers to locate contact information on many prospects at once. This type of skip tracing is also known as bulk-skip tracing.
Given the accessibility of skip tracing services for real estate, batch skip tracing services have proven to be a practical and profitable solution for investors alike.
You have plenty of options when it comes to batch skip tracing. Not all skip tracers are equal. Accuracy, price and ease of use vary and that’s why it’s important to choose the right skip tracing service to meet your needs.
Here is a list of the top 9 Skip tracing services platforms for real estate investors:
1. Batch Skip Tracing
Batch Skip Tracing is one of the more popular skip tracers out there. This software is used by real estate professionals, private investigators, debt collectors, law enforcement and other professions.
Key Features
-Per Per Result: They do not require a monthly contract and you only pay per result
-Instant Results: Upload your list and get results within minutes
-Tier 1 Data: Most accurate data anyone can get
-Skip Tracing Entities: Batch Skip Tracing can successfully skip trace LLC’s, Trusts, LPS, Inc’s
-Pricing: .20 per record but the rate gets better with larger lists
If you are a real estate investor or wholesaler, they offer a platform called Batch Leads IO. This is an all-in-one web-based application that provides skip tracing solutions, CRM, text messaging, direct mail, list manager and more. For Batch Leads, they advertise pricing starting at .10 per match.
2. Skip Genie & Drop Cowboy Skip Tracing
Skip Genie skip tracing has been around for a while and is another popular skip tracer for real estate professionals. Their marketing is specific to helping real estate investors find owner contact info for targeted lists and properties.
Drop Cowboy Skip Tracing uses Skip Genie to provide investors contact information. This web-based platform allows users to send SMS messages and ringless voicemails (RVM’s) to prospects. Call Cowboy (Drop Cowboy’s dialer) is a robust virtual phone system that features a predictive dialer, auto dialer, toll-free & local numbers, cloud IVR and call tracking. There are other skip tracing services such as REISkip that use Drop Cowboy skip tracing.
Key Features
-Person Report: Find addresses, phone numbers and related individuals
-Property Report: Allows you to search an address and find associated people, contact information and other potential properties they own
-Possible Relatives: Occasionally the owner will have no means of contact. Skip Genie allows you to keep the lead alive by researching possible relatives
-Accuracy of Data: With the new release of SG 5.0 they claim to have some of the most accurate skip tracing available
-Pricing: Skip Genie offers several plans starting at $58/month which gets you 100 searches/month and each additional search is .17
3. PropStream
Like many of the skip tracers listed here, PropStream claims to provide the most accurate and complete data across the country. With more than 15 years of expertise and a team of data professionals, they are well-versed in the objectives and requirements of their users. PropStream has grown from a small data provider into the fastest-growing, most innovative, and most trusted data source in the market.
PropStream offers an industry-leading all-in-one solution giving you access to unlimited data and lists, built-in skip tracing software, very detailed property information and much more.
Key Features
-Comprehensive Nationwide Data of over 153 million properties
-Quick Lists or Targeted Lead Lists including foreclosure, tax liens, vacant properties, cash buyers, high equity, zombie properties and more
-Accurate Comps to evaluate properties (data pulled from MLS)
-Accurate and up-to-date recordings: Mortgage info & Lien and foreclosure details
-Built-in Skip Tracing .12 per skip trace or .10 with List Automater upgrade
I personally use PropStream and do highly recommend it for creating lists and targeting motivated sellers. The skip tracing feature is nice but I haven’t used it as much. Check out my full review here.
4. REI Skip Tracing 2.0
Max Maxwell’s REI Skip Tracing product is considered one of the better skip tracers out there. They use a proprietary “triangulation” method for finding homeowners which used to only be available to elite bail bondsmen, private investigators and FBI agents.
REI Skip tracing claims to buy data from the best companies giving you the most accurate data. You will only be charged for successful hits, and you will never be charged for results that are not returned. There is no requirement to meet a minimum and no monthly commitment.
Key Features
-STT or Skip Trace Triangulation Technology
-90% (or more) of your list will be matched with phone numbers
-Get highly accurate data back in minutes
-Most accurate phone numbers in the industry
-Easy List Management and Vacancy Flag – they will even tell you what properties are vacant!
-Pricing .15 per record or lower with Enterprise Plan
5. Launch Control
I use Launch Control regularly for SMS Marketing and wrote an entire review here. They also offer skip tracing services.
Launch Control is a text messaging application created exclusively for real estate agents and professionals. Their web-based app also has a built-in skip tracer. I have personally used this skip tracer and find it to be pretty accurate. After all, they better offer a top notch skip tracing service providing accurate data so your text messages get delivered to the right people!
The Launch Control App is fairly easy to use and does an excellent job with text message marketing. For that reason, I only recommend it if you plan to use text message marketing.
Key Features
-Blacklist Alliance, Premium Litigator Scrubbing: Launch Control is TCPA compliant and always updating their software to remain in compliance
-Initial Message Builder: It’s very easy to create powerful initial messages that get delivered
-Built-in Skip tracing that returns 98% match rates
-Pricing starts at $497/month plus skip tracing at .15 per record
6. Lead Sherpa
Like Launch Control, Lead Sherpa is a SMS Marketing tool used by real estate professionals to contact hundreds of sellers at a time. It’s an effective marketing approach that is gaining popularity with real estate wholesalers and house flippers looking for motivated seller leads.
Lead Sherpa also offers skip tracing. They claim to provide the most up-to-date contact information for personal, LLC, trust, and entity-owned properties. If you subscribe to Lead Sherpa’s skip tracing program you will receive up to 14 data points per record in as little as minutes including info related to bankruptcy, foreclosure, and lien dates.
Key Features
-Compliant SMS campaigns continually vetted by top TCPA attorneys
-PropStack allows you to prioritize leads and remove duplicate leads from multiple lists
-Skip tracing with a 97% hit rate
-Pricing for SMS Marketing starts at $400/mo and skip tracing is .15 per hit
7. Quality Skips
Quality Skips is another option for skip tracing that offers effective results. The turnaround time is usually 24 hours to skip trace a list, but the data is top notch. They are even endorsed by real estate mogul, Grant Cardone.
Quality Skips sort of flies under the radar and doesn’t do a ton of marketing, but they deliver when it comes to skip tracing. I personally use Quality Skips for a lot of my skip tracing needs and have closed many wholesale deals from their data. Wait until you see how competitive their pricing is!
Key Features
-98% + hit rate on skip tracing
-Provides up to 4 wireless numbers, 4 landlines and 2 emails
-Can successfully skip trace businesses such as LLC’s
-Can skip deceased homeowner relatives
-Very competitive pricing starting at .07 per skip traced record
Quality Skips also uses Investor Carrot for their website which is what I use for my motivated seller lead site, Lakeshore Home Buyer.
For more info and for my full review of Investor Carrot, go here!
8. Property Radar Skip Tracing
Property Radar skip tracing is another multi-purpose tool for real estate investors. Much like PropStream, this web-based service allows users to build lists, look up owner info, skip trace and integrate with 4,000+ apps and services.
Like the Deal Machine App, Property Radar has a driving for dollars feature that allows users to see the details of every property while you are on the road using data visualization and heatmaps. You can seamlessly add photos, takes notes about each property while you are out and share with your team. You can even call or message the sellers while you are out in the field with instant skip tracing.
Here are some other key features about Property Radar:
-Research residential and commercial properties with enhanced public records data
-Connect with potential sellers by phone, email, direct mail, in-person and online
-List builder that is always up to date
-Skip tracing is built-in depending on what monthly plan you choose
-Pricing starts at $49/month and skip tracing .15 per record
9. Free Skip Tracer: TruePeopleSearch
TruePeopleSearch is extremely easy to use. Simply enter a name, phone number, or address, and get instant results. Because this is a free site, there are plenty of ads to sift through and they will try to upsell you on getting more detailed information.
You can find basic information on practically every adult in the United States through their free people finder. It is as deep, up-to-date, and precise as any premium search engine. Other features include free reverse phone lookup, free address lookup and instant free background check.
I have personally used TruePeopleSearch for “one-off” skip traces and like any skip tracer, the data is hit or miss. But I’ve certainly had success with it.
Pick the Right Skip Tracing Service for Your Business
If you have a house flipping or wholesaling business, finding motivated seller leads is your lifeblood. Using a good skip tracing service is critical to your success. There are many different types of marketing channels out there and they all work, but I highly recommend skip tracing and either calling or texting homeowners. Don’t let your competition get all the leads, start contacting those homeowner’s with distressed properties today!
