If you believe that skip tracing is merely a tool for matching a phone number or email address to a home or property owner, it’s time to expand your understanding.

Consider this: using a service to “skip trace” phones and emails doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve located the owner or made contact. Skip tracing becomes essential when a prospect doesn’t answer your call, or when there’s no available number, but you want to pursue the opportunity nonetheless.

In this comprehensive guide to skip tracing, we’ll explore everything you need to know to locate and connect with hard-to-find home and property owners—beyond just phone numbers and email addresses. We’ll cover:

What is Skip Tracing?

Skip tracing refers to the process of locating and contacting a person who is difficult to find or is intentionally avoiding conventional outreach methods. Basic skip tracing often relies on databases for phone and email information, typically provided by online tools. However, advanced skip tracing, which is necessary when an opportunity is worth the extra effort, incorporates more intricate techniques such as online searches, credit reports, and criminal background checks to successfully find and connect with home and property owners.

The History of Skip Tracing

For many real estate-focused businesses, skip tracing has become an invaluable tool, yet it is often confused with what’s more accurately described as match-append. Match-append simply involves finding a person or property within an existing database and appending additional data such as phone numbers and emails.

To fully leverage skip tracing in growing a small local business, it’s essential to grasp its true nature. The term skip tracing originated in the financial services and bail bonds industries, where it involved tracking down someone who had skipped out on a debt or bail bond.

This process wasn’t limited to simply locating a phone number or email address; in fact, they likely already possessed that information. The challenge lay in tracing individuals who had evaded contact, leading to a series of investigative and often creative tactics.

Skip Tracing in Real Estate

Fast forward to today, and many services market phone and email append features as skip tracing. While finding contact information is part of the skip tracing process, it constitutes just one element of a broader strategy.

In reality, the most effective services for small, property-centric businesses already integrate the match-append of phone numbers and emails into their skip tracing processes.

It’s crucial to note that while using available phone numbers and emails is an initial step, it does not constitute advanced skip tracing. Advanced techniques are only necessary when contact cannot be established through these channels, which is often where the best deals are found.

Even with integrated match-append features, there will always be instances where you cannot connect with property owners, especially with vacant or distressed properties.

If you are a real estate investor eyeing a particular property, skip tracing can facilitate contact with the owner to negotiate a deal. Here’s an advanced guide for skip tracing property and homeowners beyond just phone numbers and email addresses:

How to Skip Trace a Home or Property Owner

1. Attempt Phone Numbers and Emails: If the person answers, there’s no need to pursue further skip tracing techniques.
2. Check the Mailing Address: The owner may not reside at the property but could be reachable at their mailing address.
3. Inquire About Forwarding Addresses: Use the USPS to check for any forwarding addresses.
4. Utilize Delivery Services: Many individuals respond to packages from services like UPS or FedEx when they might ignore regular mail.
5. Research Additional Addresses: Look for other locations associated with the individual.
6. Conduct a Google Search: This could lead to other avenues for contacting relatives or neighbors.
7. Explore Social Media: Platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram can help identify acquaintances or family members, who may have information about the homeowner.
8. Engage Neighbors: Speaking directly with neighbors can provide valuable insights or leads.
9. Contact Relatives: Reaching out to family members may yield helpful information. Genealogy sites can assist in tracing family connections.
10. Run a Background Check: If the owner is unavailable, they may be incarcerated. Knowing their facility allows for potential correspondence.
11. Hire a Private Investigator: Investigators have access to specialized skip tracing services that can uncover hidden addresses or connections.

When Should You Skip Trace a Home or Property Owner?

Clearly, skip tracing can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. For a real estate agent making numerous calls daily, it may not be practical to spend excessive time skip tracing.

However, professional investors recognize that those owners who are challenging to find often present the best opportunities—worth significantly more time and effort than those easily accessible.

Experienced investors realize the true value lies in cases where no contact information is readily available. Conversely, less experienced investors may be more inclined to abandon a search when they can’t easily find the owner.

If it takes significant effort, such as using FedEx or hiring private investigators, to connect with an owner, it’s likely that you’ll be the sole individual reaching out to them, making them a potentially motivated seller. You may find yourself in a favorable position to negotiate a sale that can alleviate their challenging circumstances.

Whether you are an agent whose client has an eye on a specific property or an investor seeking a key asset, going the extra mile to locate the owner is often warranted.

Skip Tracing Techniques

Effective skip tracing utilizes various techniques to enhance the likelihood of successful connections. For example, some services may provide advanced analytics that helps refine your search process.

Utilizing a multi-step approach increases your chances of identifying the right contact information. Additionally, accessing neighbors’ details allows for outreach that could lead to new leads without the need to physically visit the area.

It’s also important to verify information through multiple sources to ensure accuracy, particularly when the initial data may be outdated or incorrect.

Quality Over Quantity in Skip Tracing

When comparing skip tracing services, you may encounter providers boasting high match rates. However, many of these numbers may be inaccurate.

Prioritizing quality over quantity is essential when investing time in skip tracing. It is far more effective to have a lower match rate with accurate numbers than a high match rate filled with incorrect information.

While no service can guarantee perfect accuracy, the goal should be to maintain a high standard of quality in your skip tracing efforts. A good benchmark is a success rate above 70%, which is considered high in the cold-calling industry.

In summary, effective skip tracing is about employing the right techniques and understanding the nuances involved in connecting with property owners. By focusing on quality and leveraging various strategies, you can enhance your chances of finding and negotiating with hard-to-reach individuals in the real estate market.