Skip Tracing
Skip Tracing: Addresses Into Owner Contacts
Skip tracing is the process of finding a property owner's current phone numbers and email addresses starting from a name and address. Investors use it to convert lists of off-market properties into contactable people. The data comes from public records, credit-header files, and consumer databases — and how you reach the owner afterward is governed by DNC and TCPA rules.
A list of off-market properties is not a list of people you can reach. Skip tracing is the step that closes that gap — matching each property to the owner's current phone and email so absentee owners, pre-foreclosures, and tired landlords become contacts you can actually work. Without it, even a perfect target list is just addresses.
But the trace is only the middle of the job. Sourcing and cleaning the list comes before it, and the deal-determining work — compliant, persistent, multi-channel outreach — comes after. BILT's stance is own the system, rent the data: you bring the traced contacts from whatever source fits your list, and BILT works them through cold email, SMS, and AI follow-up into conversations.
Frequently asked
What is skip tracing in real estate?
It's the process of finding a property owner's current phone and email starting from a name and address. Investors use it to turn lists of off-market properties — absentee owners, pre-foreclosures, inherited homes — into contactable people they can call, text, or email.
How much does skip tracing cost?
Roughly a few cents to about a dollar per record. High-volume batch tracing commonly runs $0.05–$0.25 per record; single lookups cost more. The number that matters isn't per-record price but cost per usable contact, which depends on accuracy and your billing model.
How accurate is skip tracing?
Match rates run 70–95%, but accuracy — whether the contact is current and correct — is the metric that governs ROI, and providers rarely advertise it. Phone data goes stale fast, so treat any trace as best-available leads to verify through outreach, not guaranteed-current data.
Is skip tracing legal?
The lookup is legal — data comes from public records and licensed consumer databases. What's regulated is the outreach: US numbers should be scrubbed against the Do Not Call Registry, and texting is governed by the TCPA. Tracing is permissible; how you contact people has rules.
Can I call or text a skip-traced number freely?
No. Finding a number doesn't grant permission to use it. Scrub against the DNC registry, apply TCPA consent rules — strictest for automated texting — and honor opt-outs immediately. Build compliance into the workflow before any outreach goes out.
What is batch skip tracing?
Tracing an entire list in one upload instead of one address at a time. You submit a CSV of names and addresses, the service matches all rows at once, and you download a file with phones and emails appended — the standard way investors enrich large lists.
Where does skip-tracing data come from?
Three pools: public records (county deeds, tax rolls) for ownership and mailing address, credit-header data for current names and phones, and aggregated consumer databases for breadth. Providers license different mixes, which is why results differ on the same list.
Deep dives
Go deeper on skip tracing
What Is Skip Tracing? A Real Estate Investor's Guide
How tracing turns a property address into the owner's phone and email.
Batch Skip Tracing: Tracing Thousands of Records at Once
Enrich a whole list in one upload — how it works and how to prep it.
Skip Tracing Accuracy and Match Rates, Explained
Why match rate and accuracy differ — and which one governs ROI.
Finding Property Owner Phone Numbers and Emails
The data chain from address to working phone and email.
How Much Does Skip Tracing Cost? Per-Record Pricing
Per-record pricing, cost drivers, and lowering cost per lead.
DNC and TCPA Compliance for Skip-Traced Lists
Why traced numbers aren't free to call, and how to stay compliant.
Email Append vs Phone Append: Which to Trace For
Coverage, speed, and rules for each — and why both wins.
Where Skip Tracing Data Actually Comes From
Public records, credit-header data, and consumer databases.
The Skip Trace to Deal Workflow, Step by Step
The five-step pipeline from raw list to signed contract.
Free vs Paid Skip Tracing: When Each Makes Sense
Free for one property, paid for any list — the real trade-offs.
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