Skip tracing
Finding contact information for a property owner using public records and skip trace services. Common tool for investors targeting off-market properties.
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Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
Skip tracing is how an investor found your phone number from the county's record of your ownership. It is legal, it is why strangers call about houses, and it says nothing about what the house is worth.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
You own a rental in another state. An investor pulls the tax record, runs your name through a skip-trace service, and texts you an offer.
| What arrives | Where it came from |
|---|---|
| A text or call from a stranger about a specific address | The county record and a skip trace |
| An offer with no showing | A formula, not a look at the house |
| Persistence after you say no | A list you are still on; asking to be removed usually works |
Skip tracing turns a parcel number into a phone number. The offer that follows is a cold call.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That the caller has inside information. They have the same public record anyone can pull, and a script.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
In your Room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Your Room defines skip tracing in the step you meet it in, beside the document or the date it belongs to. Free to set up, with an agent or on your own.
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