Guide
What is skip tracing for real estate? A wholesaler's guide
Skip tracing is finding current contact details for someone who is hard to reach. Skip tracing for real estate means finding a property owner's phone numbers and emails from their name and property address, then checking Do Not Call and consent rules before you call or text.
What "skip trace" means
Skip tracing means finding current contact information for someone who is hard to reach. The name comes from the "skip": Wiktionary defines a skip as a person who attempts to disappear so as not to be found, and to skip as to leave suddenly and covertly, as in skipping town (Wiktionary, checked Oct 2026). Skip tracing itself is "the attempt to find somebody who has deliberately disappeared" (Wiktionary, checked Oct 2026).
Most property owners aren't hiding. The problem is that county records tell you who owns a property and where the tax bill goes, not how to call them. In real estate investing, skip tracing fills that gap for the motivated seller lists wholesalers work: absentee owners, inherited and probate properties, vacant houses, tax-delinquent owners and expired listings. On a probate list, the person to trace is an heir or the estate's representative, not the owner who died.
Skip tracing is also a job in collections and investigations. O*NET, the occupation database sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, has no separate skip tracer occupation: a search for "skip tracer" returns Private Detectives and Investigators as the closest match (O*NET OnLine search, checked Oct 2026). For a sense of skip tracer salary, two related profiles show these median wages, from BLS 2025 wage data:
| O*NET occupation | Why it's relevant | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Bill and Account Collectors | Its tasks include tracing delinquent customers to new addresses | $47,030 a year |
| Private Detectives and Investigators | Closest match for a "skip tracer" search | $51,220 a year |
Tasks and wages are from each O*NET OnLine profile, checked Oct 2026.
What is a skip trace search?
A skip trace search is a lookup where you submit what you know about a person, usually a name and an address, and a provider returns the contact details its records tie to that person. The result is often called a skip trace report, and what it contains depends on the provider:
| Field in the report | Providers that list it (checked Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Phone numbers, mobile and landline | BatchData, Skip Trace Depot |
| Email addresses | REISkip, Skip Trace Depot |
| Mailing addresses | BatchData, Skip Trace Depot |
| Do Not Call status and litigator scrub | BatchData, in its skip tracing plans; Skip Trace Depot sells a federal DNC scrub separately |
| Carrier information | BatchData |
Where the data comes from: the FTC's 2014 study of nine data brokers found they collect consumer data from extensive online and offline sources, largely without consumers' knowledge (FTC, checked Oct 2026). Providers build their records differently, so test two of them on the same sample before you commit a whole list.
A bulk search doesn't have to take long: Skip Trace Depot's homepage says you upload a CSV or Excel file and get phone numbers and emails back, typically in minutes (Skip Trace Depot, checked Oct 2026).
Skip tracing a phone number vs an owner
"Skip trace a phone number" can mean two opposite searches, and wholesalers usually need the first one.
| Search | You enter | You get back | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner to phone (a standard trace) | The owner's name and the property or mailing address | Phone numbers and emails tied to that person | You have a list of owners to reach |
| Phone to owner (reverse lookup) | A phone number | The name and address a provider ties to it | An unknown number called back, or you want to check a number before you dial |
| Address only | A property address | People tied to the address | You don't have an owner name yet; expect tenants and relatives |
A reverse lookup tells you who a provider ties to a number, which isn't proof that person owns the property. Confirm on the call.
Phone numbers aren't in the county file because they come from phone companies. Federal law gives every carrier a duty to protect the confidentiality of its customers' proprietary information, and requires local phone companies to share subscriber list information (listed subscribers' names, numbers and addresses) with directory publishers (47 U.S.C. 222, Cornell LII, checked Oct 2026). So the order is fixed: find the owner in public records, then trace the owner for a number.
Whether a number is a cell phone or a landline matters once you have it. The FCC's rules require prior express written consent for telemarketing calls to cell phones made with an autodialer or an artificial or prerecorded voice (47 CFR 64.1200, Cornell LII, checked Oct 2026), so keep the phone type your provider reports.
The skip tracing process, step by step
The reliable order is property, then owner, then contact details, then a check before anyone dials.
- Start with the property. An address from a list tool, a driving route, a probate filing or an inbound lead.
- Find the owner of record. Find out who owns the property first: search the county assessor, property appraiser or recorder site by address for the owner's name and mailing address. If an LLC owns it, look up its officers or registered agent in the state business registry.
- Clean the record. Split first and last names, keep co-owners on separate rows, and keep the mailing address next to the property address. If the owner has died, the people to reach are the heirs or the estate's representative.
- Run the trace. Send the owner's name and the property address (plus the mailing address, if your provider accepts it), one at a time or as a bulk file.
- Review what comes back. Some records return several numbers, some return none. Mark the phone type, and note any Do Not Call or litigator flags your provider adds.
- Check before contact. Check the National Do Not Call Registry, your internal do-not-contact list and your state's rules, then reach out.
Single, bulk and automated skip tracing
Which method fits depends on where the lead comes from and how many you have.
| Method | Fits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Single lookup | An inbound lead, a referral, a deal you're negotiating | Slow by hand across a whole list |
| Bulk file | An outbound list of hundreds or thousands of owners | Paying for records you'll never call; minimums on some services |
| Automated, in a CRM | Every new lead traced as it arrives | Uncapped spend, and automations texting numbers nobody consented to |
Bulk is where the spend adds up, so clean the list before you upload it. Remove duplicates, records with no owner name, owners you've already reached and properties you traced recently. If you automate tracing, set a spend cap and a daily limit per rule, and make sure no automation can text a traced number.
List tools often build tracing in. BatchLeads' pricing page says you click skip trace on a property profile to reveal the homeowner's contact information, and that saving a property to a list adds all available owner phone numbers and emails to the record (BatchLeads pricing, checked Oct 2026). If you work leads in a CRM, bulk skip tracing from a saved list keeps the results on each lead.
Skip tracing cost: three pricing models
Skip tracing cost depends on the pricing model as much as the headline price.
| Model | You pay for | Fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Per record | Every record you submit, matched or not | Your list is clean and current |
| Per match or hit | Only records that return results | You're tracing older or messier lists |
| Subscription credits | Traces included in a monthly plan | You trace every month and use the tool's other features |
Five published examples, from each vendor's own site:
- REISkip (per match) lists $0.15 per match on its Bulk plan with a 50-match minimum, marked as introductory pricing (REISkip pricing, checked Oct 2026).
- Skip Trace Depot (per hit, by volume) charges only for results with at least one phone or email: $0.12 per hit for 1 to 500 rows, falling to $0.035 per hit above 25,000 rows, with a $1 minimum job charge. It sells a federal Do Not Call scrub at $0.04 per phone (Skip Trace Depot pricing, checked Oct 2026).
- Skip Trace Butler (membership plus per trace) lists 5 cents per successful skip trace, plus $49 a month unless you're an REI Reply member (Skip Trace Butler, checked Oct 2026).
- PropStream (per contact, or included) lists skip tracing at 12 cents per contact on its $99/month Essentials plan; its Pro ($199/month) and Elite ($699/month) plans include free skip tracing through PropStream Connect, with additional skip tracing at 10 cents per contact (PropStream pricing, checked Oct 2026).
- REsimpli (credits in a CRM subscription, then per record) includes 10,000 skip tracing credits a month on its Solo plan ($299/month, or $249/month billed annually), with additional skip tracing at $0.15 per record (REsimpli pricing, checked Oct 2026).
Worked example: cost per owner reached
The number that matters is cost per owner you reach: total trace cost divided by the owners you actually spoke with. Here is the math for two providers on the same list. The rates are illustrative, and the match and reach counts are example inputs, not benchmarks.
| Provider A, per match | Provider B, per record | |
|---|---|---|
| Records submitted | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Rate | $0.15 per match | $0.10 per record |
| Matches (example) | 700 | 700 |
| Trace cost | 700 × $0.15 = $105 | 1,000 × $0.10 = $100 |
| Owners reached (example) | 60 | 40 |
| Cost per owner reached | $105 ÷ 60 = $1.75 | $100 ÷ 40 = $2.50 |
Provider B sends the smaller bill but costs more per conversation, because in this example more of its numbers were wrong or dead. To run your own, swap in [records submitted], [rate], [matches] and [owners reached] from a sample of records you already hold for a business purpose, run through two or three providers after checking each provider's terms.
Free skip tracing means doing the lookups yourself in county records, state business registries, search engines and free people-search sites, which costs time on every record instead of money. Our comparison of skip tracing services covers free and paid options.
Skip tracing laws: data rules and contact rules
No single law decides whether skip tracing is allowed. Two sets of rules apply: rules on the data you get, and rules on how you contact people.
Rules on the data
- Financial data (GLBA). The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act's privacy rule limits how nonpublic personal information that came from a financial institution can be reused and redisclosed (FTC, checked Oct 2026).
- Motor vehicle records (DPPA). The Driver's Privacy Protection Act lets DMV personal information be used only for listed purposes, and bulk distribution for marketing or solicitations only if the state has the person's express consent (18 U.S.C. 2721, Cornell LII, checked Oct 2026).
- Consumer reports (FCRA). Information in a consumer report can only go to someone with a purpose the Fair Credit Reporting Act specifies. The FTC names credit bureaus and tenant screening services among consumer reporting agencies, and says users of the information for credit, insurance or employment purposes must notify the consumer of an adverse action (FTC, checked Oct 2026).
In practice: use a provider for a business purpose its terms allow, and read those terms before you upload a list.
Rules on contact
These come from the FCC's telemarketing rules (47 CFR 64.1200, Cornell LII, checked Oct 2026) and the FTC's Do Not Call guidance (FTC, checked Oct 2026):
- Calling hours. No telephone solicitations to a residential subscriber before 8am or after 9pm, local time at the called party's location.
- National Do Not Call Registry. No telephone solicitations to residential numbers on the Registry, and registrations must be honored indefinitely, or until the consumer cancels the registration or the number is removed. The FTC says telemarketers required to use the Registry must sync their lists with it at least every 31 days, and data for up to five area codes is free.
- Texts count. The rule applies the calling-hours and Do Not Call protections to telemarketing calls and text messages to wireless numbers, to the extent set out in an FCC order it cites.
- Autodialers and recorded voices. Telemarketing calls to cell phones made with an autodialer or an artificial or prerecorded voice, and prerecorded telemarketing calls to home lines, need the called party's prior express written consent.
- Company-specific requests. Someone who isn't on the national Registry can still ask to be put on your company's own do-not-call list. The FCC rule allows no more than 10 business days to honor it, and the request lasts 5 years.
Your state may add its own rules on hours, call frequency or registration, so check them before you dial. Whether a call offering to buy someone's house counts as a telephone solicitation is a question for your attorney.
Accuracy: why owner name plus address beats address only
A trace anchored on the owner's name and the property address searches for that person; a trace on the address alone returns whoever is tied to the address.
- Address only returns people tied to the address: current residents, tenants, relatives, past occupants. On a rental or a vacant inherited house, that may not be the owner.
- Name plus address narrows the search to the owner of record, and the address separates one [Owner name] from another with the same name.
- Entities and estates need one more step: trace the person behind the LLC, or the heirs.
Confirm who you're talking to on the first call, and mark wrong numbers so nobody calls them again.
Confirming the owner
You: "Hi, is this [Owner name]? This is [Your name] with [Company]. I'm calling about [Property address]. Are you the owner?"
If they say no: "Sorry to bother you. I'll take this number off my list." Then mark it as a wrong number.
What to do after you trace
Tracing gets you a number, not permission or a conversation. Work the results in this order:
- Check the National Do Not Call Registry, your internal do-not-contact list and your state's rules.
- Call first. Confirm you're talking to the owner and ask whether now is a good time; for wording, start from our wholesaling cold call script.
- Text only where you have consent. For wording, see our wholesaling text scripts. Twilio says anyone sending SMS or MMS over a 10DLC number from an application to the US must register for A2P 10DLC (Twilio, checked Oct 2026); our guide to A2P 10DLC registration walks through it.
- Log every outcome: wrong numbers, callbacks and do-not-call requests, which you honor right away.
If you run this inside Find, traced numbers are never auto-texted, opt-outs and your internal do-not-contact list are checked before every text and call, and manual outreach to traced numbers is held to 8am to 9pm in the recipient's time zone (estimated from the area code), with stricter windows in FL, MD, WA, OK and CT. Find doesn't check the National Do Not Call Registry, so that step stays with you. See how tracing fits into the rest of a real estate wholesaling CRM.
Frequently asked questions
Is skip tracing legal in real estate?
It depends on the data you use and how you contact people. Some data can only be used for permitted purposes under laws such as the GLBA and the DPPA, the FCRA governs consumer reports used for decisions like credit or employment, and calling or texting the results is governed by the TCPA, the National Do Not Call Registry and state law. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the best way to skip trace a property owner?
Get the owner's name and mailing address from the county assessor or recorder, then run the owner's name and the property address through a skip tracing provider. Name plus address points the search at the owner, while an address alone returns whoever is tied to the property. Check the National Do Not Call Registry, your internal list and your state's rules before you call.
How much does skip tracing usually cost?
It depends on the pricing model: per record, per match, or credits included in a subscription. Published rates checked in October 2026 include 15 cents per match at REISkip, 12 cents per contact on PropStream's Essentials plan, and 3.5 to 12 cents per hit at Skip Trace Depot depending on volume. Compare providers on cost per owner you actually reach.
How does a skip trace work?
You submit a person's name and address, one record or a whole file, and the provider matches them against records it has compiled, then returns the phone numbers, emails and addresses tied to that person. The FTC has reported that data brokers collect consumer data from extensive online and offline sources. Not every trace finds a match, so confirm who you reach on the first call.
Are phone numbers public record?
Not as a rule. Phone numbers come from phone companies, and federal law (47 U.S.C. 222) gives carriers a duty to protect the confidentiality of their customers' proprietary information; the carve-out is subscriber list information, the listed names, numbers and addresses that local phone companies must share with directory publishers. An unlisted number isn't in that, which is why wholesalers skip trace for an owner's number.