Ultimate Guide

What Is Skip Tracing — and Why It Matters in Real Estate?

In a competitive real estate market, the best opportunities rarely make it to the MLS. The deals with the most upside — distressed properties, vacant homes, tired landlords — are often off-market and owned by people who aren’t easy to reach.

That’s where skip tracing comes in.

Skip tracing is the process of finding accurate contact information for property owners, especially those who may be motivated to sell but aren’t actively marketing their property. With the right data, investors, wholesalers, and agents can connect with these owners directly — often before anyone else even knows the opportunity exists.

Many of these owners are in situations where selling could solve a problem:

  • Out-of-state landlords tired of managing from afar
  • Inherited property owners unsure what to do with their asset
  • Vacant property holders paying taxes on something they aren’t using
  • Owners in pre-foreclosure trying to avoid further financial fallout

Directly reaching these sellers first puts you in the driver’s seat. You’re not competing with dozens of other offers or waiting on an agent to respond. You’re having one-on-one conversations with people who may be ready to sell, but haven’t taken the first step yet.

Real-World Example

Let’s say you pull a list of absentee owners who’ve held their properties for 15+ years. Many of them may be landlords who are burned out or nearing retirement. Skip tracing turns that list into opportunity by giving you their phone numbers, email addresses, and updated mailing info. Now, instead of a cold spreadsheet, you have direct lines of contact – so you can start conversations, uncover motivation, and secure off-market deals before anyone else even knows they exist.

How Skip Tracing Works in Real Estate

At its core, skip tracing is about turning property data into people data. It starts with a list of properties — often pulled based on specific filters like ownership status, equity, property condition, or signs of distress.

These could include:
Vacant properties | Absentee owners | Pre-foreclosures | Inherited or early probate homes | High-equity homes owned for 10+ years

What You Need Before You Skip Trace

Skip tracing is powerful, but only when used with a clear plan. If you’re new to real estate investing or wholesaling, it’s easy to waste money on data without a system in place. Before you hit that “order” button, make sure you’re prepared in three key areas.

Skip tracing is only as good as the list you’re working with. The more intentional your list, the better your results.

Start with your local market. If you’re new, trying to skip trace in multiple or unfamiliar markets will lead to poor response rates and confusion when leads actually call you back. You know your area best so you’ll be more confident talking to sellers, understanding property values, and navigating local rules.

You can build your own list or purchase one, but make sure it’s focused. Absentee owners, pre-foreclosures, vacant properties, and high-equity homes are a great place to start. Think quality over quantity. A list of 1,000 well-targeted properties will go further than 10,000 random ones.

What’s your plan for contacting these leads once you have their information?

Are you cold calling? Sending texts? Mailers? Voicemails? Your campaign method determines the kind of data you need. For example, if you’re planning to call, you’ll need phone numbers with high accuracy. If you’re mailing, addresses are more important.

More on marketing campaign types later in this guide – stick around. Also, consider compliance. Different states have different rules around texting and calling – know them before you launch.

Skip tracing doesn’t magically land deals — consistent follow-up does.

You’ll likely be working with hundreds or even thousands of leads. If you’re not tracking who you’ve contacted, what was said, and when to reach out again, you’re leaving money on the table. Sellers don’t always respond to the first touch – in fact, most deals happen after multiple follow-ups.

Use a basic CRM, spreadsheet, or even a simple notes app if you have to, just make sure you’re staying organized and following up on a schedule. This is the difference between a rookie and a professional.

Understanding Motivated Seller Lists

Not all off-market leads are created equal. The strongest skip tracing results come from knowing which lists are more likely to contain motivated sellers and why. Here are some of the most common (and most effective) types of seller lists used in real estate.

These property owners don’t live at the property and often aren’t emotionally attached to it. Whether it’s a rental or just sitting empty, they may be more open to selling, especially if the property needs work or they live out of state.

A vacant home can be a financial and legal liability for the owner. Holding costs, city fines, and deterioration all add up quickly, making these sellers more likely to want out fast.

Owners falling behind on mortgage payments may be facing tough financial decisions. Reaching them early in the process gives you a chance to help them avoid foreclosure while sourcing potential win-win deals.

Heirs often inherit property they don’t want to maintain or manage, especially if they live out of the area. These properties may be sitting unused, and many heirs prefer a quick, no-hassle sale.

These sellers may not be distressed, but they have the financial flexibility to accept discounted offers, especially if they’re ready to move on and want a simple closing process.

Owners behind on taxes or dealing with city code issues are under pressure. These signs of distress can be strong indicators of motivation to sell, especially when multiple factors overlap.

What Is the “Most Motivated” List?

Some sellers show higher levels of distress or urgency than others, and those traits tend to translate into better results for investors and agents. Instead of stacking multiple list types to find those leads manually, Wholster offers a pre-curated “Most Motivated” list option.

This isn’t list stacking — it’s a carefully selected compilation of the most consistently effective seller profiles based on past campaign performance and response rates.

When you select “Most Motivated,” your list will include a powerful mix of high-response lead types such as:

Absentees, tired landlords, vacant homes, preforeclosures, potential inheritance, potential deceased, financial distress, reverse mortgages, construction loans, early probates, properties with liens, poor condition, never sold, and more.

These lists are designed to save you time while increasing your odds of making real contact with sellers who are more likely to say yes.

Campaign Ideas That Convert

Once you’ve got your skip traced data, the next step is launching campaigns that turn leads into conversations. Here are a few proven outreach strategies used by successful real estate professionals.

The best campaign approach will depend on your market, your strengths, and the type of seller you’re reaching out to. For most investors and agents, a combination of channels, along with solid follow-up, is what consistently gets results.

Use a conversational script to introduce yourself, verify property ownership, and ask if they’re open to selling. Calling consistently and respectfully is still one of the highest-converting outreach methods.

Send letters or postcards that reference the property, your name, and a clear way to contact you. Handwritten-style mailers or unique designs can help you stand out.

If emails are included in your skip traced data, a short, professional message can open the door to follow-up conversations, especially with absentee owners or inherited property leads.

In many markets, one-to-one texts can be a great way to engage leads casually, especially if you’ve already reached out by phone or mail.

If you’re working leads in your own area, face-to-face contact can be powerful, especially with vacant or distressed properties where other outreach might be ignored.

Putting It All Together

Skip tracing can be one of the highest-ROI tools in your real estate playbook — but only if you pair the right data with the right systems. From selecting high-performing lead types to executing a consistent follow-up strategy, your success depends on quality inputs and disciplined outreach.

That’s where Wholster comes in.

We’ve made the process of sourcing accurate skip traced data fast, easy, and tailored for real estate professionals. Whether you’re a wholesaler looking for your next off-market deal or an agent trying to uncover new listings, Wholster gives you access to curated seller lists, detailed property data, and verified contact info — all delivered directly to your inbox.

👉 Learn more and order your skip traced list today

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