Best Skip Tracing Software for Real Estate Agents

Success in real estate is rarely a straight-line path. Whether you’re a buyer, seller, investor or agent, there’s almost always twists and turns, small victories mixed in with small defeats…and hopefully at the end a massive victory (and a parade with trumpets…why not?!)!

Ok maybe we went a bit overboard…but for many in real estate one of those early twists is playing detective to find out information on a property.

Whether it’s an investor scouting potential off-market deals, a listing agent examining their farm for potential listings, OR a buyer’s agent with buyers that are particular to a specific neighborhood, getting information on properties (and their owners) is often the starting point to a transaction. And unfortunately, in a world with seemingly limitless data, property info is frustratingly elusive.

In this article we’ll cover tools that will take the detective work out of finding property and owner info.

The name for this service is “Skip tracing” and there is an entire category of software dedicated to it which is what we’ll cover below:

• What is skip tracing?
• Best Skip Tracing Services
• Importance of Reliable Data for Skip Tracing
• Other Criteria to consider when choosing a Skip Tracing Service

What is Skip Tracing?

Skip tracing software is used to identify someone’s contact info based on known property addresses. It is commonly used in real estate by investors, as well as, motivated agents that are trying to go above and beyond in their prospecting. Typically a skip tracing service will let users enter a property address and the service reveals the owners identity, often times including contact info like phone number.

These services work by gathering and analyzing data from various sources and matching them to addresses. The best services can also navigate entities like Trusts and LLCs that are associated with a property to reveal the actual identities of the people behind these entities.

It’s also a tool used by investigators and in related professions (ex: debt collection) to identify people who are hard to find or reach.

How is skip tracing used in real estate?

Property investors and agents use skip tracing software to locate unresponsive property owners or heirs who have inherited property. The service uncovers these hard-to-find individuals, “opening doors” for potential property transactions.

Here’s a video focusing on how real estate investors can use skip tracing tools.

Best Skip Tracing Services

Here are the services that are consistently ranked as the “Best Skip Tracing Services”.

Affordable and Free Alternatives

Note that the best services aren’t always the cheapest. If on a budget, consider these options.

Industry and Specialized Tools

Not all skip tracing tools are pure real estate search platforms. Some are specialized for other professions…and others are bundled into larger software platforms.

Criteria when Evaluating Skip Tracing Providers for Real Estate

Not all skip tracing services are created equal and depending on business use case and objectives, there may be different interpretations of “best”. Let’s go over the various criteria that can be used to evaluate services.

Comprehensive and Reliable Data

The best skip trace services for real estate hinge on comprehensive and reliable data.

And it’s not just about addresses and phone numbers. The best skip tracing services combine email addresses, social media profiles, property details, family relationships, and trust/LLC intel.

This information can play a vital role in matching the correct person to an address and then improving outreach via accurate phone numbers and context the prospect.

Vulcan 7 is a great example of this since it’s combines extensive data collation to fuel their best-in-class dialer product.

“Comprehensive and Reliable data” just seems theoretical…until it’s time to start dialing. That’s when the accuracy of data is reflected into the contact rate. Or put another way: do you want to waste an hour calling bad numbers? Well this is why data accuracy is critical.

Cost Effectiveness

Sure data is important, but at what at price does a marginal improvement to data become cost prohibitive?

For those handling large volumes of searches, like larger real estate prospecting operations, some providers stand out for their budget-friendly options, such as Titanskip.com and USSearch.com.

These skip tracing services averaging around a few pennies per search so are popular for businesses conducting bulk searches.

Legal Compliance

Amid the tremendous benefits that skip trace real estate services offer, it’s critical not to overlook one important factor – legal compliance. Just like any other business operation, skip tracing is bound by rules and regulations that command strict adherence.

At the forefront of these regulations is the Do Not Call (DNC) list. To maintain legitimacy and legality in your skip tracing efforts, it’s essential to ensure your chosen service scrubs data against the DNC list.

Skip tracing solutions are an essential tool for real estate agents looking to connect with property owners, potential clients, or uncover important data. By using a wide range of software—from affordable options like FastPeopleSearch and Titanskip, to high-end tools like LexisNexis or specialized CRM systems like Vulcan 7 and Sierra—agents can choose the solution that best fits their needs. Each platform brings its own unique set of features, whether it’s automation, comprehensive data coverage, or simply cost-effective tracing. For those who want a hands-off approach, hiring a real estate VA is also a viable solution, allowing agents to focus more on relationship-building rather than data collection.

Ultimately, choosing the right skip tracing solution will depend on the specific needs of each real estate professional. Those who prioritize cost may lean towards free tools and affordable subscriptions, while others looking for advanced capabilities may prefer industry-standard solutions like LexisNexis. By integrating the right skip tracing tools into their workflow, real estate agents can improve their lead generation, client outreach, and overall efficiency, helping to ensure no opportunity is missed in an increasingly competitive market.