1. Start from the property record
A good skip trace begins with a parcel, not a guess. Pull the record from the county assessor or appraiser site, or from a list you already bought or built. Write down four things for each property:
- The property address, with any unit.
- The owner name exactly as the county shows it.
- The owner’s mailing address, if the county lists one.
- The parcel number, also called the APN.
The parcel number matters more than people expect. Two records can share a street name, but a parcel number points to one piece of land. Keep it in its own column so you can tie every result back to the right property later.
2. Confirm the owner and the mailing address
The owner of record on the tax roll can lag behind a recent sale. If the property changed hands lately, check the deed with the county recorder. Our guide on finding a property owner’s phone number covers this check in detail, so we will not repeat it here.
Look closely at the mailing address. When it differs from the property address, the owner probably lives somewhere else, and that second address is often the better clue to who they are. Keep both. Never paste the mailing address over the property address.
3. Clean the address before you search
A search can only find what the address lets it find. A missing unit, a street suffix in the wrong field or a ZIP code that lost its leading zero can send the search to the wrong home. Before you search:
- Split an address that sits in one cell into street, city, state and ZIP.
- Keep unit numbers.
- Fix obvious typos in street names.
- Set aside PO boxes and rural routes, which point to a mailbox, not a house.
We cover each of these fixes, with examples, in how to clean a property list before skip tracing.
4. Run the search with every field you have
Send the property address, the owner name and the mailing address together. Each field narrows the search. An address alone returns the people tied to that address, which can include tenants, past owners and family members. Adding the owner name lets the search favor the person who matches the record.
For a handful of owners you can search one at a time. For a list, a bulk search keeps your columns and runs every row the same way. If you want to try free routes first, read free skip tracing. If you are still choosing a tool, our guide to choosing a skip tracing service lists the questions to ask.
5. Read the result, field by field
A result is a bundle of facts from public and commercial records. Each field tells you something, and each one has limits.
| Field | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Name and age | Which person the record describes | That this person owns the property today |
| Phone line type | Mobile, landline, VoIP or another kind of line | Who answers it |
| Connected or disconnected | Whether the number looks in service | That it reaches the person named |
| Emails | Addresses linked to the person in records | That the person still reads that inbox |
| Address history | Where the person has lived, with dates | Where they are right now |
| Possible relatives and associates | People linked to the owner in records | A confirmed family tie |
Line types decide how you can reach each number, so they get their own guide: mobile, landline and VoIP on a skip trace result. The address history is your best check on the match. If the person once lived at the property, or at the owner’s mailing address, the match is stronger. If neither address appears, treat the result with care. Our page on what a skip trace match proves goes deeper.
6. Pick who to contact first
Many results list more than one person and more than one number. Work in this order:
- The person whose name matches the owner of record.
- Their connected mobile numbers, then connected landlines.
- Their emails, as a second channel.
- Possible relatives, only after the owner’s own numbers fail, and only to pass on a message.
If two people at the address share a last name, check ages and address history before you choose. A parent and an adult child can both appear, and only one of them may be on the deed. Some numbers will still reach someone else. Our guide on skip trace wrong numbers explains why and what to do next.
7. Export in a shape your CRM accepts
Export your original columns first, then the contacts. Keep the parcel number and your own row ID so each phone stays tied to its property. Use one format for phone numbers across the file. Before you import, run the file through our CRM CSV checker to catch broken rows.
8. Contact the owner within the rules
Skip tracing gives you a way to reach someone. It does not give you permission. A few federal points apply to many real estate calls:
- The FCC rule at 47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1) bars telephone solicitations to a residential subscriber before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., local time where the called person is.
- The same rule, at (c)(2), bars telephone solicitations to numbers on the national do-not-call list, with a safe harbor for callers who meet its standards. Read DNC scrubbing before you dial a list.
- Under 64.1200(d)(3), when a residential subscriber asks a telemarketer not to call again, the request must be recorded and honored within a reasonable time, no more than ten business days.
- Calls that use an autodialer or a prerecorded voice have their own consent rules in 64.1200(a).
States can add their own rules on top of these, so check the rules in your state. Our skip tracing laws guide covers more ground.
9. Where Locate Next fits
Locate Next is skip tracing software that follows this order for you. You can skip trace one property address, adding the owner name, mailing address and parcel number if you have them, or upload a CSV or Excel list of up to 25,000 rows. Locate suggests which columns hold the owner, the property address, the mailing address and the parcel number, so you do not need a template.
Before it searches, it tidies the addresses without changing your original cells, holds rows it cannot settle with a plain reason, and searches a property listed twice only once. Each person found comes back with phones and their line type, connected or disconnected status, emails, address history with dates, age, and possible relatives and associates. The owner is picked for you, and you can switch to another person when several turn up. You see the most a list can cost before it runs. The export puts your columns first, then the contacts. See bulk skip tracing for lists, or get started.
Common questions
Can I skip trace with only an address?
Yes, but the result will include everyone tied to that address. Add the owner name and mailing address when you have them so the search can favor the right person.
Should I skip trace the property address or the mailing address?
Send both. The property address ties the search to the parcel, and the mailing address often points to where an absentee owner lives.
Does a connected number mean the owner will answer?
No. Connected means the number looks well formed and in service. It does not prove the number reaches the person named on the result.
How do I skip trace a list instead of one owner?
Use the same steps on every row. Clean the list first, keep your row IDs, run a bulk search, then export with your columns first.
Sources
- 47 CFR 64.1200, delivery restrictions (FCC telemarketing and do-not-call rules). Checked November 5, 2026.
This page is general information, not legal advice.