Skip Tracing Guide
Master the art of finding owner contact information to turn property leads into real conversations.
Skip tracing is the process of finding contact information (phone numbers, emails, addresses) for property owners. In wholesaling, you need to talk to the owner to make an offer—and skip tracing helps you find their phone number so you can call them.
Gather Your Information
Before you start, make sure you have from Connected Investors:
Search by Name + Location
✓ Recommended: Start with ZabaSearch
- Go to ZabaSearch.com
- Enter: First Name, Last Name, City, State
- Click "Search"
- Look through results for one matching your property address
- Click on the matching result to see phone numbers
- Find phone numbers labeled "Mobile" (best) or "Landline" (good)
- Copy mobile to Phone 1, landline to Phone 2 in Lead Manager
Alternative: If ZabaSearch doesn't work, try:
- • TruePeopleSearch.com (if not blocked)
- • FastPeopleSearch.com (if not blocked)
- • WhitePages.com
Try Address Search (If Name Fails)
On ZabaSearch or other tools, look for an "Address Search" option and enter the full property address.
This often works when the owner name is misspelled or the person has a common name.
Try Multiple Tools
If your first tool doesn't find the number, try another one from the list above. Different databases have different information.
Pro tip: Sometimes one site has the mobile number while another has the landline. Check 2-3 sites to get the most phone numbers.
Verify the Phone Number
- • MA area code (617, 781, 508, 978, 774, 351)
- • Multiple sources show same number
- • Labeled "Mobile" or "Wireless"
- • Area code from different state
- • Labeled "VOIP" or "Disconnected"
- • No information about number type
- 1.Open your spreadsheet (Leads sheet)
- 2.Open TruePeopleSearch.com in a browser tab
- 3.Start with Lead #1: Copy name → Search → Find phones → Paste into spreadsheet
- 4.Add important notes (age, absentee owner, deceased, etc.)
- 5.Move to Lead #2 and repeat
- 6.If you can't find info after 2 minutes, skip it - don't waste time
- 7.Every 10 leads, take a 5-minute break to stay sharp
| Column | What to Enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Phone 1 | Mobile/cell number (best) | (617) 555-1234 |
| Phone 2 | Landline or backup | (781) 555-5678 |
| Email address (if found) | [email protected] | |
| Motivation Level | Your guess (1-10) | 7 (if absentee/elderly) |
| Situation | Why they might sell | Absentee Owner |
| Notes | Important details | Lives in FL, property in MA |
- • Owner name is a company (ABC Properties LLC, XYZ Trust)
- • Property shows "Foreclosure Auction Scheduled" (too late, bank owns it)
- • Owner marked "Deceased" with no heir info (research probate first)
- • Multiple "Do Not Call" flags on the phone number
After going through your leads with free tools, you'll probably have 50-60 with phone numbers and 30-40 without. For the ones you couldn't find, we can use paid services:
We'll decide later if it's worth paying for those leads based on how the free ones perform.
- Skip trace at least 50 leads
- Prioritize leads in nice neighborhoods (Weston, Wellesley, Wayland)
- Mark high-priority leads (absentee owners, elderly, probate)
- Update your Daily Stats sheet
- Count successful skip traces
- Note any patterns or questions
7-Step Practice Workflow
Pick Your First Lead (2 min)
Go to Lead Manager and find a lead with:
- Owner's full name (first and last)
- Complete property address with city and state
- NO phone number yet (or missing phone)
Search by Name on ZabaSearch (3 min)
- Go to ZabaSearch.com
- Enter: First Name, Last Name, City, State
- Click "Search" and review the results
Find the Right Person (3 min)
Look through results for someone whose address matches your property:
- • Current address matches
- • Previous address matches
- • Completely different address
- • Try Address Search instead
Extract Phone Numbers (2 min)
Priority order for phone numbers:
Backup: Address Search (if needed)
If name search doesn't work, try searching by the full property address on ZabaSearch. This often works when owner names are misspelled or very common.
Update Lead Manager (2 min)
Go back to Lead Manager and update:
- Phone 1 (Mobile) and Phone 2 (Landline)
- Email (if found)
- Notes: Age, relatives, previous addresses
- Change status to "skip_traced"
Track Your Results (1 min)
Keep a simple log:
Lead 2: Mary Johnson - ✅ Found 1 phone
Lead 3: Robert Williams - ❌ No results
Success Rate: 2/3 = 67%
Common Scenarios & Solutions
→ Use address to narrow down, or try Address Search method
→ Check if it's a previous address (owner moved). If completely different, wrong person.
→ That's okay! Landlines work. Add it as Phone 1.
→ Don't use them. This lead needs paid skip tracing service.
→ ZabaSearch doesn't have phone data. This lead needs paid service.
Pro Tips for Success
Owners 70+ years old often more motivated (downsizing, health issues)
Different current address = absentee owner = often more motivated!
Note relatives' names - useful if owner doesn't answer
First lead: 10 min. By lead #20: 3 min. Practice makes perfect!
Success Checklist
After practicing on 10 leads, you should be able to: