Skip tracing
Skip tracing is the process of finding current contact details, such as phone numbers, emails and mailing addresses, for a person who is hard to reach. Real estate investors skip trace property owners from a lead list so they can call, text or mail them about selling.
Last reviewed October 26, 2026 by the Trident team.
What is skip tracing in real estate?
Skip tracing is finding current phone numbers, emails and mailing addresses for a property owner. Investors start with a list of properties, often from public records, and run the owners' names and addresses through data providers that match them to contact details, so they can reach owners who may want to sell.
How much does skip tracing cost?
Published investor-tool rates in October 2026 run roughly 10¢ to 15¢ per record, and some plans bundle monthly credits or unlimited skip tracing. Trident charges $0.12 per record from your wallet. See our full guide to skip tracing costs for a provider-by-provider table with sources.
How much does skip tracing cost?
Is skip tracing legal?
Looking up publicly available contact data is generally legal, but how you use it is regulated. Calls and texts are covered by the TCPA and the National Do Not Call Registry, and some states add their own rules. Scrub numbers against do-not-call lists and get legal advice for your market.
How does Trident handle Skip tracing?
Trident skip traces owners straight from your List Builder or Warehouse at $0.12 per record, merges duplicate owners by phone number, and AI scrub helps flag bad or risky numbers before you dial. Plans start at $99 a month with a usage credit included, and every action after that has a published rate.
See pricing for plans and per-use rates, or try Trident for 7 days for $8.
Related
More terms: ARV (after repair value), MAO (maximum allowable offer), Assignment fee, Wholesaling, Subject-to, BRRRR, Pre-foreclosure, Absentee owner, 10DLC, Double close, Novation.
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.