This has been a year for the record books–bankruptcies and foreclosures are on the rise, meaning many property owners might be ready to make a deal and cut their losses. In fact, August 2020 saw record home sales. If you’re wondering where to find these properties and how to get in on the savings afforded by record-low interest rates, first you need to locate owners by doing a property owner search.
You’re not the first agent to wonder how to uncover a specific property’s owner. Performing a property owner search helps you not only build but continually boost your real estate business. Armed with this information, you can score more leads–and qualify them, too.
If you’ve been in real estate for any length of time, you know searching for property owner information traditionally isn’t easy. But ProspectNow makes finding the information you need for your agency fast and efficient.
The Marketing Aspect of Discovering Real Estate Leads
Blanketing neighborhoods with your marketing materials and treating each house as a hopeful lead is like bringing a penny-sized magnet to the scrap yard–you might pick up something, but likely it won’t be what you were after.
So, you’ve probably already got your “how to target” down pat–our focus is more about “who to target”. Are your materials reaching the right prospects? How can you make your property owner search more successful?
Successful Property Searches
Conducting a property owner search within a promising market and building owner lists from the information you glean are some of the best ways to score real leads. Why? Chances are, the property hasn’t been listed yet. After you find out who owns a specific property, send some materials their way either by phone, mail, or email. Let them know you’re interested in helping them sell. Maybe you’re an investor and you’re ready to make an offer.
Either way, here’s why this is one of the best real estate strategies for finding off-market properties:
- There’s no competition and no bidding wars.
- The owner might not know the appropriate asking price–you could snag a real deal.
- Since the property isn’t listed, there are no hard deadlines to meet, which gives you additional time for inspections and negotiations.
But, as we touched on in the opening, discovering properties like this depends on one thing–the property search itself.
6 Tips for Your Next Property Owner Search
Okay, so you’re not going to go scouting the area’s neighborhoods, writing down the addresses of each interesting property. Not only is this not a sustainable investment method, but you certainly don’t have time to build your portfolio this way.
#1—Choose a Market
Before you can begin looking for property owner information, you should determine where you want to look. Scouting for investments or off-market properties is easier if you narrow down your search to just one city or state. From there, you can find a home in specific neighborhoods.
But choosing the location isn’t as simple as throwing darts at a map. You should also take a look at the areas:
- Job market and economy
- Population
- Current and forecasted appreciation rates
- High-demand properties
- Neighborhood amenities
These are the most important investment property characteristics. Now you can begin assembling a property owner list.
#2—Search Nationwide Environmental Title Research (NETL) Website
This is a helpful website that shows properties around the nation with a simple location search. NETL can also give information to the County Assessor’s Office where the property is located. Some assessor’s offices offer online property databases, as well.
#3—Call or Visit Local County Tax Assessor
Anyone that owns property pays taxes on it–or they should be, but that’s another topic. The county tax assessor’s office has all the information regarding local properties, including the property owner’s information.
#4—Call or Visit Local County Clerk
County clerks maintain all public records, such as marriage licenses and property deeds. A search at the county clerk’s office works much like the county tax assessor’s office–bring as much information with you as you have, and they’ll help you fill in the blanks. For instance, you can ask to see current property deeds, which have property owner information.
#5—Visit Local Library
Some local libraries also maintain databases holding valuable information for a property search. Before arriving, either call ahead or visit the library website to make sure patrons have access to this database. If not, the librarian may suggest other means of finding the information.
#6—Use an Online Property Search Site
You can find property owner information using online property search tools. You’ll have to create an account, pay a subscription fee, and then you’ll have access to thousands of property records. ProspectNow offers more information than you can find in other property databases and for a fraction of what you’ll pay at those other sites.
Wrapping Up
Scouring public property records, such as taxes and property deeds, might seem like a great way to find information in your property owner search, but ProspectNow offers loads of data you can’t find anywhere else–and for a lot less than our competitors charge for less information. On ProspectNow you can find:
- Off-market properties
- Pre-foreclosures
- Residential and commercial real estate
We’ve been helping real estate agents, brokers, and investors just like you since 2008. The data we offer is much more expensive elsewhere. By partnering with ProspectNow, you can find more leads, close more deals, and ultimately make more money.