Free Skip Tracing Software: Top Tools Compared
Paid skip tracing services cost $0.03-$0.15 per record, but several free skip tracing methods work for small-scale real estate investing. Free tools have lower accuracy and require more manual work, but they cost nothing — useful when you are doing your first deal on a tight budget.
Free Skip Tracing Options
| Method | Cost | Accuracy | Speed | Batch | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TruePeopleSearch | Free | Low-Moderate | Fast | No | Quick individual lookups |
| FastPeopleSearch | Free | Low-Moderate | Fast | No | Alternative to TPS |
| Social Media (LinkedIn, FB) | Free | Moderate | Slow | No | LLC owner identification |
| County Tax Records | Free | High (mailing addr) | Slow | No | Mailing addresses only |
| Secretary of State | Free | High (registered agent) | Slow | No | LLC owner names |
| Spokeo | $0.95 per report | Moderate | Fast | No | Cheap individual lookups |
1. TruePeopleSearch — Most Popular Free Option
TruePeopleSearch.com provides free people search results including phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, and associated people. Enter a name and location to find potential matches. Results are not always current, but it is the most widely used free skip trace tool among wholesalers.
Tips: Search the property owner's name + city. Cross-reference with county tax records to verify you have the right person. Try multiple name variations (middle initial, maiden name).
Limitations: No batch processing. Cannot search by address alone (need a name first). Data freshness varies. No phone type identification. No DNC checking.
2. FastPeopleSearch
Similar to TruePeopleSearch with a slightly different interface and data set. Some investors check both and compare results to improve hit rates.
3. Social Media Research
LinkedIn and Facebook can identify LLC owners and provide contact information. Search the LLC name or property address. This method works particularly well for identifying owners of LLCs where traditional skip tracing fails.
Limitations: Very slow. Does not scale. Results are inconsistent. Better as a supplement to other methods, not a primary skip trace approach.
4. County Tax Records + Secretary of State
County tax records show the property owner's mailing address (which may differ from the property address for absentee owners). Secretary of State business filings show LLC registered agents and sometimes members. Together, they can identify who owns an LLC and where to reach them.
Limitations: Returns addresses, not phone numbers. Multiple manual lookups required. Secretary of State data shows the registered agent, not always the beneficial owner.
When Free Skip Tracing Is Enough
- You are tracing fewer than 20 people per week
- You only need phone numbers for sellers (not large buyer lists)
- You have time to verify results manually
- You are closing your first 1-3 deals and budget is zero
Upgrade to paid when:
- You need to trace 50+ people per deal (buyer lists)
- Hit rates are too low (below 50% contactable)
- Time spent per lookup exceeds the cost of paid services
- You need DNC/TCPA compliance checking
The Economics of Free vs Paid
Free skip tracing takes approximately 3-5 minutes per person (search, verify, record). At 100 people, that is 5-8 hours of manual work. A paid service like BatchSkipTracing processes 100 records in under 5 minutes for $3-$15 total.
If your time is worth more than $2/hour, paid skip tracing is more cost-effective at any meaningful volume. Free methods are educational (they teach you how skip tracing works) and useful for individual lookups, but they do not scale.
Platforms like Deal Run ($99/mo) and InvestorBase ($249/mo) include skip tracing in the subscription, making per-record costs effectively zero. For a full comparison, see our guides on skip tracing services and free skip tracing options.