There are many reasons to find out who owns this property, whether you’re a possible buyer, a diligent renter, or just someone who cares about your community. Here, you’ll find everything you need to locate the property’s owner.

There are five ways to find out who owns a property and other public records information, so let’s have a look:

1.   The tax assessor’s office in your county

In the event that someone owns property, you can rest assured that the county tax assessor will have their name and contact information on file. To quickly locate the website, search for “county assessor” followed by the name of the county in which you’re interested. It’s possible that by using the term “property owner” in your search, you’ll get on the exact page you’re looking for without having to navigate a convoluted government website. Or else, finding property owners may necessitate some digging (or a lot of digging) on your part.

If you have the property’s identifying number, finding it will be much simpler. Depending on where you live, this number will be referred to in a variety of ways. STRABL is another name for this number. Other names for it include the Accessor’s Identification Number (AIN) and Accessor’s Property Number (APN) (STRAP). In the United States, there are 3,144 counties. Just keep in mind that this is the tax bill number.

Perspectives from the Pros Visit the NETROnline Directory of Public Records Online. Using this free service, you may look up the property’s address and corresponding assessment, tax collector, and recorder office numbers in your county. Using these government-run websites, you can search for properties by the accessor’s number, property address, and the names of the owner.

Finding the name and address of a property owner using the County Tax Collector website is a common occurrence. Also, if the property tax bill is current, you’ll know that it’s a good thing to know. You’ll also be able to discover if there are any additional fees or charges that need to be paid. PACE financing is an example of a loan that may be taken out by property owners in order to undertake energy-efficient improvements to their properties. When a property tax lien is tied to a loan amount, the interest rate is often much greater than the interest rate on a regular mortgage. Even if the property owner who took out the loan sells it, the loan remains on the tax records.

2.   Clerk/Recorder of the County

The County Recorder is another resource for locating a property owner. NETROnline allows you to specify the state and county you are in and the site will direct you to the relevant webpage. If all you need is the owner’s name and address, your County Tax Accessor is the way to go. Free and easy to use than the paid version.

Think of your county recorder’s office as the place to go for information about property and the people who own it. People’s deaths, births, bankruptcies, and divorces are all recorded at the Recorder’s Office. Notices of sale, mechanics liens, bills of sale, certificates of trust, mortgages, easements, tax liens, homestead, reconveyance, and trust deeds are some of the recorded papers related to real estate. Another treasure trove of information for those who have the patience, time, and strategy to sift through this enormous collection of information.

Perspectives from the Pros In order to write this post, we had to conduct extensive testing of county websites for search capability and pricing. The current state of technology and search capabilities makes life a misery. A full set of documents is required in some counties, while others enable you to request specific pages. Fees can vary substantially depending on the sort of document you’re looking for. Investing in areas like probate and bankruptcy necessitates the use of public documents, which are available to anybody. Because it takes so long and you’re sifting through mind-numbing legal documentation, these pros are pursuing deals that fewer players are willing to take on.

3.   Third-party Title Insurance Provider in Your Area

For a broad FARM (Focused Real Estate Marketing) list, you call your favourite local title rep. To begin, the search required basic information like a person’s name and location, as well as more specifics like the property’s features, close neighbours, similar transactions, and a buyer’s transaction history in some jurisdictions.

Regulation X of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act does not apply to most FARM marketing lists (RESPA). RESPA-regulated institutions, including licenced Realtors, mortgage brokers, appraisers, and title companies, are prohibited from obtaining “things of value” in exchange for referring business to another settlement service provider regulated by RESPA, as defined by the federal statute. In general, lists of publicly available information won’t pose any problems. Custom lists, on the other hand, are a different affair. Expect a title business to charge for bespoke reports and marketing lists if you’re looking for information that isn’t available at the county recorder’s office.

Title companies are designing unique programmes for clients who want to conduct their own research. It’s vital for investors in foreclosed homes who want access to the most recent data and research. The First American mobile and web-based application, for example, allows consumers across the country to research property attributes, tax information and order paperwork while also viewing transaction history on the property. To acquire access, an investor would most likely have to be a customer. The majority of bidders, however, will contact their title representative first to make sure they are investing in a first lien position and that no liens or IRS liens have surfaced. On the steps of the courthouse, there are no do-overs. These apps are more geared toward a property-by-property research strategy, although they are still extremely useful.

4.   Organizations specialising in mailing lists and list brokers

Over the years, marketing list firms and marketing list brokers have become more advanced. There are a number of list brokers who offer their services so you can contact them directly and discuss your specific mailing list needs with one of them over the phone. The majority of list brokers now offer the capacity to collect email addresses and phone numbers, which sets them apart from the free choices previously stated. On the basis of property attributes, neighbourhood facts, and demographic information on property owners, a list can be compiled.

Perspectives from the Pros In July, our VP of Market Insights, Aaron Norris, received the following text message: The text refers to a rental property he sold over two years ago.

Embarrassing enough? For a list provider, that meant using data that was more than two years old.

There is a good chance you’ll need to increase your technical skills to keep yourself organised if you’re spending money on lists. When it comes to managing static mailing lists and the progress of leads, tracking, whether it’s in CRM software, sales software, or Google sheets, becomes vital.

In order to regularly follow up with high-quality leads, marketing lists need to be refined. When you buy large general marketing lists, you are able to re-target your customers numerous times, saving money in the long run. Consistency and follow-up are the keys to success for the pros.

5.   Platform for advanced data and information about property owners

Advanced property data and owner information software is a must-have if you’re a property-centric organisation that relies on regular, high-quality leads to keep your sales pipeline full. This type of software solution isn’t just for Realtors, mortgage lenders, and real estate speculators. The regular updating of records and the sophisticated functionality offered by these platforms benefit the home and property services industry considerably.