Listsource/other ways to find off-market leads
Rental Property Investor · On the Road · Member since 2018 · 25 posts · 21 votes
Hi all-
New investor here, scoping out potential first deals. I've been working with an agent who's set me up with auto emails for MLS listings, but I'm also interested in looking for more off market properties. What does everyone think about using Listsource for potential leads? For those who've had success with it, what kind of data points should I be using to create the best lists? For those who don't like it, I'd love any other suggested services/sites. Thanks in advance!
I've used listsource. It definitely varies on your location for what works best. However here is the criteria that I've found success with: 40-100% equity, years of ownership >4 years, last market sale date - 1901-2014, age of homeowner > 40, absentee. I've heard the "unknown equity" list is also good but I never used it before. Just search listsource on this forum or go to youtube and you can see tutorials on how to pull list.
Other ways to find off market deals from your county - code violations, tax delinquent, 24 hour arrest, utilities shut off, inherited properties/probate.
Driving for dollars looking for vacant properties or properties in distress is a good way as well. Look for chipping paint, tall grass, lots of newspapers in the front, tarp on roof, you get the picture ;)
@Nick Pisano Not familiar with Listsource. Have you looked at Craigslist?
@Nick Pisano I haven’t used list source, but if you’re investing in your own market, I can definitely vouch for the “driving for dollars” technique then cold calling those leads. I was skeptical, but it’s worked wonders for me. And I’ve used no list at all
I've used listsource. It definitely varies on your location for what works best. However here is the criteria that I've found success with: 40-100% equity, years of ownership >4 years, last market sale date - 1901-2014, age of homeowner > 40, absentee. I've heard the "unknown equity" list is also good but I never used it before. Just search listsource on this forum or go to youtube and you can see tutorials on how to pull list.
Other ways to find off market deals from your county - code violations, tax delinquent, 24 hour arrest, utilities shut off, inherited properties/probate.
Driving for dollars looking for vacant properties or properties in distress is a good way as well. Look for chipping paint, tall grass, lots of newspapers in the front, tarp on roof, you get the picture ;)
@Nick Pisano There are some limitations to the sorts of lists you can get from the on-line services. The first is that you need to know what you want. Consider working with a list broker who can make recommendations for the tried and true Absentee owners, but also some of the newer motivated seller lists that haven't become over-mailed and saturated.
These might include Owners with Low Financial Stability Scores and Seniors with Long-Time Ownership. Mailing is expensive, so you should mix up your lists to increase your chances.
@Alvin Sharp Jr.
I agree with Alvin here. I have had nice success with driving for dollars and writing down properties that are duplex, triplex or Quads.
Then I will research and find owner and call them up.
I am under contract on my 3rd, 4th and 5th duplex this way. I started searching in March this year.
Happy hunting and let me know if I can help.
listsource has been good for me. I'll usually look for equity 40%+ but no more than 95%. People who own properties free and clear get LOTs of these letters / postcards. It's just better money spent if I target the ones getting less mail. I also outline specific areas from where I want my letters sent. I will also target the value price of these homes.
I also have had lots of luck using the tax list. People who are delinquent on taxes. Try the county assessor for this list. Hope this helps!
I also have had lots of luck using the tax list. People who are delinquent on taxes. Try the county assessor for this list. Hope this helps!
I had very good results with delinquent tax lists of properties that were so late that they were put in the Tax Sale List.
You can find those at https://investum-data.com
@Wil Reichard is saying about Absentee Owners getting LOTS of letters/postcards - regardless of whether they have high equity or are free and clear.. I'd suggest that you try some of the new motivated seller lists that are just starting to get traction - but haven't been over-mailed yet.
Consider Owners with Low Financial Stability Scores (FSS) or Seniors with Long-Time Ownership.
@May Emery how do you find owners with low Financial Stability Scores? And for seniors with Long-Term Ownership, is there a preferred amount of equity?
@Courtney Wilson I'll send a private message.
@Courtney Wilson I'll send a private message.
Also curious on this list
@Dave Thomson's reply above aged well! Code violations are still one of the cleanest distress signals available. The upgrade in 2026 is automating that pull. A lot of counties now have open data portals or GIS layers that expose active code violations, expired permits, and delinquent property records. If you can normalize that data and cross-reference it with ownership info, you're working a list that's 30–60 days ahead of what any national data provider is selling. The workflow isn't turnkey yet for most markets, but for investors targeting specific geographies, it's worth building.
@Dave Thomson's reply above aged well! Code violations are still one of the cleanest distress signals available. The upgrade in 2026 is automating that pull. A lot of counties now have open data portals or GIS layers that expose active code violations, expired permits, and delinquent property records. If you can normalize that data and cross-reference it with ownership info, you're working a list that's 30–60 days ahead of what any national data provider is selling. The workflow isn't turnkey yet for most markets, but for investors targeting specific geographies, it's worth building.
Hey, welcome to BP and props for already lining up MLS alerts and thinking about off market!
ListSource can work as a starting point if you keep it simple and do not overpay for giant, generic lists. For a first pass I would pick a couple of zip codes you actually want to own in, stick to basic SFR, then layer on things like absentee owner, a reasonable equity filter, and years owned. That alone will give you a list of owners who are more likely to have options if they decide to sell, without you burning a ton of budget or time on people who just bought last year.
Where a lot of folks are leveling up now is moving beyond national list providers and into cleaner local distress signals. Code violations are still one of the cleanest signals out there. The 2026 upgrade is automating that pull. A lot of counties now have open data portals or GIS layers that expose active code violations, expired permits, and delinquent property records. If you can normalize that data and cross reference it with ownership info, you are working a list that is 30 to 60 days ahead of what most national providers are selling. The workflow is not totally turnkey yet in every market, but for investors targeting specific geographies it is worth building.
So one path is to use something like ListSource to get your feet wet with list building and outreach, while you slowly build out a more custom workflow around your target markets using local public records like code violations, tax delinquency, and eviction filings.
That mix gives you some deal flow now and a real edge over time. Happy to share more specifics if you drop what market you are looking in.
@Dave Thomson's reply above aged well! Code violations are still one of the cleanest distress signals available. The upgrade in 2026 is automating that pull. A lot of counties now have open data portals or GIS layers that expose active code violations, expired permits, and delinquent property records. If you can normalize that data and cross-reference it with ownership info, you're working a list that's 30–60 days ahead of what any national data provider is selling. The workflow isn't turnkey yet for most markets, but for investors targeting specific geographies, it's worth building.
Hey, welcome to BP and props for already lining up MLS alerts and thinking about off market!
ListSource can work as a starting point if you keep it simple and do not overpay for giant, generic lists. For a first pass I would pick a couple of zip codes you actually want to own in, stick to basic SFR, then layer on things like absentee owner, a reasonable equity filter, and years owned. That alone will give you a list of owners who are more likely to have options if they decide to sell, without you burning a ton of budget or time on people who just bought last year.
Where a lot of folks are leveling up now is moving beyond national list providers and into cleaner local distress signals. Code violations are still one of the cleanest signals out there. The 2026 upgrade is automating that pull. A lot of counties now have open data portals or GIS layers that expose active code violations, expired permits, and delinquent property records. If you can normalize that data and cross reference it with ownership info, you are working a list that is 30 to 60 days ahead of what most national providers are selling. The workflow is not totally turnkey yet in every market, but for investors targeting specific geographies it is worth building.
So one path is to use something like ListSource to get your feet wet with list building and outreach, while you slowly build out a more custom workflow around your target markets using local public records like code violations, tax delinquency, and eviction filings.
That mix gives you some deal flow now and a real edge over time. Happy to share more specifics if you drop what market you are looking in.