How we built an off market lead engine after drowning in bad data

[Max Yuan]

Let’s be real… Most wholesalers don’t have a (lack of) data problem. They have a data chaos problem. That was us. We were running a lean operation across a few TN markets, and like a lot of operators, we had a VA managing list pulls from your typical vendors, another one scrubbing and skip tracing, and 10 tabs open trying to keep everything current. What we really had? A spaghetti system of CSVs, half-duplicated records, missed leads… and hours of manual work that frustruted the hell out of our team. But here’s the move that changed everything: We shifted from chasing lists to building a live monitoring system across high-signal data sources—stuff like tax delinquents, probates, and code violations. Instead of waiting for overpriced third-party lists, we started pulling direct from the county—every week, automatically. No more guessing. No more duplicated effort. Here’s the big unlock most people miss:👉  The best leads aren’t sitting on pre-bought lists. They’re hiding in public data—if you know where to look and how to pull it consistently. (comment if you're interested in getting this automated for your team) Here’s why I’m sharing this: If you’re still hand-scraping lists or relying on whatever your VA finds on most platforms, you’re probably picking through scraps others have sifted through already. Just want to set expectations right for you if you're just starting out or if you've already built out a team. P.s Which data provider have you vowed to never use again because you never had success with their leads?

[Kreg Thornley]

I would be interested in hearing more.