A.C.C.U.R.A.C.Y. for Skip Tracing: How to Hit 60-80% Contactable Matches

Most real estate investors don’t lose money on bad deals that they lose on bad data.

You can pull thousands of records, pay for skip tracing, load them into a dialer… and still end up with half your calls going nowhere. Wrong numbers. Dead emails. Wasted minutes. Meanwhile, the investor who connects first, and connects often, wins the deal.

That’s where skip tracing accuracy comes in. Not the number of phone numbers returned, but the number of people you can actually reach. And while most teams hover around a 30–40% contactable rate, disciplined operators regularly hit 60–80% using a system built around process, not luck.

This guide breaks that system down into one simple framework, A.C.C.U.R.A.C.Y. used by top-performing REsimpli users to turn raw data into real conversations.

Each letter represents a part of the loop that drives consistency:

• Audience & Address Hygiene
  
• Coverage Depth
  
• Compliance
  
• Unification
  
• Response Speed
  
• Automation
  
• Cadence
  
• Yield
  

Together, they define how to structure your skip tracing, outreach, and follow-up operations to get more live connects per dollar spent.

Contactable Match Rate (explainer block)

Contactable Match Rate = # of leads with a confirmed working phone or email (live connect, SMS reply, or email engagement) ÷ total leads loaded.

Why it matters: Lists don’t pay until someone answers. A “matched” number means nothing until it turns into a conversation.

Skip tracing accuracy isn’t about the vendor; it’s about your system.

From how clean your lists are before tracing, to how quickly you respond after enrichment, every detail compounds your odds of getting a seller on the line.

By the end of this playbook, you’ll know exactly how to:

• Diagnose what’s dragging your match rate down.
  
• Build an internal process to improve it week over week.
  
• Measure contactable yield like a true operator.
  

Let’s get into what skip tracing accuracy really means, and how to hit that 60–80% benchmark consistently.

What “Skip Tracing Accuracy” Really Means (and What It Doesn’t)

Most investors think skip tracing accuracy is about how many numbers you get back. It’s not.

If you send 1,000 property records to a tracing service and receive 3,000 phone numbers in return, that doesn’t mean your data is good — it means you just bought 3,000 chances to hit a working line. The real question is: how many of those actually connect?

The difference between “numbers returned” vs. “contactable matches”

Skip tracing vendors report a match rate based on how many phone or email results they append to your list. That’s not accuracy, that’s coverage. Accuracy starts when you verify those contacts through actual engagement.

A contactable match means you’ve confirmed at least one valid touchpoint

• a live phone conversation,
  
• a delivered and replied SMS, or
  
• an email that opens and engages.
  

Everything else is noise.

Think of it like this: 

If 1,000 records yield 3,000 phones and you confirm 650 as live through connect or reply, your skip tracing accuracy (or contactable match rate) is 65%, not 300%. That’s the number that actually moves your deals forward.

Contactable Match Rate = Confirmed working phones/emails ÷ Total records loaded

And that’s the benchmark you can improve systematically, not by changing vendors every month, but by tightening the way you pull, clean, stack, trace, and follow up.

The 4 KPIs that move deals

Most teams track “calls made” or “numbers dialed.” The best operators track conversion physics, the small metrics that compound into deals closed.

Here are the four that matter most:

1. Contactable % – The share of your list with a proven working contact (your real skip tracing accuracy).
   
2. Connect % – Of those, how many turned into a live conversation?
   
3. Appointment % – How many connects turned into booked calls or property visits?
   
4. Cost per Contact – Total tracing + dialing spend divided by contactable matches (the real measure of efficiency).
   

When these four are measured weekly, you’ll spot bottlenecks before they become expensive. 

A low contactable % means your list or trace provider needs review. A weak connect % signals poor response speed or scripting.

Everything ties back to how precise and repeatable your A.C.C.U.R.A.C.Y. loop is.

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A — Audience & Address Hygiene

Definition: Accuracy starts before you ever click “Skip Trace.” The cleaner and more targeted your list, the higher your eventual contactable rate.

Skip tracing is only as good as the data you feed it. A list full of outdated owners, missing ZIPs, and unstandardized addresses guarantees wasted traces and undeliverable calls. Before you enrich anything, you need a foundation of precision.

How to Do It

1. Pull only motivated segments.

Use a dedicated List Builder that filters by absentee status, ownership years, equity %, and property type. Avoid “everything lists” — trace only what’s likely to sell.

2. Standardize addresses.

Before uploading, run your list through USPS CASS or NCOA verification. This catches outdated owner moves and address typos before they multiply across databases.

3. Remove duplicates early.

If a property appears on multiple lists (say, absentee + code violations), merge by parcel ID or APN now. Every duplicate you trace inflates costs and skews match rates later.

4. Mark records missing key data.

Any entry missing ZIP, state, or owner name should be flagged for manual review. You can’t trace ghosts.

5. Set a hygiene cadence.

Rerun NCOA checks monthly. Owners move; data decays. The longer you wait, the lower your hit rate.

What to Measure

• % of records passing USPS/NCOA check: Target 95%+ before tracing.
  
• % of returned “bad numbers”: Should drop 10–15% after address cleanup.
  
• Cost per usable contact: Downtrend = your hygiene system is working.

Pro tip: Most investors skip hygiene because it feels tedious — but that’s exactly why it’s a competitive edge. Every unverified address you trace is money thrown at the wrong door. Start your accuracy compounding before the trace, not after.

C — Coverage Depth

Definition: Skip tracing accuracy improves when each record is traced as deeply as possible — multiple phones, multiple emails, and verified owner lookups (even for LLCs and trusts).

You can’t connect with what you can’t reach. Shallow data (one number, one email) caps your ceiling long before your dialer ever starts. High-contact-rate teams focus on coverage per record, not list size — because 500 well-traced properties beat 5,000 weak ones every single time.

How to Do It

1. Use tracing sources with depth, not just speed.

Look for skip tracing systems (like REsimpli’s Skip Tracing) that return up to 10 phone numbers and multiple verified emails per owner. More channels = higher odds of a working contact.

2. Include LLC and trust lookups.

For non-individual owners, run entity resolution. Identify managing members, registered agents, or mailing addresses through public data or skip providers that handle corporate overlays.

3. Add alternate contact types.

Supplement phones with verified emails and social profiles (if available). SMS-only traces miss owners who reply by email first.

4. Segment results by confidence level.

Tier A (high match confidence) numbers first, Tier B later. This reduces wasted dials and prioritizes the data most likely to connect.

5. Re-trace stale lists quarterly.

Data ages. New phone connections appear every month. Refresh coverage on your most profitable list types instead of always buying new ones.

What to Measure

• Average phones/emails per record: Aim for 6–10 phones, 2+ emails.
  
• % of records with ≥1 confirmed working phone: 60–80% is realistic.
  
• Cost per verified contact: Monitor drop as coverage improves.

Pro tip: Don’t confuse “bulk” with “depth.” A 100,000-record list traced shallowly can produce fewer real conversations than a 10,000-record list traced right. Quality contact coverage — especially with LLC and trust data — is the multiplier most investors overlook.

C — Compliance

Definition: Skip tracing accuracy means nothing if your outreach violates the law. Staying TCPA- and DNC-compliant protects your business and ensures your contact rate translates into legitimate conversations—not penalties.

Compliance isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a trust multiplier. Every call, text, or email you send must be permission-aware, scrubbed, and documented. Teams that systemize this once never have to fear fines or bad PR again.

How to Do It

1. Automate DNC scrubbing on every import.

Use REsimpli’s built-in DNC tagging to automatically flag numbers listed on national or state Do Not Call registries before outreach begins.

2. Respect scrubbed numbers, always.

Never call or text a scrubbed number—no exceptions. Tag and suppress them system-wide so they never appear in dialer queues.

3. Capture and honor opt-outs immediately.

When someone texts “STOP” or requests removal, REsimpli automatically records that event. Ensure your team never manually re-engages that record.

4. Centralize compliance logs.

Store DNC tags, opt-out timestamps, and consent notes under each contact record. If an audit ever occurs, your data trail will speak for you.

5. Train your team monthly.

Most violations happen from ignorance, not intent. Include a five-minute compliance refresh in every sales meeting.

What to Measure

• DNC violation rate: Must stay at 0%.
  
• Opt-out capture rate: 100% (every request logged and honored).
  
• Percentage of records scrubbed pre-campaign: Track weekly to ensure automation runs consistently.

Compliance Note

Always respect DNC and TCPA rules.
Tag and suppress scrubbed numbers system-wide.
Capture and honor opt-outs on first request.
Compliance isn’t optional, it’s part of operational excellence.

Skip trace for free natively inside REsimpli, and route all results into Drip Campaigns automatically. This ensures every record gets contacted instantly without exports or manual uploads.

Pro tip: Investors who say “compliance slows you down” rarely last long. The pros bake it into automation once and move faster because they know every number dialed is safe, clean, and callable.

U — Unification (List Stacking & Dedupe)

Definition: Unification means combining every data source—tax delinquent, code violation, vacant, absentee—into a single, deduped, signal-rich master list before you skip trace.

Inconsistent data is the silent killer of skip tracing accuracy. If the same property appears on three lists under slightly different owner names or addresses, you’ll pay three times to trace the same lead—and burn dials chasing duplicates. A unified list creates one version of the truth for outreach, follow-up, and reporting.

How to Do It

1. Stack your lists before tracing.

Use REsimpli’s List Stacking feature to merge all your raw lists (absentee, probate, code violations, etc.) into one master file.

2. Dedupe by multiple keys.

Match records by parcel number/APN + address + owner name. This triple-check ensures you don’t trace the same property twice under different spellings.

3. Tag motivation overlaps.

When a property appears on more than one list, tag it as “High Signal.” Multiple motivators (e.g., tax delinquent + code violation) increase the likelihood of distress and deserve higher call priority.

4. Prioritize repeats in your queue.

After skip tracing, push “High Signal” leads to the top of your dialer or SMS queue. They often connect faster and convert at a higher rate.

5. Feed updates back weekly.

As new lists come in, stack and dedupe again. Fresh data doesn’t stay clean for long—maintain your single source of truth continuously.

What to Measure

• Dedupe Rate: Track % of total records removed as duplicates (expect 5–15%).
  
• Repeat Conversion %: Reappearing leads should close at 1.5–2× your average.
  
• Cost per Unique Contact: Downtrend shows improved efficiency.

Pro tip: Every duplicate in your system is a leak—double tracing, double dialing, double spend. By stacking before tracing, you remove friction and turn skip tracing into a precision operation instead of a guessing game.

R — Response Speed

Definition: Response speed is how fast you reach out once a new lead or trace result hits your system. The faster you call or text, the higher your connect and appointment rates — and the lower your cost per deal.

Even perfect data decays by the hour. Every minute between enrichment and outreach is another chance for a competitor to get there first. That’s why top-performing investors obsess over “speed-to-first-touch.” It’s not about volume — it’s about velocity.

How to Do It

1. Trigger instant calls or texts on new leads.

Set up Speed to Lead inside REsimpli to auto-call or SMS new web, form, or campaign leads within seconds. Fast contact builds trust and captures intent while it’s fresh.

2. Use smart routing for inbound leads.

Send calls to available reps instantly — or use CallAnswer AI to respond when no one’s free. Never let a first touch hit voicemail.

3. Acknowledge every lead automatically.

An automated SMS acknowledgment (“Got your info, we’ll call shortly”) stops cold leads from drifting while your rep gets ready.

4. Aim for a 15–60 second first call window.

Industry data proves response within the first minute can double connect rates. Build automations backward from that SLA.

5. Grade and tighten response consistency.

Use CallGrade AI to evaluate how quickly reps pick up and how effectively they open calls. Small lags kill deals.

What to Measure

• Median Time-to-First-Touch: Under 60 seconds is elite.
  
• Connect Rate on First Attempt: Target 40–50%.
  
• Appointment Rate per 100 Contacts: The truest test of your team’s reaction time.

Pro tip: You can’t buy “motivation” — you can only capture it faster than others. Speed is a controllable advantage. Automate it once, and every future lead benefits forever.

A — Automation (Drips & AI)

Definition: Automation turns skip tracing accuracy into actual appointments. It ensures every traced contact gets followed up — consistently, intelligently, and without relying on memory or spreadsheets.

Even the best list and fastest response mean little if you don’t follow up. Most sellers don’t respond on the first call or text. Automation keeps your name in front of them until they’re ready — across SMS, email, ringless voicemail, and even AI-driven conversations.

How to Do It

1. Set up multi-channel drips.

Inside REsimpli’s Drip Campaigns, build sequences that combine SMS, email, RVM, and follow-up tasks. Mix timing and tone — personal early, professional later.

2. Trigger drips automatically after tracing.

Once a list is enriched, push it into a “Skip Trace Follow-Up” campaign. Every new contact should immediately enter a pre-built sequence.

3. Use AI agents to scale conversations.

Let AI Agents like CallAnswer AI and Conversational AI handle inbound leads, grade calls, and auto-book appointments. They never forget or fatigue.

4. Score and route hot replies.

LeadScore AI inside REsimpli ranks which replies deserve manual attention first — saving reps from chasing cold texts.

5. Re-engage quiet leads.

Schedule 60-day and 120-day reactivation drips for unresponsive contacts. Many deals revive months after initial contact.

What to Measure

• Reply Rate per Drip Step: Should improve 10–15% after automation setup.
  
• Appointments per 100 Contacts: Core success metric for drips + AI synergy.
  
• Follow-Up Completion Rate: Target 100%; automation should leave no lead untouched.

Pro tip: Automation isn’t about replacing people — it’s about giving them leverage. The investor who automates first contact, follow-up, and lead grading will always outpace the one who “reminds themselves to call back tomorrow.”

C — Cadence (Attempt Strategy)

Definition: Cadence is the rhythm and frequency of your outreach — the exact sequence of calls, texts, emails, and mail touches that turns skip tracing data into real conversations.

Most teams lose deals not because their data’s wrong, but because their follow-up is random. They call twice, send one text, and move on. High-yield investors use intentional, finite cadences that maximize contact attempts without crossing compliance lines.

How to Do It

1. Build a 21-day outreach rhythm.

Plan for 12–15 touches across multiple channels. Front-load the first week (3–5 calls) while motivation is hot, then taper into lighter drips.

2. Interleave channels.

Mix phone, SMS, and email. Some sellers respond only by text; others only by call. A blended cadence increases your odds without feeling pushy.

3. Drop a physical mailer mid-sequence.

Around day 7–10, send a postcard or letter via Direct Mail. It’s a subtle credibility touch that revalidates the address and stands out when digital messages fail.

4. Use “intelligent pausing.”

When you confirm a bad number or receive a “not interested,” pause automation immediately. Respectful disengagement protects your sender reputation and compliance.

5. Recycle cold leads with a longer cycle.

After 21 days of no response, push contacts into a long-term 90-day re-nurture drip — light touches that keep you top of mind without spamming.

What to Measure

• Touches-to-Connect Ratio: How many attempts before a live reply (aim for 4–6).
  
• Channel Contribution: % of connects from call vs. SMS vs. email.
  
• Drop-off Rate: Where most leads disengage — fix bottlenecks there.

Pro tip: Treat cadence like a scientific experiment — not a guessing game. Small timing tweaks (e.g., shifting call #3 from afternoon to evening) can lift connect rates 10–20%. Consistency beats aggression every time.

Y — Yield (Track, Learn, Tighten)

Definition: Yield is your scoreboard — the percentage of traced leads that become contactable, and ultimately, profitable. It’s the single metric that reveals whether your skip tracing process is improving or leaking.

Most investors trace lists blindly, call until burnout, then move on to a new source. But without measurement, there’s no learning—and without learning, there’s no compounding accuracy.

How to Do It

1. Create a weekly scoreboard.

Track the core metrics that define operational success:

• Contactable Match % = confirmed working contacts ÷ total records.
  
• Connect % = live conversations ÷ contactable.
  
• Appointments per 100 contacts.
  
• Cost per Contact = total tracing + dial costs ÷ contactable.
  
• Time-to-First-Touch (median seconds).
  

2. Segment by list type.

Compare yield for absentee, probate, tax-delinquent, and code-violation lists. You’ll quickly see which list sources deliver the highest ROI.

3. Refine by cadence step.

Measure replies per step in your outreach sequence. If step #3 (second call + SMS) converts best, double down there instead of extending the sequence endlessly.

4. Prune what doesn’t move the needle.

If a list or sequence fails to increase yield after two cycles, replace it. Operational discipline > emotional attachment to sunk costs.

5. Feed learnings back into the loop.

Every improvement in hygiene, coverage, or cadence compounds. Review results weekly, adjust monthly, and document changes inside your CRM so new team members can replicate success.

What to Measure

• Overall Contactable Match Rate: Target 60–80% consistently.
  
• Week-over-Week Improvement: 2–5% lift is realistic.
  
• ROI by List Type: Highest yield = your top acquisition channel.

Pro tip: Skip tracing yield isn’t static — it’s a living system. The moment you stop tracking, your accuracy starts slipping. Treat it like a financial KPI: measure, audit, and optimize relentlessly.

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Example Math: From 42% to 68% Contactable in 3 Weeks

Let’s say you start with 1,000 property records from a mix of tax-delinquent and absentee-owner lists. You upload them straight to a dialer without cleaning or stacking.

Here’s what typically happens:

• You trace 1,000 records → get 3,000 numbers.
  
• Only 420 leads (42%) have a working phone or email.
  
• After 2 weeks, your team has 15 live conversations and 2 appointments.

Now, let’s apply the A.C.C.U.R.A.C.Y. framework step by step and see how small changes multiply yield:

Week 1 — Audience & Hygiene + Coverage

• Clean the list through USPS/NCOA verification and remove duplicates (10% of data).
  
• Use a deeper skip tracing source that includes LLC lookups and multiple phones/emails.
  
• Contactable matches jump from 42% → 56%.
  

Week 2 — Unification + Speed

• Stack your lists and dedupe across all sources (reduces overlap by another 8%).
  
• Route new leads through Speed to Lead automation for instant calling and SMS.
  
• Connect rate rises from 18% → 33%.
  

Week 3 — Automation + Cadence

• Push every non-responding record into Drip Campaigns for scheduled texts, emails, and ringless voicemails.
  
• Drop one direct mail touch mid-cycle for unreachable owners.
  
• Contactable match rate climbs to 68%, with connect rates holding strong at 30%+.

Metric	Before (Week 0)	After (Week 3)	Change
Records Traced	1,000	1,000	—
Contactable Matches	420	680	+260
Contactable %	42%	68%	+26 pts
Live Connects	75	210	+180%
Appointments	12	33	+175%
Cost per Contact	$3.10	$1.85	↓ 40%

The result?

No new list purchases. No new vendor contracts. Just process discipline.

By improving data hygiene, enriching coverage depth, and tightening cadence, you added 260 more reachable sellers to your funnel—without increasing spend. That’s what skip tracing accuracy looks like in action.

Pro tip: Most investors chase “more data.” Smart operators chase better processes. You can’t control how many numbers a provider returns — but you can control how efficiently you turn those numbers into live connections.

Playbooks You Can Steal Today

Skip tracing accuracy isn’t just about data — it’s about what you do with it after you get the numbers.
Here are practical playbooks you can plug straight into your system today.

21-Day Cadence Playbook

Below is a proven rhythm designed for high contact rates without over-saturating your list. Adjust timing slightly based on your market hours, but stay consistent.

Day	Action	Channel	Goal
Day 1	Call ×2 attempts + SMS follow-up	Phone + SMS	Immediate response window
Day 2	Morning call + short SMS	Phone + SMS	Second chance while interest warm
Day 3	Personalized email	Email	Capture non-responders
Day 5	Call + voicemail	Phone	Voice presence and recall
Day 7	Send mailer via Direct Mail	Physical mail	Reinforce legitimacy
Day 9	SMS + email combo	SMS + Email	Multi-channel check-in
Day 12	Call attempt (evening slot)	Phone	Different timing test
Day 15	SMS follow-up	SMS	Light nudge
Day 18	Email re-engagement	Email	Low-pressure reminder
Day 21	Final call attempt + voicemail	Phone	Close the loop

Total touches: 12–15
Average touches-to-connect: 4–6
Expected connect rate improvement: +15–25% vs. random outreach

Script Starters (Steal & Personalize)

Use these short, disarming openers. They’re designed for connection — not confrontation.

First Call Opener:
“Hi [Name], this is [You] — I’m calling about [address]. We work with owners in your area; did I catch you at a bad time?”

First SMS:
“Quick one about [address]. If you’re open to a quick call this week, reply YES and I’ll schedule.”

First Voicemail:
“Calling about [address]. I’ll text you details — call or text back when convenient.”

Keep scripts conversational. Avoid corporate intros (“I’m with XYZ Investments…”). Sellers respond better when they feel it’s local and human.

When to Drop Out

If a record remains unreachable after 21 days and all channels have been exhausted:

• Tag it as “Cold – Recycle”.
  
• Push it into a 90-day light-nurture drip (1 text or email per month).
  
• Re-run skip tracing every quarter for fresh data.
  

Persistence wins, but efficiency compounds.

Pro tip: Consistency matters more than creativity. Don’t rewrite your scripts every week — track metrics, tweak one variable at a time, and scale what converts.

How REsimpli Runs It All (No 10-App Chaos)

You don’t need five tools, three zaps, and a spreadsheet to run skip tracing well.
You just need one connected system that handles everything from list pull to AI follow-up — without leaks, lag, or manual uploads.

That’s the difference between hobby-grade operations and professional accuracy.

How It Works in One System (REsimpli)

1. Pull & clean data

Use List Builder to target motivated segments — absentee, probate, or code violations — and automatically run USPS/NCOA hygiene.

2. Stack & dedupe intelligently

Consolidate lists with List Stacking to merge and tag overlapping records before tracing.

3. Trace with built-in coverage depth

Run Skip Tracing directly inside REsimpli. It returns multiple phones and emails per record, already tagged and ready for outreach.

4. Automate outreach instantly

Push new contacts straight into Drip Campaigns — SMS, email, and voicemail sequences that run automatically while your team focuses on live calls.

5. Respond in seconds

Pair your outreach with Speed to Lead to auto-call and text every new inbound lead within 15–60 seconds.

6. Let AI handle the heavy lifting

REsimpli’s AI Agents answer calls, grade performance, and even book appointments — so no lead slips through.

7. Track & tighten yield

Use KPI dashboards to measure contactable match %, connect %, and cost per contact weekly. Stop guessing and start improving systematically.

Systems Paragraph: Why Unified > Fragmented

Running skip tracing across disconnected apps (Batch for tracing, Mojo for dialing, Zapier for drips) creates invisible data loss.

You can’t fix what you can’t track — duplicates multiply, DNC logs get missed, and reporting lags behind reality.

In a unified system, every update — from “wrong number” tags to new call notes — syncs instantly across your CRM, dialer, and drip sequences. No leaks. No lag. Just accuracy compounding automatically.

Measurement Paragraph: How to Keep Score

Build a weekly yield dashboard.
Track five metrics:

1. Contactable Match %
   
2. Connect %
   
3. Appointment %
   
4. Cost per Contact
   
5. Time-to-First-Touch
   

Every Monday, review and prune the weakest list or step. If something doesn’t lift yield within two weeks, kill it and reallocate. Accuracy compounds through measurement, not hope.

See how Skip Tracing works inside REsimpli.

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Conclusion: Run the Framework. Track the Yield. Win the Deals.

Skip tracing accuracy isn’t a guessing game — it’s a system.

Every investor pulls lists. Few build the loop that converts those lists into live conversations. The difference between 40% and 80% contactable matches comes down to how tightly you run your A.C.C.U.R.A.C.Y. process:

• Clean lists before tracing.
  
• Go deep on coverage.
  
• Stay DNC clean.
  
• Stack and dedupe everything.
  
• Call fast, follow up automatically, and track results weekly.
  

No one hits 100%, and that’s fine. What matters is consistency — knowing your contactable match rate and improving it week after week.

With REsimpli, that loop runs inside one platform: from data hygiene to skip tracing, AI follow-up, and performance tracking.
Fewer tools. Fewer leaks. More connects.

Run the framework on your next list and track yield weekly — your skip tracing accuracy will rise automatically. Start Free Trial and see how the A.C.C.U.R.A.C.Y. framework works end-to-end inside REsimpli.