List Pulling 101: How to Build Targeted Seller Lists

Introduction

Before you can close deals, you need leads. And before you get leads, you need the right list.

List pulling is one of the most important parts of successful real estate investing. Whether you are wholesaling, flipping, or buying rentals, your seller list is the foundation of your marketing. But pulling random lists is a waste of time and money.

This guide walks you through how to pull motivated seller lists that actually convert, how to use filters strategically, and how REsimpli’s list-pulling tool can save you hours of manual work.

What Is List Pulling?

List pulling is the process of sourcing property records based on specific filters that indicate a property owner may be motivated to sell. These lists are used in cold calling, direct mail, SMS campaigns, and other forms of lead generation.

A well-pulled list increases your contact rate and your deal close rate. A bad list just fills your CRM with noise.

What Makes a Good Seller List?

Not all data is equal. A good seller list meets three criteria:

1. It targets owners with signs of motivation
   
2. It excludes people unlikely to respond
   
3. It matches your buying criteria and exit strategy
   

The best lists are not the biggest. They are the most refined.

Most Common Motivated Seller Filters

When pulling lists, you can filter based on public data. Here are the most powerful filters to combine:

• Absentee Owner: Owners who do not live in the property are more likely to sell
  
• High Equity: Sellers with 50 percent or more equity are easier to negotiate with
  
• Vacant Properties: Empty homes are often a financial burden
  
• Long-Term Ownership: Owners who have held the property for 10 or more years are statistically more likely to sell
  
• Pre-Foreclosure: Indicates active financial distress
  
• Tax Delinquent: Property taxes unpaid, a sign of distress
  
• Probate or Inherited: Owners who recently inherited a property may not want to keep it
  
• Code Violations: Signals of deferred maintenance or municipal pressure
  

These filters can be stacked for better targeting.

What Is List Stacking?

List stacking means combining multiple lead types to find owners who appear on more than one list.

Example:

• Absentee owner
  
• Vacant
  
• Also on the tax delinquent list
  

This triple-stacked lead is likely far more motivated than someone on only one of those lists. It is quality over quantity.

REsimpli’s list stacking system allows you to see overlaps instantly and prioritize the most motivated contacts.

How to Pull Seller Lists: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Define Your Criteria

Know what kind of deals you want. For example:

• Zip code or county
  
• Property type (single family, duplex, etc.)
  
• Owner type (individual vs. LLC)
  
• Price range or square footage
  

Step 2: Choose Your Filters

Use combinations like:

• Absentee + 50 percent equity + 10 year ownership
  
• Vacant + absentee + no recent sale
  
• Out-of-state owner + high equity
  

Step 3: Pull the List

Use a list provider or a tool like REsimpli’s list pulling feature. You can:

• Set your filters
  
• Preview your data
  
• Export or save directly to your CRM
  

Step 4: Clean and Organize

Before marketing, remove:

• Duplicates
  
• Undeliverable addresses
  
• LLCs if you only want individual owners
  

Tag by source and filter combination so you can track performance later.

How REsimpli Makes List Pulling Easy

With REsimpli, you can:

• Pull high-quality seller lists nationwide without needing third-party tools
  
• Apply filters like absentee, equity, property type, and ownership length
  
• Save custom lists directly into your CRM
  
• Stack and prioritize based on how many lists a lead appears in
  
• Track which lists produce the most deals
  

There is no need to export, reformat, or manage dozens of spreadsheets. Everything stays in one system.

Conclusion

If you want better deals, start with better data. Pulling targeted seller lists is not just about selecting filters. It is about being intentional, strategic, and consistent.

Using REsimpli’s list pulling and stacking tools, you can simplify the process, increase your marketing ROI, and find the leads that actually convert.