Why You Should Never Trust Marketing Claims
Every skip tracing platform claims "industry-leading accuracy" and "the best data." But accuracy claims without a testing methodology are meaningless — and the difference between a 60% accurate tool and a 95% accurate tool is the difference between a profitable business and a money pit.
The only way to know if a skip tracing tool actually performs is to test it yourself with a controlled sample. This guide gives you a repeatable framework to evaluate any platform — whether you're choosing your first tool or considering switching from your current one.
If you're still learning what separates great tools from mediocre ones, start with our guide on what to look for in skip tracing software. This post picks up where that guide leaves off: the hands-on testing process.
Step 1: Build Your 50-Record Test List
The quality of your test depends entirely on the quality of your test list. A list of 50 easy-to-find homeowners won't reveal a tool's weaknesses. You need a list that mirrors the complexity of your actual deal pipeline.
The Ideal Mix
Build your 50-record list with these categories represented:
- 20 standard owner-occupied properties: These are the baseline. Any decent tool should find these owners easily. If a platform struggles here, eliminate it immediately.
- 10 absentee-owner properties: Owners who don't live at the property address. These test whether the tool can trace someone to their current location, not just the property record.
- 10 properties with deceased or elderly owners: These test relative and associate data quality. Can the tool identify heirs and provide their contact information?
- 5 LLC-owned properties: These test whether the tool can trace through corporate entities to find actual decision-makers.
- 5 properties you already have verified contact info for: This is your control group. You already know the correct phone number, so you can directly measure whether the tool returns accurate data.
Formatting Your Test CSV
Format your list as a CSV with the required columns: First Name, Last Name, Mailing Address, Mailing City, and Mailing State. Include property address, ZIP, and APN if available — these improve match rates and let you test how well each platform handles complete vs. partial input data.
For details on proper CSV formatting, see our guide on bulk uploading and enriching property lists.
Step 2: Run Identical Tests Across Platforms
The key word is identical. Upload the exact same 50-record CSV to every platform you're evaluating. If you change even a few records between tests, you can't compare results.
Platforms to Test
At minimum, test two platforms — your current tool and a potential replacement. For a thorough evaluation, test three or four. The top skip tracing platforms in the market each have different strengths, and a 50-record test reveals which ones align with your specific needs.
What to Record During Upload
For each platform, document:
- Upload experience: How easy is the CSV upload process? Does it auto-map columns or require manual configuration?
- Processing time: How long from upload to results? Some platforms deliver in under a minute; others take hours.
- Cost: Record the exact cost for 50 records. Note whether there are minimum purchase requirements, credit bundles, or hidden fees.
- Export options: Can you export results in formats optimized for your dialer, CRM, or SMS platform?
Step 3: Measure Hit Rate
Hit rate is the most basic metric: what percentage of your 50 records returned at least one phone number?
How to Calculate
Count the records that returned at least one phone number, then divide by 50. A strong platform should deliver 85% or higher — meaning at least 42-43 of your 50 records come back with phone data.
Why Hit Rate Alone Is Misleading
A tool that returns five phone numbers per record looks like it has a high hit rate. But if three of those five numbers are disconnected, the usable hit rate is much lower. That's why hit rate is just the starting point — accuracy testing (Step 4) reveals the truth. For more on this distinction, read our guide on how accuracy drives productivity and deal flow.
Step 4: Measure Accuracy (The Dial Test)
This is the step that separates serious evaluation from casual comparison. You need to actually call the numbers each platform returns.
The 15-Record Sample
You don't need to call all 50 records. Randomly select 15-20 records from each platform's results and dial the primary phone number returned. For each call, record one of four outcomes:
✅ Correct Contact: You reached the property owner or a verified relative/associate. This is a success.
⚠️ Wrong Person: Someone answered, but they have no connection to the property. The data is inaccurate.
❌ Disconnected: The number is no longer active. The data is stale.
📱 Voicemail (Unverified): You reached voicemail. Count these separately — they're not confirmed accurate, but they're not confirmed wrong either.
Calculating Your Accuracy Rate
Accuracy Rate = (Correct Contacts) ÷ (Total Calls Made - Voicemails) × 100
Exclude voicemails from the denominator since they're inconclusive. If you reached 12 correct contacts out of 14 non-voicemail calls, your accuracy rate is 86%.
Check Your Control Group
Remember those 5 records where you already know the correct phone number? Compare each platform's returned data against your known-good numbers. This gives you a direct accuracy measurement with zero ambiguity.
Step 5: Evaluate Data Depth
Two platforms can have identical hit rates and similar accuracy — but wildly different data depth. This is where the best skip tracing tools pull ahead of budget alternatives.
The Data Depth Scorecard
For each platform, check whether the results include:
| Data Point | Why It Matters | Score (0-2) |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple phone numbers per record | More numbers = more chances to connect | 0 = one number, 1 = 2-3, 2 = 4+ |
| Phone line type (mobile/landline/VoIP) | Mobile numbers convert better for cold calling and SMS | 0 = not shown, 2 = included |
| Relative & associate names | Essential for deceased owners and complex ownership | 0 = none, 1 = names only, 2 = full profiles |
| Relative phone numbers & addresses | Names without contact info aren't actionable | 0 = none, 2 = included |
| Relationship statuses | Knowing spouse vs. child vs. associate changes your approach | 0 = none, 2 = included |
| Address history | Confirms current residency and reveals ownership patterns | 0 = none, 1 = current only, 2 = full history |
| Deceased indicators | Prevents you from wasting time calling deceased owners | 0 = none, 2 = included |
Maximum score: 14. Budget tools typically score 2-4. Mid-tier platforms score 6-10. SmartSkip scores 14 — every data point is included at no extra cost. For a deeper look at why relative data is a game-changer, see our guide on using address history to find property owners.
Step 6: Calculate True Cost Per Contact
This is the metric that matters most — and the one most investors skip. Cost per record is irrelevant if half the records return bad data.
The Formula
True Cost Per Contact = Total Spend ÷ Number of Correct Contacts
Example with two platforms testing 50 records:
| Metric | Budget Tool ($0.07/record) | SmartSkip ($0.15/record) |
|---|---|---|
| Test Cost | $3.50 | $7.50 |
| Numbers Returned | 38 | 47 |
| Correct Contacts (from dial test) | 22 | 43 |
| Cost Per Contact | $0.16 | $0.17 |
| Relative Contacts (bonus) | 0 | 85+ |
| Data Depth Score | 3/14 | 14/14 |
The budget tool appears cheaper per record, but the cost per actual contact is nearly identical — and the budget tool returns zero relative data, zero address history, and zero relationship context. At scale (500-5,000 records), that missing data translates directly to missed deals. For a complete pricing analysis, see how much batch skip tracing actually costs.
Step 7: Test the Manual Search Experience
Bulk results are only half the picture. The best skip tracing platforms also offer a manual search interface for individual deep-dives — and this capability is critical for high-value leads.
What to Test
Pick 3-5 of your most complex records (deceased owners, LLC properties) and run them through each platform's manual search. Evaluate:
- Speed: How quickly do results appear? Under 5 seconds is ideal.
- Interactivity: Can you click into relative profiles, explore address timelines, and trace connections? Or do you just get a flat list of data?
- Data overlap: Does the manual search return the same data as the bulk search, or does it reveal additional contacts and details?
- Saved results: Are manual searches saved permanently so you never pay twice for the same person?
On SmartSkip, manual and bulk searches share the same data infrastructure — if a record was already in your bulk upload, the manual search pulls up the saved result instantly at no additional cost. This is especially valuable when using the two-pass strategy of bulk first, manual deep-dive second.
The Complete Scoring Template
Use this template to compare platforms side by side after running your tests:
| Category | Weight | Platform A | Platform B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hit Rate (/50) | 15% | ___ | ___ |
| Accuracy Rate (dial test) | 30% | ___ | ___ |
| Data Depth Score (/14) | 20% | ___ | ___ |
| Cost Per Contact | 15% | ___ | ___ |
| Manual Search Quality | 10% | ___ | ___ |
| Export/Integration | 10% | ___ | ___ |
Weight accuracy highest (30%) because it directly determines your contact rate and ROI. A tool that scores well on accuracy but poorly on price is almost always a better investment than a cheap tool with mediocre accuracy.
Red Flags During Testing
Watch for these warning signs that indicate a platform won't perform at scale:
- No trial or test option: If a platform requires you to buy 1,000+ credits before you can test, they're hoping volume obscures poor quality.
- Hit rate above 98% with low accuracy: Some tools inflate hit rates by returning any number associated with an address — even numbers that belong to previous tenants or neighbors.
- Results take hours: Bulk results should return in minutes. If 50 records take more than 30 minutes, the platform likely batch-processes through a single slow data source.
- No relative data at all: Platforms that don't include relative and associate data are using a limited data infrastructure that will underperform on complex ownership situations.
- Pricing under $0.10 per record: As we've covered in our analysis of hidden costs, tools charging under $0.10 typically sacrifice data accuracy and depth to hit that price point.
- No saved search history: If you can't access previous results, you'll end up paying twice for the same records when you need to re-reference them.
From Test to Scale: Making the Switch
Once your 50-record test identifies the best platform, here's how to transition:
- Run a 200-record validation batch: Confirm that the 50-record results hold at slightly larger scale. Performance should be consistent.
- Set up your export workflow: Configure exports for your dialer (e.g., CallTools, Mojo), SMS platform (e.g., Launch Control), and CRM (e.g., Podio, REI BlackBook). See our guide on connecting skip traced data to your CRM, dialer, and SMS.
- Establish your two-pass process: Use bulk for volume, manual for high-value leads that need deeper investigation.
- Track ongoing metrics: Monitor your contact rate and cost per conversation monthly. If either metric degrades, it's time to re-test.
SmartSkip offers a free trial specifically so you can run this 50-record test without risk. Upload your test list, dial the results, and compare the numbers against any other platform. The data speaks for itself.
