How to Cold Call Probates for Wholesaling Real Estate
How to Cold Call Probates for Wholesaling Real Estate
Cold calling probates is basically speed dating with a ton of rejection. If you like calling people, asking a simple question, and repeating that process until you find the one seller who says yes, this method is for you. Below I break down the exact step-by-step process I use to pull probate leads, skip trace them, call them, and turn those calls into wholesale deals in 2025.
Table of Contents
Overview: The Six Simple Steps to Wholesale Probates
Pull the probate list
Organize the records and identify key contacts
Find missing addresses (property appraiser)
Skip trace to get phone numbers
Choose a dialer and start calling
Use a concise script, qualify with MCTP, set appointments, close
Paid vs Free Approach: Which Route Should You Take?
There are two camps: people with no budget and people with a small budget ($100 to $200 a month). Both can work. The paid route gets you automation, fresher bulk skip traces, and a dialer that saves time. The free route is manual, slower, but extremely effective if you are willing to put in the work and grind through volume.
Think of it like restaurants: both feed you tacos; one is Taco Bell and one is the higher-end place. You will get results either way, but the experience and efficiency differ.
Step 1 — Pull the Probate List
For local wholesaling, pulling directly from the county probate court records is the most valuable because it can be 1 to 3 days fresh. Many wholesale platforms provide probate lists too, but those are often 10 to 14 days old. Fresh data gives you the head start on other investors.
When you pull probate records you will commonly see four types of people on each record:
The decedent (the person who passed away)
The personal representative (PR) — the person administrating the estate
The attorney or filer handling probate
The heirs
Step 2 — Organize the Data
Export the probate records to a spreadsheet. Make columns for decedent name, PR name, attorney, heirs, and any address shown. Addresses are hit or miss depending on the county. If the address is present, you are golden. If not, plan to find it manually.
Step 3 — Find Missing Addresses (Manual Method)
If the probate record lacks the property address, use property appraiser or public property records. Search the decedent name there to find properties owned. This is manual but free and often yields great results for local markets.
Step 4 — Skip Trace to Get Phone Numbers
Skip tracing is the process of finding contact phone numbers and alternative contacts for the people in your probate list. You can do this manually via free sites like truepeoplesearch.com and cyberbackgroundchecks.com by inputting addresses and looking at relatives, or you can do bulk skip traces via a paid wholesaling platform like REI Reply.
Manual method workflow:
Take your list of addresses or decedent names
Use truepeoplesearch.com or cyberbackgroundchecks.com to search addresses
Look for relatives and PR names and capture phone numbers into your spreadsheet
Paid method workflow:
Import addresses into REI Reply and run a bulk skip trace
Export the skip trace results and prepare for dialing
Tip: Make the PR the Primary Contact
When skip traces return contact results, often contact one is the decedent. Calling a dead person does not work. You must call the personal representative or the heir who handles the estate. Use a simple script or a small ChatGPT prompt to read your skip trace export and move the PR phone number to "phone number one" so your dialer calls the right person first. If you prefer manual, edit the spreadsheet to place the PR as the primary contact.
Step 5 — Choose a Dialer
If you have no money:
Use Google Voice tied to your personal phone and call manually. It gives a separate caller ID and is free.
If you have a small budget:
Use the REI Reply dialer (or any cost-effective dialer). Dialer cost varies by usage. If you call several hours per day consider $30 to $50 monthly depending on minutes used.
Step 6 — The Script and the MCTP Framework
Keep the initial call simple and respectful. Do not open with "I saw your dad died" or other blunt lines. Show empathy and give them an easy out if they are not in a place to talk.
Two opening questions that work:
Hello, are you the owner of [address]?
Are you interested in selling the property?
If they say yes, move into MCTP: motivation, condition, time frame, and price.
Motivation — Why are they selling? Are they overwhelmed with probate, or do they need cash quickly?
Condition — What is the property like? Any repairs required?
Time frame — How soon do they want or need to sell?
Price — What do they expect or need to net?
From MCTP you can either try to close right away or set an appointment to view the property and provide an offer. Most of the time you will get a call back later and then set an appointment.
Cold Calling Mindset and Volume
This is a numbers game. Expect lots of "no." If you call 300 to 400 probates you will eventually find a motivated seller who will write a contract. Keep the process simple and repeatable: pull fresh records, skip trace and call the PR, use a respectful script, qualify with MCTP, and close or set appointments.
Practical Workflow Summary
Pull county probate records or use REI Reply for national lists.
Organize columns: decedent, PR, attorney, heirs, address.
Use property appraiser searches to find missing addresses.
Skip trace using REI Reply or manually via free lookup sites.
Make PR the primary phone number in your dialer list.
Call using Google Voice or a dialer and ask two simple questions.
Use MCTP to qualify and move to appointment and offer.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Opening with insensitivity about the death. Be empathetic and offer an easy out.
Calling the decedent. Always ensure the PR or heir is the primary contact you call.
Overcomplicating the script. Keep the initial outreach simple and short.
Neglecting local county records. Fresh county records often beat the automated list by days.
How fresh is county probate data compared to national platforms?
County probate filings can be 1 to 3 days fresh if you pull them directly. National wholesale platforms typically show probate data that is 10 to 14 days old. Fresh county data gives you an advantage because you contact sellers earlier in the process.
What is skip tracing and which tools should I use?
Skip tracing is finding phone numbers and contact information for people on your probate list. For bulk and automated skip tracing use REI Reply. For no-cost options use truepeoplesearch.com and cyberbackgroundchecks.com to manually lookup addresses and relatives.
What should I say on the first probate call?
Start simple and respectful: Hello, are you the owner of [address]? If yes, ask: Are you interested in selling the property? If they are open, use MCTP to qualify the lead.
How many probates do I need to call to find a deal?
It is a numbers game. A realistic expectation is calling 300 to 400 probate records to find a motivated seller who will sign a contract, though results vary by market and persistence.
Can I cold call probates with no money?
Yes. Use county public records, manual property appraiser searches, and free lookup sites. Use Google Voice for calling and be prepared to do more manual work and more calls to reach success.
Final Thoughts
Cold calling probates works if you are consistent, respectful, and organized. Whether you go free or paid, the playbook stays the same: get fresh data, make sure you call the PR or heir, use a simple script, qualify with MCTP, and set appointments. This is speed dating for deals. Embrace the rejection, keep dialing, and the deals will come.
Good luck out there. This is Zach signing off.
