Stacking Lists: Why Owners With 2+ Signals Go to the Top

One signal is a reason to send a letter. Two or more is a reason to send it first. Each signal is a separate fact on the record: the owner lives elsewhere, owes nothing, is behind on taxes, has a filing against them. When several line up on one property, that owner has more than one possible reason to talk. Not a promise. A better place to start.

You don’t need every list to stack

Every row carries every signal the property has, in the signals column. Buy the list that fits your strategy and the stacking data comes with it. Order a second list for the same area only if you want owners the first one missed, and dedupe on apn plus county_fips before you mail.

Sort the file in five steps

1. Step01

   Find the signals column

   Open the CSV and locate signals. Each cell lists the lists that property matches. Note the letter of the column. The formula below assumes column K.

2. Step02

   Add a signal count

   Insert a column next to it, name it signal_count, and paste this into row 2. It counts the entries in the cell and returns 0 for a blank one.

   signal_count (Excel / Google Sheets)Copy

   =IF(LEN(TRIM(K2))=0, 0, LEN(K2) - LEN(SUBSTITUTE(K2, ",", "")) + 1)

   Change K2 to your column. If your file separates signals with a different character, swap it in for the comma. Fill the formula down to the last row.

3. Step03

   Sort twice

   Sort by signal_count, largest first. Then add a second sort level on equity_pct, also largest first. Owners with the most signals and the most equity rise to the top.

4. Step04

   Tier it

   • Tier 1: 3 or more signals.
   • Tier 2: 2 signals.
   • Tier 3: 1 signal.

   Before you print, build a quick pivot table that counts rows per tier. Now you know the size of each batch and what it will cost to mail.

5. Step05

   Spend by tier

   Tier 1 gets the most touches and, if you call, the skip tracing budget. Lists include names and mailing addresses, not phones, so trace only the rows worth it. Tier 3 gets one clean letter.

Match the message to the stack

The signals tell you what to lead with. They don’t tell you what to say about the owner.

• Absentee + free and clear: a property owned outright from a distance. Lead with an easy exit and a closing that works around them.
• Absentee + vacant: an empty house far away. Lead with as-is and no cleanout.
• Corporate + absentee: a business owner. Write to the entity, keep it short, talk numbers.
• Pre-foreclosure or tax delinquent + high equity: pressure, but equity to protect. Be calm, be early, and mention that a sale is one option among several.

Re-stack every month

Signals change. Taxes get paid. Filings clear. New owners appear. When the next monthly drop lands, pull your area again, rebuild signal_count, and compare to your tracking sheet. Rows that gained a signal move up. Rows that lost one move down. Opt-outs stay out.