Probate
Probate real estate leads: how to find them in court records and reach the executor
Updated September 2026. The free method first, the paid shortcut second.
When someone dies owning a house in their own name, the estate often goes through the county court that handles estates. The court file names the executor or administrator and an address to reach them. Search new estate cases by filing date, match the person who died to property in the county record, and write to the representative once the court has appointed them. It costs nothing to search, though some courts charge for copies.
- You need
- Your county’s probate court case search
- You get
- The representative, their address, the property
- Cost
- $0 to search. Some courts charge for copies
- Varies by
- State: court names, powers, whether a sale needs approval
Step by step, for nothing
-
Find the court that handles estates
It is usually called probate court. New York calls it Surrogate’s Court, and in some states it is a division of the county’s main trial court. The clerk’s website says whether cases can be searched online or have to be requested at the counter.
What you come away with Where your county’s estate filings are and how to search them.
-
Search new estate cases by filing date
Search the case index for estate or probate cases filed in the last few weeks. Where the search cannot filter by case type or date, ask the clerk for a list of new estate filings under your state’s public records rules.
What you come away with Names of people who have died, with case numbers and filing dates.
-
Read the file for the representative
The petition and the letters the court issues name the personal representative: an executor if there is a will, an administrator if there is not, with an address. In many states the representative later files an inventory of what the estate owns, which can list the house.
What you come away with Who has authority over the estate, and where to write to them.
-
Match the person who died to property
Search the county assessor’s records by the name of the person who died. Confirm the match against the address in the court file, because common names turn up several owners. The record shows whether anyone else is on the title.
What you come away with The property, its value on the tax roll and who else owns it.
-
Write to the representative, once appointed
Until the court appoints a representative, nobody can agree to sell. After that, a short letter to the address in the court file reaches the one person who can. Whether they need the court’s approval for a sale depends on the state and on the powers granted. Keep in mind that they are settling a death.
What you come away with A first contact with the person who can agree to sell.
Where the free method stops
Estate files are read one case at a time, and many courts put the index online but keep the documents at the clerk’s counter or behind a per-page fee. Plenty of estate cases involve no real estate at all, so a good part of the reading ends in nothing.
The court list also misses houses that never reach it. A house held in a living trust, owned jointly with a right of survivorship, or passed by a transfer on death deed where the state allows one, goes to the heirs outside probate. Many states also have a simpler process for small estates. The court list is the estates that went to probate, not every inherited house.
Tools that name probate leads
Two of the tools we cover name probate as a lead type on their own pages. Prices from each pricing page, September 2026.
| Tool | Probate | Entry price | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
 Propwire |
One of its 21 lead types | Free to search, 10,000 downloads a month | Try Propwire free |
 PropertyRadar |
Court-sourced, with case number, attorney and relatives | Plans from $119 a month | See PropertyRadar pricing |
A probate record in a tool still leads back to the court file for the representative’s name and authority. Check how recent a tool’s probate records are against the court index before you pay for new cases.
Specialist providers sell county probate lists by subscription, from $69 a month in 13 California counties to $147 for one county with the representative traced. The probate lead providers page prices them side by side.
Paid links. If you subscribe through one we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes our ranking order.
Probate leads: questions people ask
What is a probate lead?
A property owned by someone who has died, whose estate is going through the court that handles estates. The person to contact is the executor or administrator the court appoints.
Where do I find probate records for free?
At the clerk of the county court that handles estates, often called probate court. Many have an online case search. Others need a visit or a records request.
Can an executor sell a house before probate is finished?
Often, once the court has appointed them. Whether they need the court’s approval for the sale depends on the state and on the powers granted, and the estate’s lawyer will know.
Why is a house not in probate when the owner has died?
It may have passed outside probate: through a living trust, a deed held jointly with a right of survivorship, or a transfer on death deed where the state allows one. Small estates can also use a simpler process in many states.
How soon should I contact the executor?
Not before the court has appointed them, because until then nobody can agree to sell. After that, a short letter to the address in the court file is a considerate first step.
Do I need skip tracing for probate leads?
Not to start. The court file gives the representative’s address for a letter. To call, trace the representative’s name the way you would trace an owner.
How much do probate leads cost?
$0 from the court. Published subscriptions start at $69 a month on Probate Money, for 13 California counties, and $147 on ProbateData for every case in one county with the representative traced. The probate lead providers page compares them.
Where to go from here
How we put this together
| Line | Source | What we read |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Public records | County probate court websites and case searches, for what an estate file contains |
| 02 | Rules | State court self-help pages on executors, administrators and letters |
| 03 | Pricing | The pricing and feature pages of the tools in the table, read September 2026 |
What we did not do. We have not tested any tool’s probate records against a court index. Probate law differs by state, and nothing here is legal advice.