Why Data Quality Beats Data Quantity
Some probate data services advertise long lists of fields in their reports. But more fields do not automatically mean better leads. What matters is whether the data you receive helps you take action: identifying the right properties, contacting the right people, and making informed offers.
This guide breaks down the most common data fields in Ohio probate leads and ranks them by how useful they actually are for real estate investors.
Tier 1: Essential Fields
These are the fields you absolutely need to work a probate lead. Without them, you cannot take meaningful action.
Executor or administrator name. This is the person with legal authority to sell the property. Without this name, you have no one to contact. Executor mailing address. The address of record filed with the probate court. This is where you send your outreach letter. It is the single most important field for direct mail campaigns. Filing date. This tells you how fresh the lead is. Newer filings are generally more valuable because the executor is still early in the process and may not have committed to a sale strategy yet. County and case number. These identify the specific case and allow you to look up additional details in the county's online docket system.Tier 2: Highly Useful Fields
These fields are not strictly required to make initial contact, but they significantly improve your ability to evaluate and prioritize leads.
Decedent name. While you are contacting the executor (not the decedent), the decedent's name helps you research the property. You can search county auditor records using the decedent's name to identify the real property associated with the estate. Attorney name and contact information. If an attorney is listed on the filing, this is valuable. Attorneys often drive the decision-making process and can be easier to work with than executors. Building relationships with probate attorneys creates referral opportunities. Estimated estate value. When included, this gives you a rough sense of the estate's size. Larger estates are more likely to include real property of interest to investors.Tier 3: Helpful but Not Critical
These fields add context but are not necessary for taking action.
Type of filing. Knowing whether the case is a full administration, summary release, or relief from administration helps you prioritize. Full administrations are most likely to involve real property sales. Appointment date. This tells you when the executor officially received legal authority. Outreach is most effective 2 to 4 weeks after appointment. Property address (when available). Some filings include the property address directly. When available, this saves you the step of looking it up through auditor records. However, many filings do not include this field.Tier 4: Nice to Have
These fields appear in some data services but have limited practical value for most investors.
Decedent date of death. Useful for general context but does not directly affect your investment decision. Heir information. Some filings list heirs. This can help you understand potential complications (multiple heirs may disagree about selling), but you should not contact heirs directly. Your communication goes to the executor. Bond information. Whether the executor was required to post a bond. This is a legal detail that rarely impacts your investment approach.What to Look for in a Data Service
When evaluating a probate data service, focus on these criteria:
Completeness of Tier 1 fields. Every lead should include the executor name, executor address, filing date, and case number. If a service cannot consistently provide these, the data is not actionable. Freshness. How often is the data updated? Weekly updates are the standard for active investors. Monthly updates mean you are always behind. Accuracy. Is the data transcribed directly from court records, or is it appended from third-party sources? Direct court data is more reliable. Format. Clean CSV or spreadsheet format that you can import into your CRM or mail system saves significant time compared to PDF reports or raw docket printouts. County coverage. Make sure the service covers the specific counties you invest in. If you work Southwest Ohio, you want access to all seven key counties.What We Provide
At Ohio Probate Data, every weekly report includes all Tier 1 and Tier 2 fields that are available in the public court record. We extract the data directly from county probate court dockets and deliver it in a clean CSV format every Monday morning.
We do not append data from third-party sources or include estimated fields. What you receive is exactly what was filed with the court, organized in a consistent format that is ready for your outreach workflow.