Targeting Landlords with Eviction Filings: The Ultimate Guide for Real Estate Investors
Why Targeting Landlords with Evictions Is a Game-Changer
Let's cut to the chase—landlords dealing with evictions are among the most motivated sellers in the real estate world. These are property owners stuck in a cycle of non-paying tenants, costly repairs, mounting stress, and often, court battles. They're fed up. The ongoing threat of nonpayment and repeated eviction filings creates significant stress for landlords, impacting their financial stability and peace of mind. And that makes them highly open to offloading their properties to someone who offers them relief and a clean slate.
When you target landlords during or right after an eviction filing, you're tapping into a pain point most investors overlook. The result? Deals with equity, speed, and almost no competition. Repeated evictions can have long-term consequences for both landlords and tenants, including financial loss and ongoing housing instability.
Understanding the Eviction Process from an Investor's Perspective
To connect with these landlords at the right time, you need to understand the process they're going through. It usually follows this sequence:
Late Rent: 30+ days past due, or a lease violation occurs (such as property damage or unauthorized occupants). Failure to pay rent or a lease violation are the most common reasons a landlord will file an eviction case.
Notice to Quit: A warning is sent to the tenant.
Filing in Court: The landlord files an eviction case in court.
Hearing: A court date is scheduled for both parties to present their sides.
Judgment/Writ of Possession: If the landlord prevails, the judge may issue an eviction judgment and an eviction order requiring the tenant to vacate.
Tenants must respond promptly to avoid default judgments, as the landlord's goal is to evict the tenant.
From the moment the eviction is filed, the stress and uncertainty begin to mount. That's your ideal window of opportunity—when landlords are asking themselves if it's all worth it anymore.
Where to Find Eviction Leads (and How to Use Them Right)
Local Courthouse Records
Most eviction cases are public record and can be accessed via your county's clerk of court. You can search by:
Case type: "Unlawful Detainer" or "Eviction"
Filing date
Plaintiff (usually the landlord)
Defendant (the tenant)
Online Court Portals
Counties like Maricopa (AZ), Cook (IL), and Miami-Dade (FL) publish these online. These are real-time sources of motivated seller leads.
Scraping Tools and Lead Providers
If you're scaling your lead generation, leverage tools like Reonomy, Datatree, or custom-built web scrapers to automate the collection and filtering of eviction data. This automation puts you weeks ahead of traditional marketing methods, enabling you to efficiently identify motivated landlords facing eviction filings and capitalize on timely investment opportunities.
What Makes These Landlords Ready to Sell?
Landlords facing eviction challenges are often emotionally exhausted from dealing with bad tenants, experiencing disrupted cash flow sometimes lasting for months. Many are absentee owners living out-of-state, tired of the long-distance management drama. A significant indicator of chronic property management or tenant quality issues is landlords who have filed multiple eviction cases, known as serial filings. Increasing costs such as late fees, legal expenses, and other rent collection costs frequently drive these landlords to consider selling their properties. Targeting such landlords with eviction filings can be a powerful strategy for real estate investors, as these motivated sellers often seek to avoid eviction-related stress and financial instability. By understanding these pain points and housing policies affecting landlord-tenant relations, investors can connect effectively with landlords in jurisdictions experiencing rising eviction rates, benefiting both parties and promoting housing stability.
Some landlords use repeated eviction filings as a rent collection strategy when traditional rent collection methods, like late fees, fail. This is the kind of seller you want—a burned-out landlord with equity and motivation.
Crafting a Message That Resonates with Distressed Landlords
Your outreach must be empathetic, human, and solution-oriented. Here's what to avoid and what to say instead.
Avoid:
"I saw you're evicting a tenant. Want to sell?"
"Looks like you're having trouble—need help?"
Try Instead:
"I help landlords simplify tough situations. If selling the property is ever on your mind, I'd love to talk options."
"If you'd consider an as-is offer with a fast close, I can make this transition a whole lot easier."
It's about removing friction, not applying pressure.
Multiple Outreach Channels That Work
Direct Mail
When reaching out to landlords facing eviction challenges, use first-class mail sent in a plain envelope to increase the chances your message is opened and read. Be sure to include the landlord's name and the property address to personalize the communication and demonstrate that you understand their specific situation. Craft your message with empathetic and solution-oriented language, using phrases like "We buy tenant-occupied homes" or "Tired of landlord headaches?" This approach speaks directly to the pain points landlords experience, such as dealing with difficult tenants and ongoing eviction filings, making them more likely to consider selling. Personalizing your outreach in this way helps build trust and positions you as a helpful partner who can provide relief from the stress and financial burden associated with eviction cases. To learn more about crafting an effective direct mail campaign, read Maximize Your Impact with Real Estate Direct Mail Strategies for 2025.
Cold Calling
When cold calling landlords, begin with a respectful and empathetic introduction like, "Hi [Name], I came across public court information about your property on [Street Name]—I'm not a lawyer or anything like that. I'm a local buyer interested in helping landlords in tough situations and just wanted to see if you'd ever consider selling. I make straightforward as-is offers, even with complicated tenant or eviction circumstances." This approach helps build rapport and opens the door for a genuine conversation without sounding intrusive or pushy. For tips on effectively reaching out via cold calling, read Top Cold Calling Real Estate Strategies for Successful Lead Generation.
Text & Email
Use text and email outreach sparingly and only if you have legally sourced and verified contact information for the landlord. Keep your messages light, friendly, and approachable to encourage engagement, such as, "Hey [Name], if dealing with the eviction has you rethinking your options, I'd be happy to chat and potentially make an offer on the property." Avoid aggressive or overly salesy language, and always respect the recipient's privacy and preferences to maintain professionalism and compliance with relevant communication laws.
Structuring Deals That Solve Landlord Problems
Landlords with eviction troubles often seek quick cash offers, fast closings, and the ability to sell properties "as-is" without repairs or cleanup. Creative financing options like Subject-To deals and seller carryback arrangements can provide flexible solutions, especially when there's an existing mortgage but low equity. Additionally, offering to handle the legal follow-through on evictions after closing can relieve landlords from court obligations and reduce their stress and risk exposure.
By addressing these specific needs, you position yourself as a trusted partner who understands the challenges landlords face with eviction filings. This empathetic approach helps close deals faster while promoting housing stability. Leveraging data from sources like Princeton University's Eviction Lab on eviction filing patterns, you can build an ethical, scalable lead generation system that benefits landlords, tenants, and investors alike.
How to Build a Scalable Eviction Lead System
Daily data pulls from county portals provide you with the most up-to-date eviction filing patterns directly from court records. By accessing this real-time information, you stay ahead of the competition and can identify landlords facing eviction cases filed against them as soon as possible. This consistent data flow ensures your lead pipeline remains fresh and relevant, improving your chances of connecting with motivated sellers.
Virtual Assistant filters leads by reviewing eviction records and prioritizing landlords with multiple filings or high filing rates. Optional skip tracing can be used to obtain accurate contact details for landlords who may otherwise be difficult to reach. This step streamlines your lead management process, saving you time and focusing your outreach on the most promising prospects.
CRM pipeline with automated follow-up allows you to nurture leads efficiently through emails and SMS drip campaigns. Automation ensures consistent communication with landlords while maintaining compliance with legal requirements such as the TCPA. This system helps build relationships with landlords over time, increasing the likelihood of converting eviction leads into successful deals.
Weekly cold calls or direct mail drops complement your automated outreach by adding a personal touch. Cold calling landlords who have been pre-qualified through your filtering process lets you engage in meaningful conversations and address their specific needs. Direct mail, designed with empathetic messaging, reinforces your presence and offers a tangible reminder of your services, enhancing your overall contact strategy.
Track KPIs: leads contacted, offers made, contracts signed to measure the effectiveness of your eviction lead system. Monitoring these key performance indicators helps you identify which outreach methods work best and where improvements are needed. Data-driven adjustments ensure your strategy remains optimized for maximum conversion and long-term success targeting landlords with eviction filings.
Legal & Ethical Considerations
Comply with TCPA laws when texting or calling landlords to ensure all outreach efforts are legal and respectful. It's crucial to avoid disclosing sensitive information during your communications—for example, there's no need to mention specific court case details in your messages. Focus your conversations on offering solutions and assistance rather than highlighting the landlord's distress or difficulties. By maintaining professionalism and empathy, you build trust and increase the chances of a positive response from landlords facing eviction challenges.
Why This Strategy Beats Direct Mail to Owner-Occupants
Let's compare:
Owner-Occupants: Low to medium motivation, response rate between 0.5% and 1%, often have emotional deal complexity.
Probate Owners: Medium to high motivation, response rate between 2% and 5%, deal complexity involves legal timelines.
Eviction Landlords: High motivation, response rate between 5% and 10%, deals are fast and actionable.
Eviction leads are raw, motivated, and need help now. You're not just an investor—you're their exit plan.
Conclusion
Targeting landlords with eviction filings is one of the most underutilized yet highly effective marketing strategies in real estate investing today. It leverages publicly available data, taps into landlords' high motivation to sell, and faces relatively little competition from other investors. This combination creates a unique opportunity to secure consistent off-market deals that many others overlook. By implementing the right systems to identify and reach out to these landlords—and approaching them with empathy and understanding—you can build a powerful and reliable lead generation funnel that consistently delivers motivated seller opportunities.