Absentee owners are property owners who don’t live in the homes they own. They could be:
Landlords renting out houses or small multifamily units
Investors with multiple properties in their portfolio
Individuals who inherited property but live elsewhere
Families who moved away but kept their old home as a rental
Unlike owner-occupants, absentee owners typically view their property as an investment, not a home. When the numbers stop working or the headaches pile up, they are far more likely to sell.
In some cases, the property may even be vacant, which is an obvious financial drain. A vacant home means taxes, insurance, utilities, and maintenance with no income - a situation that motivates many absentee owners to sell sooner rather than later.
Absentee owners often reach a point where selling makes more sense than holding. Some common motivators include:
Landlord Fatigue: Small landlords juggle tenant disputes, repairs, and late rent. Over time, the stress outweighs the returns.
Vacant Properties: An empty house is a pure liability - no income, only expenses.
Out-of-State Ownership: Managing from a distance is inconvenient and expensive.
Equity Liquidation: Rising property values tempt owners to cash out and redirect funds elsewhere.
Life Changes: Retirement, inheritance, or shifting family needs all create urgency to sell.
The difference between absentee owners and owner-occupants is detachment. Absentee owners rarely have emotional ties to the property, which means they make decisions faster and with fewer objections.
From an agent’s perspective, absentee owners offer unique advantages:
Low Competition: Unlike Expireds or FSBOs, absentee owners are not bombarded with agent calls. You may be the first - or only - person reaching out.
More Receptive Conversations: Catch an absentee owner right after a costly repair or a tenant issue, and you’ll find someone very willing to listen.
Massive Inventory: Millions of absentee-owned properties exist nationwide, representing a huge pool of potential listings.
Investor Relationships: Some absentee owners are investors with multiple properties. A smooth transaction can turn one deal into ongoing business.
This combination of low competition and high motivation makes absentee owners one of the most valuable but underused lead sources in real estate.
Many agents chase expired listings or FSBOs because they’re visible. But that visibility is exactly the problem - everyone else is chasing them too.
Meanwhile, absentee owners quietly represent a much larger share of the market. For example, in some cities, over one in four single-family homes is non-owner-occupied.
That’s millions of potential listings that aren’t being worked aggressively. Agents who overlook absentee owners are leaving a massive opportunity untapped.
The fastest and most effective way to tap into this market is with The Share Group’s Lead Shop. Register for a free account to search your local market. Click here to sign up:
Search Your Market
Enter your ZIP codes or city in the Lead Shop to see how many absentee owner leads are available in your area.
Customize Your List
Filter by property type, ownership length, or geography. Want to target long-term landlords, vacant properties, or specific neighborhoods? The filters make it simple.
Download Verified Leads
Every absentee owner list from The Share Group comes with verified phone numbers and emails, scrubbed against the Do-Not-Call list and checked for accuracy. That means fewer wrong numbers and more conversations with real homeowners.
Instead of spending hours combing through county records, you can generate a clean, ready-to-use list in minutes.
Once you have the list, success comes down to messaging.
Offer Market Insight: Lead with a free home valuation or market update. Many absentee owners don’t realize how much equity they have.
Acknowledge Their Pain: Address the stress of vacancies, tenant headaches, or long-distance ownership. Present selling as a stress-free solution.
Bring Solutions: Be prepared to handle tenant-occupied properties or homes needing repairs. Show them you have buyers ready for every scenario.
Stay Consistent: Not everyone will say yes today. But situations change quickly. A vacant unit, a costly repair, or a tenant moving out could turn a “not now” into a “list my home” tomorrow.
An agent pulls a list of 100 absentee owners from The Share Group’s Lead Shop.
Within weeks, one landlord lists after a tenant moves out.
A second says “not yet” but six months later - after a roof repair - calls back ready to sell.
A third client owns three rentals, and after a smooth first sale, hires the agent to sell two more.
In just one year, those 100 leads generate multiple transactions and a long-term investor relationship.
https://www.theshare.group/absentee-owner-scripts-for-real-estate-agents
Check our our Absentee Owner scripts and strategies toolkit to convert absentee owner leads into listings.
👉 Learn More: https://www.theshare.group/absentee-owner-scripts-for-real-estate-agents
Absentee owners are motivated, plentiful, and less competitive than traditional leads - a true goldmine for any agent serious about listings.
The Share Group makes it easy. With our Lead Shop, you can instantly:
Search your market for absentee owner leads
Customize your list to your prospecting strategy
Download verified contacts ready to call today
Don’t wait for the next expired listing feeding frenzy. Start building your pipeline with absentee owners - the motivated sellers other agents are overlooking.
Q1: What is an absentee owner in real estate?
An absentee owner is someone who owns a property but does not live in it. Common examples include landlords, investors, heirs who inherited a home, or people who moved and kept their old house as a rental.
Q2: Why are absentee owners considered motivated sellers?
Because they often face challenges like tenant issues, vacancy costs, distance, or the desire to cash out equity. Without emotional ties to the property, many absentee owners make quicker selling decisions.
Q3: How many absentee owners are there in the U.S.?
Millions of homes nationwide are absentee-owned. In some cities, more than one in four single-family homes are non-owner-occupied, creating a huge pool of potential listings for agents.
Q4: What makes absentee owner leads less competitive than expired listings?
Expired listings are visible to every agent in the MLS, while absentee ownership isn’t advertised. That means absentee owners aren’t bombarded with calls, so your outreach faces far less competition.
Q5: How can agents find absentee owner leads?
The fastest way is through The Share Group’s Lead Shop, where agents can search by ZIP code, filter by ownership type, and download verified absentee owner contacts instantly.
Q6: Are absentee-owned properties usually rentals?
Many absentee properties are rentals, but not all. Some are vacant, inherited, or owned by families who never moved back. Any of these situations can create a motivated seller.
Q7: What’s the best way to approach an absentee owner?
Offer value first. Provide a market update or valuation, then speak to their pain points - whether it’s tenant stress, vacancy, or distance. Show them how selling can solve their challenges.
Q8: Do absentee owners respond better to calls, mail, or email?
It depends on the owner, but The Share Group provides verified phone numbers and emails so you can test multiple channels. Many agents find success with a combination of direct mail and personal calls.
Q9: Can absentee owners become repeat clients?
Yes. Many absentee owners are investors with multiple properties. If you handle one sale well, you may earn their trust for future listings or even represent them on new purchases.
Q10: What objections might absentee owners have?
Some worry about selling with tenants in place or making repairs before listing. Agents who are prepared with investor buyers or creative solutions often win these clients.
Q11: How quickly can absentee owner leads turn into listings?
Some convert immediately - for example, when a tenant moves out or a costly repair hits. Others may take months of nurturing. The key is consistent follow-up because circumstances change fast.
Q12: Why should agents use The Share Group for absentee owner leads?
Because The Share Group delivers high-quality, verified data that saves time and eliminates guesswork. Instead of manually searching records, you can instantly access accurate absentee owner leads filtered to your market.
👉 Visit The Share Group’s Lead Shop today and search Absentee Owner leads in your market.