Motivated Seller Lists, Ranked: 2026 Move Rate Data

What Move Rate measures

Move Rate is Ava Data's index of selling activity. It compares the selling activity among homes on a property list with the typical single-family home in the same state: 3× means three times the typical level, 1× is typical, and below 1× is less. States differ widely, so every list is compared only with homes in its own state.

The September 2026 figures cover 81.2 million single-family homes in all 50 states and Washington, DC. Move Rate is a snapshot of where owners were active, not a forecast for any single owner.

14 property lists, ranked by Move Rate

Distress that runs on a legal clock ranks first: notice of default and pre-foreclosure were above typical in every state where they could be rated. Vacancy is the broadest strong signal, above typical in all 50 states rated. Ownership-type lists such as absentee, corporate and out-of-state owners sit closer to typical and vary by state. Every list below is a quick list in List Builder; click a list's name for how to pull and skip trace it.

Median state: the middle of the state figures, never a pooled national number. Middle 80% of states: the range covering most states with a full sample, leaving out the highest and lowest tenth so a single unusual state can't set it. States rated: states with enough homes on the list to measure; the rest are counted as not rated rather than estimated. Above typical in: states where the list rated Higher or Much higher. High equity, owner-occupied and vacant-land lists are not rated yet.

Which list stacks add signal, and which don't

Stacking two lists usually narrows a list more than it sharpens it: the stacks we checked came in below what multiplying their two single-list figures would suggest. So the useful question is whether a stack beats the stronger of its two lists in the same state. Low equity plus pre-foreclosure did that in 26 of 27 states. Absentee owner plus vacant did it in 2 of 47, and free and clear plus vacant in 0 of 47: at 3.0×, it ran below vacant alone (3.3×).

Clearly stronger: at least 15% above the stronger of its two single lists in the same state. A stack matches only homes on every list in it, so it is always smaller than either list alone. To build one in List Builder, select both quick lists and set Properties must match to ALL selected. More on building stacks: list stacking.

How long the owner has held the home

Recent buyers showed the most selling activity, and it fades steadily with time: owners in their first year ran 2.0× in the median state, while owners of 15 years or more ran 0.6× and were below typical in 43 of 51 states. There was no settled middle band; every band under 7 years ran at or above typical in most states.

Long ownership didn't raise landlords' selling activity either. Absentee owners who had held for 10 years or more ran 0.9× in the median state, below absentee owners overall (1.4×), and the tired-landlord list ran 0.9×. To pull an ownership band, set the Years Owned filter in List Builder, on its own or on top of a quick list.

Move Rate by state: 4 common lists

The median state hides a lot of spread. Here is how pre-foreclosure, vacant, absentee owner and tax delinquent lists rated in every state, September 2026. Use your own state's figure, not the median, when you choose a list, then pull it for your state in List Builder.

A number appears where the state's sample is large enough for one; a band (Much higher, Higher, Typical, Lower) where it supports a band but not a number; Not rated where the list is too thin to measure. Illinois figures run high on most lists because the typical Illinois home shows unusually little selling activity, so an active list stands out more there.

Move Rate varies by county

A state median is a starting point. We also measured 158 counties, and county figures often land in a different band from their state. Texas's tax-delinquent list, for example, ran 1.2× statewide and 5.4× in Fort Bend County. Before committing a budget to a list, pull it for the county you actually work.

What Move Rate doesn't tell you

• Whether an owner will sell to you. Move Rate measures selling activity across a list, not deal flow. A list that ranks lower can still produce deals for the investor who works it.
• The future. It is a September 2026 snapshot. It does not say whether any one owner will sell.
• Outcomes. It does not measure responses, appointments or closed deals.

About this research

Ava Data built Move Rate from property data covering 81.2 million single-family homes in all 50 states and Washington, DC, plus 158 counties, in September 2026. Each list is compared with the typical single-family home in its own state, and a figure is published only where the sample is large enough to be stable; thinner states are shown as not rated rather than estimated.

Verified. Every figure on this page was recomputed independently before publishing, and a repeat measurement of 84 figures a day later moved none by more than 1%. Move Rate is re-measured each September so the years compare.

Citing this research: Ava Data, Move Rate 2026 (measured September 2026), https://avadata.ai/motivated-seller-lists-ranked/

Frequently asked questions

What is Move Rate?

Move Rate is Ava Data's index of selling activity on a property list, compared with the typical single-family home in the same state. A Move Rate of 3× means three times the typical level of selling activity; 1× is typical. The September 2026 figures cover 81.2 million homes in all 50 states and DC.

Where can I get these motivated seller lists?

Every list in the Move Rate ranking is a quick list in Ava Data's List Builder. Choose a state, narrow to counties, cities or ZIP codes, stack lists with ALL selected, and see the estimated record count and credit cost before you pull. A pull is 1 credit (2¢) per record, and skip tracing the owners is 2¢ per matched phone.

Which motivated seller list has the most homeowners selling?

Notice-of-default and pre-foreclosure lists ranked highest in Ava Data's September 2026 Move Rate study: in the median state, homes on them showed 7.2× and 5.4× the selling activity of the typical home. Vacant property followed at 3.3×. Move Rate measures selling activity across a list, not which owner will sell to you.

Is a free and clear list good for finding motivated sellers?

Not on its own. Free-and-clear homes showed 0.9× the typical selling activity in the median state, and ran above typical in 0 of 50 states. Adding free and clear to a vacant list made it weaker: 3.0× against 3.3× for vacant alone. Treat it as an equity filter, not a selling signal.

Which is better for wholesaling, a vacant property list or an absentee owner list?

On Move Rate, vacant. Vacant homes showed 3.3× the typical selling activity in the median state and ran above typical in all 50 states rated; absentee-owner homes ran 1.4×, above typical in 32 of 51. Stacking the two was clearly stronger than vacant alone in only 2 of 47 states.

What list stacking combinations work best for finding motivated sellers?

Low equity plus pre-foreclosure measured highest (8.5× in the median state) and was clearly stronger than its best single list in 26 of 27 states. Corporate owned plus vacant (4.8×) and out-of-state owner plus involuntary lien (2.7×) also added consistently. Stacks with free and clear did not.

Are tired landlord lists worth pulling for wholesaling?

Not on Move Rate. Tired-landlord homes showed 0.9× the typical selling activity in the median state, below typical in 11 states and above it in 2. Absentee owners of 10+ years ran 0.9×. Move Rate measures selling activity, not deal flow, so a list can rank low and still produce deals for an investor who works it.

Related: Motivated Seller Leads · List Stacking · Pre-Foreclosure List · Vacant Property List · Absentee Owner List · Distressed Property Leads · Pricing