Learning Center · Compliance
Cold Calling Rules for Real Estate Investors: What the Law Requires
By FlipProperties Editorial TeamPublished October 22, 2026Updated October 22, 2026PropStream figures checked October 2026
Calling owners can be a fast way to start a conversation about selling, but federal rules control when you call, who you can call, what you have to say, and how fast you honor a request to stop. This guide covers each rule with its source, then gives you a checklist to run before you dial. It's general information, not legal advice. Wholesaling? Your state may also have rules on contracts and disclosures.
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8 a.m.–9 p.m.
Calling window, owner's local time
10 business days
To honor a request to stop calling
5 years
How long to keep do-not-call requests
Before you dial: the checklist
- 01
Scrub the list.
Remove numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry and any state list that applies, using a registry version no more than 31 days old.
- 02
Check the time zone.
Call only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the owner's local time, not yours.
- 03
Turn on caller ID.
Show a number people can call during business hours to ask not to be called again. Never block caller ID.
- 04
Say who you are.
Give your name, your business's name, and a phone number or address where you can be reached.
- 05
Log every opt-out.
Honor a request to stop within 10 business days, and keep the record for 5 years.
The rules, with sources
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Calling hours | No telephone solicitations before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., in the called person's local time. | 47 CFR 64.1200(c)(1) |
| National Do Not Call Registry | No telephone solicitations to registered numbers. The safe harbor requires a registry version no more than 31 days old. | 47 CFR 64.1200(c)(2) |
| Your own do-not-call list | Honor requests within a reasonable time, no more than 10 business days, and keep them for 5 years. | 47 CFR 64.1200(d)(3), (d)(6) |
| What you must say | The name of the person calling, the business they're calling for, and a phone number or address where it can be reached. | 47 CFR 64.1200(d)(4) |
| Caller ID | Telemarketers must transmit caller ID with a number that accepts do-not-call requests, and can't block it. | 47 CFR 64.1601(e) |
| Autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to cell phones | Need prior express consent. Text messages count as calls. | 47 CFR 64.1200(a)(1), (a)(9) |
| Revoking consent | People can revoke consent by any reasonable method, and it must be honored within 10 business days. | 47 CFR 64.1200(a)(10) |
| Dialers and abandoned calls | No more than 3% of live-answered calls can be abandoned; a call is abandoned if no one connects within 2 seconds of the greeting. | 47 CFR 64.1200(a)(7) |
| Ringless voicemail | The FCC ruled in 2022 that ringless voicemails are calls under the TCPA, so the same consent rules apply. | FCC ruling, Federal Register, Dec. 14, 2022 |
| Penalties | Private lawsuits can seek $500 per violation, and up to three times that if the violation was willful. | 47 U.S.C. 227 |
One gray area: the FCC defines a telephone solicitation as a call that encourages someone to buy, rent or invest in property, goods or services. Whether a call offering to buy someone's house fits that definition isn't clearly settled. Some states also have their own do-not-call lists, registration rules or tighter calling hours, so check your state attorney general's website. The safe approach is to follow every rule above anyway, and talk to an attorney before you start a calling or texting campaign.
Calls, texts and mail
The consent rules focus on autodialed and prerecorded calls, ringless voicemail and texts to cell phones. If you're not sure whether a dialer or texting tool counts, ask an attorney before you use it. Direct mail to the owner's tax-bill address has none of these phone rules.
Where PropStream fits
PropStream's skip tracing returns contact info with Do-Not-Call flags, and its Click-to-Dial lets you call from inside the platform. Click-to-Dial is included on Pro and Elite and an add-on on Essentials. The flags help, but they don't replace your own scrub, calling-window check and opt-out log.
Source: propstream.com/pricing, checked October 21, 2026.
Where to go next
Related Guide
Skip Tracing for Real Estate
Find owner phone numbers and emails before you call.
Related Guide
How to Find Motivated Sellers
The public-record signals worth calling about.
Related Hub
Pre-Foreclosure Properties
Owners in default, where extra care and state rules apply.
Related Hub
Senior Owners
How to reach long-time owners with care.
Glossary
Real Estate Glossary
Plain-English definitions for DNC scrubbing, the TCPA and ringless voicemail.
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Start the free 7-day trialCold calling questions
Federal rules ban telephone solicitations to homes before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., in the called person's local time. Some states set tighter hours, so check yours.
It isn't clearly settled whether a call offering to buy a home counts as a telephone solicitation. Scrubbing your list against the national registry and any state lists, and honoring every request to stop, is the safe approach.
Within a reasonable time, no more than 10 business days, and keep the request on file for 5 years.
Your name, the name of your business, and a phone number or address where you can be reached.
Autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to cell phones need prior express consent, and the FCC ruled in 2022 that ringless voicemails count as calls. Talk to an attorney before using any automated tool.
Private lawsuits under the TCPA can seek $500 per violation, and up to three times that if the violation was willful. State laws can add more.