ListBot Usage Guide
An autonomous scraper for pulling property data en masse
Use this tool
About
ListBot Pro is an alternative to the original ListBot that has a fundamentally different approach to pulling and storing the data. This new approach allows you to purchase the data directly from the provider, so you get the lowest cost.
If you don't already know how ListBot works, check out its about page here:
But why??
If ListBot already exists, why is ListBot Pro a thing?
Among other factors, there were two primary reasons for creating ListBot Pro. First, the technology is 'better'. By processing your spreadsheet into a Google sheet, you get all the benefits of the platform, like better access control and its cloud-based nature. The original ListBot has a lot of complex systems that are required for storing, updating, and running searches on your lists. ListBot Pro removes that complexity by simply reading and writing to your Google sheet on a browser-based loop, so aside from your API keys, the REIZoom database doesn't need to store or manage any of your list's data, which means that the development and data costs that go into that processing are passed along as savings to you.
The second primary reason is cost. Since you bring your own Melissa and Streetview Static API keys, you buy the data directly from the source at cost. This has great advantages for both of us, since I no longer need to obscure my API keys behind secured server-code just to perform the Melissa API calls and the complexity of the credit system is no longer an issue.
Should I use the original ListBot or ListBot Pro?
Financially, if you have less than 250 leads per month and you're on the free plan, ListBot is a better deal. If you have more than 250 leads, you are better off subscribing and using ListBot Pro if you don't need the filtering.
| Feature | ListBot | ListBot Pro | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data | Property and owner data | Same as ListBot, but with Streetview images and links to Zillow and Google Maps | They're roughly the same |
| Speed | About 1 address every 10 seconds | 1 address every 2.7 seconds. | Both are fast enough, but ListBot Pro is quicker |
| Price | As low as 12 cents per address for free accounts, and 8 cents per address for subscribers. | 3 cents per address, assuming you are already subscribed | For less than 500 addresses, ListBot is a better deal if you are not subscribed. Otherwise, ListBot Pro is cheaper. |
| Ease of use & dependencies | All you need is an REIZoom account and enough credits to cover the list | The setup process requires a Google account and a Melissa account, and a few minutes to retrieve and set up the API keys | ListBot is easier to get started with and does not require additional accounts |
| Filtering options | Has some filtering options | No filtering | ListBot wins on this one |
| Cool factor | Lame | Radical | ListBot Pro is super cool to watch as it works |
How to set ListBot Pro up
How to use ListBot Pro
How to resume a list
Data pulled
A variety of useful data points are pulled for each property on the list. These new fields include:
- Owner's name
- Owner's mailing details
- Bedroom/bathroom counts
- Owner type (Individual or Company)
- Property use (Residential or Commercial)
- Estimated market value
- Last sale date
- Legal descriptions
- Mortgage lender, amount, and loan date
- GPS Coordinates (Lat/Lng)
Data source and quality
The property records are pulled fresh on the spot from Melissa Data, a reputable provider of real estate property data that serves nationally. They are one of the few data companies that aggregates the data directly from public records, rather than redistributes it from a different source.
The availability and freshness of the propery records is not consistent for all markets. Most markets will have records as up-to-date as public records, and sometimes even sooner. You should verify that the data is recent and accurate using some of your account's testing credits before committing to a large order of credits, as REIZoom has absolutely no control over the quality, freshness, or hit-rate of the data.
Using ListBot Pro
ListBot is fairly straightforward to use. Upload a CSV file with your leads, configure the columns so the system can understand how to read the addresses, then you can start your data searches. Once your list is processed, you can download it from Google Sheets.
Limitations & best practices
The hit rate for vacant land, commercial properties, or apartments is very low or zero in most cases. If you are not satisfied with the hit rate, chances are the properties were not relevant to you anyways, and you can verify this by checking the addresses with your assessor's website. List of residential properties tend to have sufficiently high hit rates.
The system can work with or without a header row, but for clarity is is ideal to include a header row. If the top row is missing a value, that column will NOT work, so do not include only some header cells but not all.
You must use CSV files for this program to work. All major spreadsheet programs support exporting to CSV.
Support
If there are technical issues with this tool, contact Noah from the support page. REIZoom subscribers are welcome to ask for general advice or other logistic questions regarding these spreadsheets, and professional subscribers can send the lists to Noah for total-service.