LightBox True Owner™ FAQ

Welcome to the True Owner FAQ page. The content here is intended to provide answers to all level of True Owner users.

• Q: Do I need a SmartFabric subscription in addition to True Owner?

  • A: Yes, the True Owner data requires  SmartFabric subscription to query the bulk data.  To link the contact data to the property information, users will have to merge the Assessment table to the True Owner tables via primary keys.

• Q: How often is True Owner data updated?

  • A: The database is updated quarterly with the latest ownership and contact changes. Monthly deltas reflecting recent transactions and assessment updates are available via LightBox Vision.

• Q: Where can I find True Owner data coverage?

  • A: Coverage details will be included in the release notes for each update. You can also find specific coverage information through the SmartFabric  property data layer.

• Q: Do all properties have True Owners tied to them?

  • A: No, only commercial properties will have this data. 

• Q: What are the primary keys?

  • A: The primary keys are ASSESSMENT_LID and LAST_UPDATE_DATE.

• Q: What does True Owner provide that standard ownership records do not?

  • A: True Owner goes beyond assessment ownership records to provide actionable contact details—including phone numbers, emails, and corporate officer information—allowing users to reach individuals likely to be involved in property decisions.

• Q: Why are there multiple contact records for a single property?

  • A1: Some properties have multiple owners or corporate officers, and True Owner provides contacts for all associated individuals.

  • A2: When a business owns the property, the data may include both officer contacts and business-level phone/email details.

  • A3: Confidence scores indicate the quality and reliability of each contact, helping prioritize outreach.

  • Pro Tip: Users can filter contacts by title (e.g., CEO, CFO, Manager) or confidence score to refine searches for the most relevant decision-makers.

• Q: How does True Owner determine the best contact for a property?

  • A: True Owner uses a combination of public records, proprietary databases, and verification processes to identify individuals most closely associated with the property. The data is ranked with confidence scores (1–5) to indicate reliability.

  • Pro Tip: Higher confidence scores suggest stronger data validation, ensuring better outreach success.

• Q: How can I find other properties owned by the same individual?

  • A: Use the PERSON_ID field to link contacts across multiple properties. This allows you to:

    • Identify entire portfolios owned by an individual or company.

    • Uncover hidden relationships between different properties.

    • Enhance due diligence and market research with broader ownership insights.

  • Pro Tip: The best way to identify properties that are own by your contacts is to locate a property you know is owned by this individual and obtain a PERSON_ID of the owner(s) of this property.

• Q: Is PERSON_ID a unique identifier?

  • A: The PERSON_ID uniquely identifies an individual; however the same individual may have multiple IDs.

• Q: Can the same person have multiple PERSON_IDs?

  • A: Yes, the same individual can have multiple ids in the database. This can occur due to several factors, such as disparate sources and asynchronous data updates.

  • Pro tip: Understanding that one person might have multiple PERSON_IDs helps in reducing errors in data analysis or business processes dependent on this information. Use additional information such as addresses, emails and phone numbers to compare entities.

• Q: How can I find other properties owned by the same company?

  • A: Use the CORPORATION_NAME field to link corporate contacts across multiple properties. Additionally, some corporations may be related via RELATED_COMPANY field.

  • Pro tip: Use fuzzy matching logic on the company name and cross-verify if the records are related to the same entity by comparing officers, addresses and the business contacts.

• Q: Does True Owner data include residential properties?

  • A: No, the True Owner product focuses on commercial properties. The coverage includes all types of commercial properties, including 2-4 units multi-family residences, but not single-family residences.

• Q: Does True Owner data include owners of vacant land?

  • A: Yes, the True Owner product coverage includes all types of vacant land, excluding parcels that are specifically designated for single family residences.

• Q: What happens if a commercial property has no contact information?

  • A: Properties without available contacts are included in a separate exclusions table, with a reason code indicating:

    • ‘N’ – No contact data currently available.

    • ‘G’ – Property is government-owned and may not have an individual contact.

• Q: How can True Owner data be integrated into my workflows?

  • A: True Owner is available through:

    • Bulk data add-on for large-scale property research.

    • LightBox Vision for map-based property exploration.

  • Pro Tip: Users can filter contacts by title (e.g., CEO, CFO) or confidence score to refine searches for the most relevant decision-makers.

• Q: Can True Owner data be used to uncover hidden ownership structures?

  • A: Yes. By linking contacts across multiple properties and using AI/ML-driven entity resolution, users can:

    • Detect ownership clusters tied to a single entity.

    • Identify corporate officers linked to multiple LLCs.

    • Map real estate investment trends across regions.

• Q: How can I provide feedback or request expanded coverage?

  • A: LightBox continually expands True Owner coverage based on user needs.  If there are missing contacts or jurisdictions you would like prioritized, you can submit requests through customer support or your account representative. Additionally, LightBox Vision customers may submit questions and suggestions via a LightBox Support Chat Feature.

• Q: What happens if I identify commercial properties that do not have True Owner data or have incorrect data?

  • A: Please reach to Customer Support and provide either the site address or APN + city so that the Support team can investigate.