There are three ways to go about courthouse research:
1. Do it yourself.
Go to the courthouse and figure out how it is done. Ask employees for help and ask other people doing research for help (they’ll probably know more and be friendlier). Then go on a regular basis and pull the data you need.
2. Do it yourself and then train someone else
Learn how to do what you need to, then train someone else who can go and do it for you. Pay them as appropriate. There is no standard, you’ll have to negotiate something (and it will vary based on who the person is: spouse, friend, stranger, etc)
3. Recruit someone who already is at the courthouse anyway
Go to the courthouse and recruit someone there to pull the data for you on a regular basis. Pay them whatever you negotiate (and let them mention a price first!)
The person you recruit will not actually work FOR the courthouse, but they will be working AT the courthouse. This means that they are there researching for a law firm or a title company. These people know their way around the courthouse and are not as difficult to deal with as the actual courthouse employees (who are notoriously unfriendly!).
Take a ‘thick skin’ and be ready to put up with a lot of rejection and frustration. But don’t be afraid to approach people and ask for help or ask if they would be willing to pull data for you on a regular basis for a fee. Like anything else in marketing, it is a numbers game, so keep at it and you will find someone.
The only other way is to check and see if a list broker has the data you are looking for. You can try:
Good luck!
Tom