Comparison14 min read2025-01-08

MagicList vs. PropStream: Which Platform Is Right for Arizona Foreclosure Investors?

Detailed comparison between MagicList and PropStream for Arizona real estate investors. Learn which tool provides better foreclosure data and value.

CR
Cody RobertsonFounder
MagicList vs. PropStream: Which Platform Is Right for Arizona Foreclosure Investors?

MagicList vs. PropStream: Which Platform Is Right for Arizona Foreclosure Investors?

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Platform Overview
  3. Core Philosophy Differences
  4. Feature Comparison
  5. Pricing Analysis
  6. Data Depth & Quality
  7. User Experience
  8. Ideal User Profiles
  9. Real-World Cost Comparison
  10. Pros and Cons
  11. The Verdict

Introduction

PropStream is one of the most comprehensive real estate data platforms on the market, offering property data, market analytics, skip tracing, and marketing tools all in one package. It's powerful, feature-rich, and used by thousands of real estate professionals nationwide.

So why would a foreclosure investor in Arizona consider MagicList, a specialized platform focused exclusively on foreclosure opportunities in one county?

This comprehensive comparison breaks down the key differences between PropStream's all-in-one approach and MagicList's laser-focused specialization. We'll explore features, pricing, data quality, user experience, and help you determine which platform best serves your investing strategy.


Platform Overview

PropStream: The All-in-One Real Estate Intelligence Platform

Founded: 2018
Parent Company: RealtyTrac / ATTOM Data Solutions
Focus: Comprehensive real estate data and marketing platform
Coverage: Nationwide (160+ million properties)
Core Features: Property search, market analytics, comp analysis, skip tracing, marketing automation, driving for dollars
Primary Users: Real estate investors, agents, wholesalers, lenders, property managers
Pricing: $99-279/month + skip tracing credits

Core Promise: "Everything you need for real estate investing in one platform"

MagicList: The Arizona Foreclosure Specialist

Founded: 2025
Focus: Foreclosure opportunities in Arizona exclusively
Coverage: Maricopa County, Arizona (expanding to Pima/Pinal in 2025)
Core Features: Pre-qualified foreclosure lists, free skip tracing, A/B/C quality scoring, early warning intelligence
Primary Users: Arizona foreclosure investors, wholesalers, fix-and-flip operators
Pricing: $49-199/month with unlimited free skip tracing

Core Promise: "Pre-qualified, skip-traced foreclosure leads updated every 6 hours—no filtering required"


Core Philosophy Differences

Understanding the fundamental difference in approach is essential:

PropStream: The Swiss Army Knife

Philosophy: "Be the one platform investors need for everything"

What they optimize for:

  • Breadth of features (property search, comps, marketing, skip tracing, etc.)
  • Nationwide coverage (every market in America)
  • Integration (CRM, marketing, driving for dollars all in one place)
  • Self-service (give users tools, let them figure out their strategy)

User workflow:

  1. Log into comprehensive platform
  2. Use property search with 50+ filters
  3. Analyze comps and market data
  4. Pull skip tracing credits for contacts
  5. Create marketing campaigns
  6. Track driving for dollars routes
  7. Manage everything from one dashboard

MagicList: The Surgical Scalpel

Philosophy: "Do one thing exceptionally well—foreclosure lead generation"

What they optimize for:

  • Depth in foreclosure intelligence (not breadth across strategies)
  • Single-county mastery (Maricopa County specialization)
  • Curation (pre-built lists, not infinite options)
  • Action orientation (subscribe → download → dial)

User workflow:

  1. Subscribe to foreclosure list(s) matching your strategy
  2. Download skip-traced properties every 6 hours
  3. Import to your dialer/CRM
  4. Start calling

The Core Distinction:

PropStream asks: "What tools do you need to run your real estate business?"
MagicList asks: "How can we get you calling foreclosure leads as fast as possible?"

One is a comprehensive platform. The other is a specialized data feed.


Feature Comparison

Let's compare specific capabilities:

Property Search & Filtering

PropStream: ✅ 50+ searchable filters including:

  • Property characteristics (type, beds, baths, sq ft, year built)
  • Financial (equity, loan amount, LTV, tax assessed value)
  • Ownership (absentee, corporate, private)
  • Distress indicators (foreclosure, pre-foreclosure, bankruptcy, liens)
  • Demographics (owner age, income, etc.)
  • Custom polygons (draw search areas on map) ✅ Saved searches with alerts ✅ Map-based searching ✅ MLS integration (in some markets) ❌ Generic foreclosure data (not specialized)

MagicList: ✅ 5 pre-built foreclosure lists:

  • Flip-Ready SFRs Under $250K
  • High-Equity Cash Cows (50%+ Equity)
  • New Investor Bundle Under $200K
  • Pre-Pre-Foreclosure Early Warnings
  • Substitution of Trustee - 45 Day Heads Up ❌ No custom filtering (by design—lists are pre-built) ❌ No non-foreclosure searches ✅ 87% enrichment coverage on foreclosures ✅ A/B/C quality scoring on every property

Winner: Depends on use case

  • If you need flexibility across strategies: PropStream
  • If you only need foreclosures: MagicList (deeper foreclosure intelligence)

Geographic Coverage

PropStream: ✅ Nationwide coverage (all 50 states) ✅ 160+ million properties ✅ Covers every county in America ✅ Same platform everywhere ❌ Shallow depth (generic approach for all markets)

MagicList: ✅ Maricopa County, Arizona only ✅ Deep specialization (custom parsers, 6-hour updates) ✅ 87% enrichment coverage ✅ Direct integration with county recorder + assessor ❌ No coverage outside Arizona (yet)

Winner: PropStream for breadth, MagicList for Arizona depth


Skip Tracing

PropStream: ✅ Built-in skip tracing ✅ Phone + email + address lookups ❌ Credit-based system (buy credits separately) ❌ $0.10-0.30 per skip trace (depending on data tier) ❌ Adds $100-400/month at volume ❌ Credits expire

MagicList: ✅ FREE skip tracing included ✅ Unlimited phone/email/address lookups ✅ All properties come pre-skip-traced ✅ No per-lead fees ✅ No credit system ✅ Never expires

Winner: MagicList (massive cost advantage)

Real-world impact:

  • 1,000 skip traces on PropStream: $100-300
  • 1,000 skip traces on MagicList: $0
  • Annual savings: $1,200-3,600

Market Analytics & Comps

PropStream: ✅ Comprehensive comp analysis ✅ Market trends and heat maps ✅ Property valuation tools (AVM) ✅ Rental analysis ✅ School district ratings ✅ Demographics and income data ✅ Historical sales data ✅ Days on market analytics

MagicList: ✅ Basic property valuations (assessed + market value) ✅ Equity calculations ✅ Owner-occupancy status ❌ No advanced comp tools (use Zillow/Redfin for comps) ❌ No market trend analysis ❌ No rental calculators

Winner: PropStream (not close)

PropStream is built for comprehensive market analysis. MagicList provides basic property intelligence but assumes you'll use other tools for detailed comps and market research.


Marketing Tools

PropStream: ✅ Direct mail campaigns ✅ Email marketing ✅ SMS campaigns ✅ Postcard templates ✅ USPS mailing integration ✅ Campaign tracking ✅ Automated follow-up sequences

MagicList: ❌ No marketing tools ❌ No direct mail integration ❌ No email/SMS campaigns

Winner: PropStream (MagicList doesn't compete here)

MagicList is a lead generation platform, not a marketing platform. You'll export leads and use your own marketing tools (REISift, Mailchimp, etc.).


Driving for Dollars

PropStream: ✅ Mobile app for driving for dollars ✅ GPS tracking of routes ✅ Photo capture and notes ✅ Property identification by address ✅ Integration with main platform

MagicList: ❌ No driving for dollars features ❌ Not applicable (focus is pre-foreclosure data, not field research)

Winner: PropStream

Driving for dollars isn't relevant to MagicList's use case—you're calling distressed sellers from foreclosure filings, not finding vacant properties in the field.


Data Updates & Freshness

PropStream: ✅ Daily data updates (property changes, new listings) ✅ Real-time MLS integration (where available) ❌ Foreclosure data updated weekly/monthly (not real-time) ❌ Generic foreclosure tracking (no early warnings)

MagicList: ✅ Every 6-hour updates (4x daily) ✅ Direct polling of Maricopa County Recorder ✅ New filings appear within hours ✅ Substitution of Trustee early warnings (45 days before NTS) ✅ Predictive pre-foreclosure modeling

Winner: MagicList for foreclosures, PropStream for general property data


Lead Quality & Scoring

PropStream: ✅ Multiple distress indicators ✅ Equity calculations ✅ Absentee owner flags ❌ No lead quality scoring (all properties treated equally) ❌ No A/B/C prioritization system

MagicList: ✅ A/B/C quality scoring on every property ✅ Scored across 5 dimensions:

  • Equity percentage
  • Owner-occupancy
  • Loan type
  • Recency
  • Data quality ✅ Top 20% flagged as A-grade ✅ Enables systematic call prioritization

Winner: MagicList (significant workflow advantage)


CRM & Integrations

PropStream: ✅ Built-in mini-CRM ✅ Lead pipeline management ✅ Task assignments ✅ Notes and activity tracking ✅ Team collaboration features

MagicList: ❌ No built-in CRM ✅ CSV/Excel export (import to any CRM) ❌ Integrations coming Q3 2025

Winner: PropStream (more mature platform)

For now, PropStream offers more integration options. MagicList focuses on being an excellent data feed that works with any CRM.


Pricing Analysis

PropStream Pricing Tiers

Basic: $99/month

  • Property search
  • Basic analytics
  • 1 user
  • No skip tracing credits included

Pro: $179/month

  • Everything in Basic
  • Advanced analytics
  • Marketing tools
  • 1 user
  • No skip tracing credits included

Premium: $279/month

  • Everything in Pro
  • Driving for dollars
  • Team collaboration (3 users)
  • Enhanced analytics
  • No skip tracing credits included

Skip Tracing Add-Ons:

  • Must purchase separately: $25-100 for credit packages
  • Costs: $0.10-0.30 per skip trace (depending on data quality tier)

Typical Total Costs:

Scenario 1: Solo Investor (200 skip traces/month)

  • Platform: $179/month (Pro)
  • Skip tracing: $40/month (200 × $0.20)
  • Total: $219/month

Scenario 2: Active Wholesaler (1,000 skip traces/month)

  • Platform: $179/month (Pro)
  • Skip tracing: $200/month (1,000 × $0.20)
  • Total: $379/month

Scenario 3: Small Team (2,500 skip traces/month)

  • Platform: $279/month (Premium for team features)
  • Skip tracing: $500/month (2,500 × $0.20)
  • Total: $779/month

MagicList Pricing

Single List: $49-79/month

  • 1 foreclosure list of your choice
  • FREE unlimited skip tracing
  • Updates every 6 hours
  • A/B/C scoring included

3-List Bundle: $129/month

  • 3 foreclosure lists of your choice
  • FREE unlimited skip tracing
  • Updates every 6 hours
  • A/B/C scoring included

All-Access: $199/month

  • All 5 foreclosure lists
  • FREE unlimited skip tracing
  • Updates every 6 hours
  • A/B/C scoring included
  • Early access to new lists

No Additional Costs:

  • No skip tracing fees
  • No per-lead charges
  • No credit systems
  • No user limits

Direct Comparison

User ProfilePropStream CostMagicList CostSavings
Solo Investor (200 leads/mo)$219/month$49-79/month$140-170/month
Active Wholesaler (1,000 leads/mo)$379/month$129/month$250/month
Small Team (2,500 leads/mo)$779/month$199/month$580/month

Annual Savings:

  • Solo Investor: $1,680-2,040/year
  • Active Wholesaler: $3,000/year
  • Small Team: $6,960/year

Data Depth & Quality

PropStream: Wide But Shallow

Data Sources:

  • ATTOM Data Solutions (national property database)
  • MLS feeds (where available)
  • Public records aggregation
  • Third-party data partnerships

Foreclosure Data: ✅ Nationwide coverage ✅ Pre-foreclosure flags ✅ NOD (Notice of Default) tracking ✅ REO (bank-owned) properties ❌ Generic aggregation (not customized per market) ❌ Weekly/monthly updates (not real-time) ❌ 60-70% enrichment coverage typical ❌ No early-warning intelligence

Strengths:

  • Consistency across markets
  • Comprehensive property history
  • MLS integration
  • Reliable nationwide data

Weaknesses:

  • Generic approach misses local nuances
  • Foreclosure data not specialized
  • Slower updates for distressed properties
  • No Arizona-specific optimizations

MagicList: Narrow But Deep

Data Sources:

  • Maricopa County Recorder (direct API)
  • Maricopa County Assessor (ArcGIS API)
  • Custom OCR + AI document processing
  • Skip tracing integrations

Foreclosure Data: ✅ 87% enrichment coverage ✅ Custom parsers for Arizona documents ✅ 6-hour update frequency ✅ Substitution of Trustee tracking (45-day early warning) ✅ Predictive pre-foreclosure models ✅ 28 enrichment fields per property ❌ Maricopa County only (for now)

Strengths:

  • Deep Arizona specialization
  • Real-time foreclosure tracking
  • Early-warning intelligence
  • Higher data quality through focus

Weaknesses:

  • No nationwide coverage
  • Only foreclosures (no other strategies)
  • Limited to residential properties

The Quality Trade-Off

PropStream: 160 million properties at 65% quality
MagicList: 50,000 properties at 87% quality

If you're a foreclosure investor in Arizona, the quality difference is significant. If you invest anywhere else or need non-foreclosure data, PropStream is your only option.


User Experience

PropStream: The Dashboard Experience

Strengths: ✅ Comprehensive dashboard with multiple modules ✅ Visual property search (map view) ✅ Integrated analytics and comps ✅ Marketing campaigns managed in-platform ✅ Mobile app for field work

Weaknesses: ❌ Steep learning curve (2-4 hours to master) ❌ Feature overload for simple use cases ❌ Requires multiple clicks to get to foreclosure data ❌ Skip tracing requires separate budget management

Typical Workflow (Finding Foreclosure Leads):

  1. Log into PropStream
  2. Navigate to Property Search
  3. Set geographic filters (county, city, ZIP)
  4. Set property type filters
  5. Toggle "Foreclosure" distress indicator
  6. Set equity, price, occupancy filters
  7. Review results (100-1,000 properties)
  8. Export selected properties
  9. Navigate to Skip Tracing module
  10. Upload exported list
  11. Purchase skip tracing credits
  12. Run skip traces
  13. Download results
  14. Merge data
  15. Import to dialer

Time investment: 20-30 minutes per session

MagicList: The Speed Experience

Strengths: ✅ Minimal learning curve (5 minutes) ✅ One-click list access ✅ Skip-traced data included (no extra steps) ✅ A/B/C scoring visible immediately ✅ Built for speed

Weaknesses: ❌ No advanced analytics ❌ No comp tools ❌ No marketing features ❌ Less control (pre-built lists)

Typical Workflow (Finding Foreclosure Leads):

  1. Log into MagicList
  2. Click "Flip-Ready SFRs Under $250K"
  3. See 47 new properties (A/B/C scored)
  4. Click "Download CSV"
  5. Import to dialer
  6. Start calling

Time investment: 2-3 minutes per session

Time Comparison

PropStream: 20-30 minutes per lead generation session
MagicList: 2-3 minutes per lead generation session

Weekly time savings: 1.5-2 hours
Monthly time savings: 6-8 hours


Ideal User Profiles

PropStream Is Best For:

✅ Multi-Strategy Investors

  • You do wholesaling + fix-and-flip + rentals
  • You need absentee owners, probate, expired listings, and foreclosures
  • You want one platform for everything

✅ Nationwide Investors

  • You invest in multiple states/markets
  • You need consistent tools across geographies
  • You're willing to trade depth for breadth

✅ Real Estate Agents

  • You need MLS integration
  • You're prospecting for listings
  • You need comp analysis for client presentations

✅ Data-Driven Analyzers

  • You love market analytics and trends
  • You spend time researching neighborhoods
  • You want demographic and economic data

✅ Full-Service Operators

  • You want marketing automation
  • You need driving for dollars
  • You want everything in one platform

MagicList Is Best For:

✅ Foreclosure-Only Investors in Arizona

  • You're in Maricopa County specifically
  • You focus exclusively on foreclosures
  • You want the best foreclosure data, period

✅ Time-Optimized Wholesalers

  • You're tired of spending 10-15 hours/week on data
  • You'd rather spend time calling and closing
  • You value efficiency over control

✅ Cost-Conscious Investors

  • You're spending $200-500/month on skip tracing
  • You want predictable, all-inclusive costs
  • Every dollar saved goes back into marketing

✅ Early-Mover Advantage Seekers

  • You want to call distressed sellers 3-6 months before competitors
  • You value relationship-building time
  • First-mover advantage matters to your strategy

✅ Action-Takers Over Analysts

  • You don't need comp analysis (you know your market)
  • You don't want to spend time filtering
  • You want to download lists and start dialing immediately

Real-World Cost Comparison

12-Month Total Cost of Ownership

Scenario 1: New Investor (200 leads/month)

PropStream:

  • Platform: $179/month × 12 = $2,148
  • Skip tracing: $40/month × 12 = $480
  • Annual Total: $2,628

MagicList:

  • Single List: $49/month × 12 = $588
  • Skip tracing: $0
  • Annual Total: $588

Savings: $2,040/year (78% cost reduction)


Scenario 2: Active Wholesaler (1,000 leads/month)

PropStream:

  • Platform: $179/month × 12 = $2,148
  • Skip tracing: $200/month × 12 = $2,400
  • Annual Total: $4,548

MagicList:

  • 3-List Bundle: $129/month × 12 = $1,548
  • Skip tracing: $0
  • Annual Total: $1,548

Savings: $3,000/year (66% cost reduction)


Scenario 3: Small Team (2,500 leads/month)

PropStream:

  • Platform: $279/month × 12 = $3,348
  • Skip tracing: $500/month × 12 = $6,000
  • Annual Total: $9,348

MagicList:

  • All-Access: $199/month × 12 = $2,388
  • Skip tracing: $0
  • Annual Total: $2,388

Savings: $6,960/year (74% cost reduction)


Pros and Cons

PropStream

Pros: ✅ Comprehensive all-in-one platform ✅ Nationwide coverage (160M+ properties) ✅ 50+ search filters ✅ Market analytics and comp tools ✅ Marketing automation ✅ Driving for dollars mobile app ✅ MLS integration ✅ Team collaboration features ✅ Established platform (6+ years)

Cons: ❌ Generic foreclosure data (not specialized) ❌ Skip tracing costs add up ($100-500/month) ❌ Steep learning curve (overwhelming for new users) ❌ Foreclosure updates are slow (weekly/monthly) ❌ No lead quality scoring ❌ No early-warning intelligence ❌ Higher total cost for high-volume users

MagicList

Pros: ✅ FREE unlimited skip tracing ✅ 87% enrichment coverage (Arizona foreclosures) ✅ Every 6-hour updates (4x daily) ✅ A/B/C quality scoring ✅ Substitution of Trustee early warnings ✅ Predictive pre-foreclosure models ✅ Pre-built curated lists (no filtering required) ✅ 70-80% cost savings vs. competitors ✅ 5-minute learning curve ✅ Built specifically for foreclosure investors

Cons: ❌ Maricopa County only (expanding slowly) ❌ Foreclosures only (no other strategies) ❌ No market analytics or comp tools ❌ No marketing automation ❌ No driving for dollars ❌ New platform (launched 2025) ❌ Limited integrations (coming Q3 2025)


The Verdict

Choose PropStream If:

✅ You invest outside Arizona
✅ You need multiple lead types (not just foreclosures)
✅ You want comprehensive market analytics
✅ You need marketing automation
✅ You want one platform for everything
✅ You're willing to pay for breadth and features

Best for: Multi-strategy investors, agents, nationwide operators, data analysts


Choose MagicList If:

✅ You invest in Maricopa County, Arizona
✅ You focus exclusively on foreclosures
✅ You want to save $2,000-7,000 per year
✅ You want to save 6-8 hours per week on data management
✅ You value early-warning competitive advantage
✅ You're an action-taker who wants to dial, not filter

Best for: Arizona foreclosure investors, time-conscious wholesalers, cost-conscious operators


The Hybrid Approach

Can you use both?

Yes, and some investors do:

Use PropStream for:

  • Market research and comps
  • Non-foreclosure strategies (absentee, probate, etc.)
  • Markets outside Arizona
  • Marketing campaigns

Use MagicList for:

  • Arizona foreclosure lead generation
  • Skip-traced foreclosure contacts
  • Early-warning opportunities
  • A/B/C scored calling lists

Combined cost: $199 (MagicList) + $99-179 (PropStream Basic/Pro) = $298-378/month

This is still cheaper than using PropStream alone for high-volume foreclosure calling due to skip tracing savings.


Final Recommendations

PropStream is the right choice if you need a comprehensive real estate platform with nationwide coverage, market analytics, marketing tools, and multi-strategy capabilities—and you're willing to pay for that breadth.

MagicList is the right choice if you're a foreclosure-focused investor in Arizona who wants the deepest, fastest, most cost-effective foreclosure intelligence available—and you're willing to use other tools for comps and marketing.

The platforms serve different needs:

PropStream = Swiss Army knife (does many things adequately)
MagicList = Surgical scalpel (does one thing exceptionally)

For Arizona foreclosure investors, MagicList's specialization, cost savings ($2,000-7,000/year), time savings (6-8 hours/week), and early-warning intelligence make it the clear winner.

For investors outside Arizona or those pursuing multiple strategies, PropStream is currently the only option—and a good one.


Ready to see MagicList in action?

Schedule a 15-minute demo where we'll show you:

  • Live comparison of MagicList vs. PropStream data quality
  • Real cost analysis for your volume
  • Side-by-side time investment comparison
  • Which MagicList subscription makes sense for you

Or download a free sample property report to compare data quality.


About the Author

Cody Robertson is the founder of MagicList. After analyzing PropStream's all-in-one approach and hearing from Arizona foreclosure investors who wanted deeper specialization, he built MagicList to provide best-in-class foreclosure intelligence for investors who value focus over features. Connect at hello@magiclist.agency.


Keywords for SEO: MagicList vs PropStream, PropStream alternative Arizona, foreclosure data comparison, real estate investing platforms, Arizona foreclosure leads, Maricopa County property data, skip tracing costs comparison, real estate investor tools, wholesale leads Arizona, foreclosure intelligence platforms

Meta Description: Complete comparison of MagicList vs PropStream for Arizona foreclosure investors. Compare features, pricing, data quality, and discover which platform saves you $2,000-7,000 annually while delivering deeper foreclosure intelligence.

CR
Cody RobertsonFounder

Founder of MagicList and expert in Arizona real estate and foreclosure investing, passionate about helping investors discover high-equity opportunities before the competition.

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