What is a surplus funds lead?

When a property sells at a foreclosure or tax sale for more than what was owed, the difference is surplus funds and it belongs to the former owner. A surplus funds lead is that case: the property, the sale figures, the amount likely left over, and the contact details for the person entitled to claim it.

How is this different from a county surplus list?

A county list tells you money exists, usually months later, and everyone has the same file. Excess Quest builds leads from the auction result itself, researches the property, skip traces the owner and their relatives, and delivers while the trail is warm.

Which states do you cover?

Lead generation runs nationwide, wherever counties, trustees and sheriffs hold foreclosure and tax sale auctions we can track.

Are your virtual assistants employees or contractors?

They are full time Excess Quest employees, trained on surplus funds outreach, working in your timezone with a supervisor and monthly reporting.

Virtual assistants

Surplus funds virtual assistants who know the work.

Surplus funds virtual assistants are trained callers who work your claimant outreach on foreclosure and tax sale surplus funds cases, so you can spend your day closing. Ours are full time Excess Quest employees, trained on surplus recovery specifically, working in your timezone and inside your CRM, with a supervisor and monthly reporting behind them.

Phone

Phone system Power dial

Session queue1 of 7

Sarah Johnson4

Sarah Johnson

1(555) 555-0142

2(555) 555-0143

3(555) 555-0144

4John Smith(555) 555-0145Relative

Mary Major2

5Mary Major(555) 555-0150

6Richard Roe(555) 555-0151Relative

Jane Doe1

7Jane Doe(555) 555-0160

OpeningPitchCloseVoicemailRebuttals

OwnerRelativeEstate

Greeting

Hi, may I speak with Sarah Johnson?

Wait for confirmation before continuing.

Introduce yourself

This is Jane Doe with Sample Recovery Group.

Surface the surplus

That property sold at a tax sale on March 12, and the sale generated surplus funds. That is money the court is holding in your name as the former owner.

Drop the number

Based on public records, it looks like around $31,280.

Pause here. Let the number land.

Open question

Have you been contacted by the court yet, or received anything about claiming these funds?

Their answer tells you which rebuttal to use next.

Sarah Johnson

(555) 555-0142

Primary

Case

Sample Claimant Case

Numbers

(555) 555-0142Mobile

(555) 555-0143Mobile

(555) 555-0144Landline

Summary

Property1204 Example Ave, Anytown

Surplus$31,280.64

Sale date3/12/2026

CountySample County

Case number2026-SC-00093

StageContacted

Add a task

Sarah Johnson

Connected, 2:14, Call 1 of 7

MuteKeypadHoldVM dropTransferAdd personScript

What a VA
actually does

What our surplus funds virtual assistants handle, day to day, inside your CRM.

First contact calls

Working your fresh leads while they are warm, using the approach that actually gets a former owner talking rather than a script that gets hung up on.

Follow up sequences

The second, third and fourth attempt that most operators never make, which is where a large share of signed cases actually come from.

Skip tracing

Chasing better numbers when a lead goes cold, including relatives and known associates on older cases where the owner has moved or passed.

Pipeline hygiene

Dispositioning every call in your CRM so your pipeline reflects reality and you are not calling the same person twice.

Document chasing

The unglamorous follow up on paperwork a claimant has promised and not sent, which is where signed cases stall.

Reporting

A monthly progress report, and activity visible inside your own CRM as it happens rather than summarised after the fact.

Plans

Standalone, for firms that want callers without changing anything else. A dedicated caller is also included in the Reserve plan.

VA Essential

$370 per month

For a solo operator who needs the phone handled.

Surplus trained VA
40 hours a month
Works your timezone
Monthly progress report

VA Business

$740 per month

For a firm with enough volume to keep someone busy.

Surplus trained VA
20 hours a week
Works your timezone
Monthly progress report

Reserve

$1,299 per month

Nationwide leads plus a dedicated caller, the version most busy firms end up on.

Nationwide skip-traced leads
Dedicated VA, 40 hours a month
Concierge onboarding
200 skip traces a month

See the plan

We guarantee activity, never results. No one can honestly promise how many claimants will sign, and we will not pretend otherwise on a call or in a contract.