Owners change over time. They move, sell properties, or pick up new ones, and your records need to keep up. DataSift gives you three ways to manage owner information manually: Update Owner, Swap Owner, and Merge Owners. Each one handles a different kind of change, so you can keep your contacts and properties organized as ownership shifts.
This article covers what each option does, when to use it, and how it affects your phone numbers, emails, and properties.
Quick guide: which option should I choose?
If… | Choose | What happens |
It's still the same person, but their details (name, mailing address) are wrong or out of date | Update Owner | The owner's info is edited. Their contacts and properties stay the same. |
The property now belongs to a different person | Swap Owner | You pick or create a new owner, choose which properties and contact info move, and the properties are reassigned to them. |
Two owner records are actually the same person | Merge Owners | The two records are combined into one, with all phone numbers, emails, and properties. |
Rule of thumb: Update if it's still the same owner. Swap if a property now belongs to someone else. Merge if two records should become one.
Before you start: where you edit from matters
You can open the editing options from an owner profile or from a property page. Which one you use depends on what you're changing:
Option | Owner profile | Property page |
Update Owner | Edits the owner record. Changes show on every property that owner has. | Name change without any changes to mailing address will reflect on every property. Updating mailing address will change it only for the property accessed. |
Swap Owner | A sidebar lists all of the owner's properties, and you choose which ones to move. | Only that one property is moved. The owner's other properties aren't touched. |
Merge Owners | Combines two owner records, including all their properties. | Same. |
Example: Gerald owns three properties, and one of them was sold. Open that property's page and use Swap Owner so only the sold property moves to the new owner. If Gerald's mailing address changed instead, use Update Owner from either page, and the new address shows on all three properties.
How to open the owner editing options
From the owner profile:
Go to the Records page and click the owner's name.
Click the pencil icon.
Choose Update Owner, Swap Owner, or Merge Owners.
From a property:
Go to the Records page and click the property card.
Click the owner's name on the property.
Click the pencil icon to edit.
Choose Update Owner, Swap Owner, or Merge Owners.
About Owner 2: If the deed lists a second owner, it shows on the record as Owner 2. This is for display only. You can't edit Owner 2 or take any action on it.
Update Owner
Update Owner changes the owner's information while keeping all their contacts and assigned properties.
When to use it
The owner's name is misspelled or formatted wrong (for example, "Jon Smth" should be "John Smith").
The owner moved and has a new mailing address, but still owns the property.
A deed update changed the owner's details, but it's still the same person.
When not to use it
The property was sold or transferred to someone else. Use Swap Owner instead.
There's a duplicate record for this person. Use Merge Owners instead.
Steps
Select Update Owner.
Edit the fields that need fixing, such as the owner name or mailing address.
Click Save.
Messages you might see
"Owner with the same mailing address already exists"
The mailing address you entered already belongs to another owner in your account, and DataSift shows you that owner's name. Click Continue, then choose:
Swap Owner if the property now belongs to that other owner.
Merge Owners if both records are the same person.
"The selected mailing address is associated with a different owner name"
The owner isn't in your account, but nationwide data links this mailing address to a different name. You can update the owner name to match, or keep the current name and save only the address change.
Good to know: Update Owner edits the existing owner record. It doesn't create a new owner, and their phone numbers, emails, and properties stay attached. Because the record is shared, name changes show on every property that owner has, even if you started from a single property page.
Swap Owner
Swap Owner moves a property to a different owner. You can choose an owner already in your account, find one in the nationwide database, or create a new one. You also choose which phone numbers and emails go with the property.
When to use it
The property was sold and has a new owner.
The property was inherited or transferred (for example, after probate or a divorce).
The property was linked to the wrong person by mistake.
Ownership moved from a person to an LLC or trust, or the other way around.
When not to use it
It's the same owner with outdated details. Use Update Owner instead.
The "new" owner is really a duplicate of the current owner. Use Merge Owners instead.
Steps
Select Swap Owner. From a property page, that property is already selected. From an owner profile, a sidebar lists that owner's properties. Click Move on the ones you want to reassign.
Choose the new owner. Search your records to find an owner already in your account or in the nationwide database (results show whether each match is on a property address, a mailing address, or the owner name), or create a new owner and enter their details.
Pick the phone numbers and emails that should move to the new owner. For example, if the new owner is a family member of the previous owner, you might keep the phone numbers so you can still reach them.
Click Swap.
Refresh the page if you don't see the change yet.
What happens after a swap
The property is now under the new owner.
The previous owner isn't deleted. They stay in your account with their mailing address and any properties you didn't move.
Phone numbers and emails you selected move to the new owner and come off the previous owner. Any you didn't select stay with the previous owner.
The property is enriched automatically with the new owner's information.
The Activity Log records the change, for example: "Tyler replaced the owner of this property. Previous owner: Gerald Nolan. New owner: Linda Mayo."
Merge Owners
Merge Owners combines two owner records into one. All phone numbers, emails, and properties from both records end up on a single owner.
A merge can't be undone. Before you confirm, make sure both records are the same person.
When to use it
The same person shows up twice, for example "Robert Johnson" and "Bob Johnson" should now be at the same mailing address.
Importing lists from different sources created duplicate owner records.
One person's phone numbers or properties are split across two records.
You swapped a property to a new owner, then realized the new owner and an existing record are the same person.
When not to use it
The two records are different people, even if they share a name or address (for example, a parent and an adult child). Merging them would mix up their contacts and properties, and you can't reverse it.
You only need to fix one person's details. Use Update Owner instead.
Steps
Open one of the owner profiles and click Edit.
Select Merge Owners.
Search for and select the other owner record.
Choose the primary owner. Their name and mailing address are kept on the merged record.
Click Continue and review the summary, which shows the new owner name, mailing address, and all phone numbers, emails, and properties.
Click Merge.
Refresh the page to see the merged record.
What carries over
All the work on the merged properties is kept, including:
Message board posts
Custom field values
Activity log history
Add a property to an owner
You can also attach a property to an owner directly from their owner profile.
Open the owner profile.
Click Add Property and search for the property address.
If the property is already in your account under a different owner, DataSift asks you to swap it. Review that owner's info, then click Swap.
The property is added to the owner and enriched automatically.
This is useful when you find an owner owns additional properties not added to your account yet, or when they purchase a property you have listed under a different owner.
FAQs
Will editing an owner affect my other properties?
With Update Owner, yes. Making a name change only with no changes to the mailing address will reflect on all properties owned, regardless of where you access the owner profile from.
With Swap Owner, only the properties you move are affected. Starting from a property page moves only that property.
Does updating an owner's name create a new owner?
No. It edits the existing owner record, and their contacts and properties stay attached.
What happens to phone numbers and emails?
With Update Owner, they don't change. With Swap Owner, the ones you select move to the new owner, and the rest stay with the previous owner. With Merge Owners, the contact info from both records is combined.
Will I lose my notes or custom fields?
No. Message board posts, custom fields, and activity history stay with the property.
Can I undo a merge?
No. A merge is permanent, so confirm both records are the same person before you merge.
Does this change how bulk actions or list uploads work?
No. These options are for manual edits only. Bulk actions and uploads aren't affected.
Can I edit Owner 2?
No. Owner 2 is shown for reference from the deed only.
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