If you've ever bought or sold a home, chances are your personal information and real estate transaction details are sitting on BlockShopper for anyone to see. This public exposure isn't just about privacy—it's a security risk that can lead to targeted scams, identity theft, and unwanted solicitations. Let me show you exactly how to remove yourself from this platform and protect your information.

What is BlockShopper and Why Your Data is There

BlockShopper is a real estate data aggregator that publishes detailed information about residential and commercial property transactions across multiple states. Founded in 2007, the platform compiles public records from county recorder offices, assessor databases, and other government sources to create searchable profiles of property buyers and sellers.

Here's what makes BlockShopper particularly concerning from a privacy standpoint: unlike many data brokers that bury information in search results, BlockShopper creates dedicated pages that rank highly in Google searches for your name. These pages typically include:

Full names of buyers and sellers
Complete property addresses (both current and previous)
Purchase prices and sale amounts
Transaction dates and mortgage information
Property photos and descriptions
Estimated property values

The platform operates under the premise that all this information is already public record—which is technically true. County recorder offices are required by law to maintain transparent property transaction records. However, BlockShopper aggregates this scattered data into easily searchable, highly visible profiles that most people don't realize exist until they Google themselves.

This aggregation creates what privacy experts call "practical obscurity breach"—while the data was always technically public, it required effort to access. BlockShopper eliminates that friction, making your information instantly available to scammers, stalkers, marketers, and anyone else who searches your name.

The platform currently covers major metropolitan areas including Chicago, Miami, New York City, Los Angeles, and several other markets. If you've purchased property in any of these regions since the mid-2000s, you're likely in their database.

Step-by-Step BlockShopper Removal Process

BlockShopper doesn't make removal easy, but it is possible. The process requires manual intervention and can take several weeks to complete. Here's exactly how to remove your information:

Step 1: Locate Your BlockShopper Listing

Before you can request removal, you need to find your specific listing:

Go to blockshopper.com
Use the search bar at the top of the page to search for your full name
Review the search results for listings that match your information
Note the exact URL of each listing that contains your data
Take screenshots of each page showing your information (you'll need these for verification later)

If you don't find yourself through name search, try searching by your current or previous address. BlockShopper organizes data by both names and property locations.

Step 2: Prepare Your Removal Request

BlockShopper requires you to send a removal request via email. Before contacting them, gather the following information:

Full name(s) as they appear on the listing
Complete URLs of all pages containing your information
Property address(es) associated with the listings
Your current contact email (use a privacy-focused email if possible)
Reason for removal (optional, but stating privacy concerns can help)

Step 3: Send Your Removal Request

Email your removal request to: info@blockshopper.com

Use this template, customizing it with your specific information:

```

Subject: Opt-Out Request - Remove Personal Information

Dear BlockShopper Privacy Team,

I am requesting the immediate removal of my personal information from your website under applicable privacy laws including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).

Please remove the following listings:

[URL 1]

[URL 2]

[Add additional URLs as needed]

Name on listings: [Your Full Name]

Property Address: [Your Address]

Contact Email: [Your Email]

I do not consent to the continued publication of my personal information on your platform. Please confirm removal within 10 business days as required by CCPA regulations.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

[Your Name]

```

Step 4: Follow Up on Your Request

BlockShopper doesn't always respond to initial removal requests. If you don't receive confirmation within two weeks:

Send a follow-up email referencing your original request
Include the original email thread in your follow-up
Mention specific privacy laws applicable to your state
If you're in California, reference your rights under CCPA (California Civil Code § 1798.100 et seq.)
Consider sending a certified letter to their business address if email requests are ignored

The company's responsiveness varies significantly. Some users report removal within days, while others wait months or never receive confirmation.

Step 5: Check for Multiple Listings

Here's a critical step many people miss: BlockShopper often has multiple pages for the same person. After your initial removal, search for:

Different name variations (with/without middle name, maiden names)
Each property address you've owned
Variations of your address (abbreviations like "St" vs "Street")
Related family members who may have co-purchased property with you

Each separate listing requires its own removal request. This is one reason why manual removal from data brokers becomes overwhelming—you're essentially playing whack-a-mole with your own information.

What Information BlockShopper Collects

Understanding the full scope of data BlockShopper publishes helps you appreciate the privacy implications and motivates thorough removal. The platform collects and displays:

Transaction-Level Data:

Purchase and sale prices (exact dollar amounts)
Mortgage amounts and lender information
Transaction dates and recording dates
Type of sale (standard, foreclosure, short sale, etc.)
Deed type and legal descriptions

Property Details:

Full street addresses with unit numbers
Property type (single-family, condo, multi-unit, etc.)
Square footage and lot size
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
Year built and property age
Estimated current market value

Personal Information:

Full legal names of all buyers and sellers
Names of co-owners or co-buyers
Previous ownership history
Connection to other properties in the database

Contextual Information:

Neighborhood descriptions and demographics
Comparable sales in the area
Property tax information
School district data

This comprehensive profile creates significant risks. Scammers use this information to craft convincing real estate scams, targeting people who recently purchased homes with fake mortgage refinancing offers or property tax appeals. Criminals can use address information combined with transaction dates to identify when you might be traveling (like during a closing period). Stalkers and domestic abusers can track down victims who relocated for safety.

The FTC reported in 2023 that real estate and rental scams cost Americans over $350 million annually, with data brokers like BlockShopper providing the foundational intelligence that makes these scams convincing.

How Long BlockShopper Removal Takes

The removal timeline for BlockShopper varies considerably based on several factors:

Best Case Scenario: 2-4 Weeks

If BlockShopper responds promptly to your initial request and you have only one or two listings, removal can happen within two to four weeks. You'll typically see the pages return 404 errors or redirect to the homepage once removed.

Average Timeline: 4-8 Weeks

Most people experience a 4-8 week removal process, accounting for:

Initial request processing (1-2 weeks)
Follow-up if no response (1-2 weeks)
Actual removal implementation (1-2 weeks)
Search engine cache clearing (1-2 weeks)

Worst Case Scenario: 3-6 Months or Never

Some users report that BlockShopper never responds to removal requests, or removes listings only to have them reappear months later. This happens because:

The company doesn't prioritize opt-out requests
They periodically re-scrape public records, re-adding your information
Multiple database systems may not sync properly
No legal obligation exists in many states to honor removal requests

The Re-Listing Problem

Even after successful removal, BlockShopper may re-add your information during their next data refresh cycle. Public records remain public, and the company continuously updates its database. This means you might need to submit removal requests every 6-12 months to maintain your privacy—an exhausting process that most people abandon.

This is precisely why automated removal services exist. Manually monitoring and removing your information from even one data broker is challenging; doing it across the 2,100+ brokers that trade your data is virtually impossible without automation.

How to Verify BlockShopper Removal

Successfully removing your information requires verification. Here's how to confirm your data is actually gone:

Immediate Verification

Direct URL Check: Visit the exact URLs from your original removal request. You should see:

- A 404 error page

- A redirect to BlockShopper's homepage

- A message indicating the page no longer exists

Site Search: Use BlockShopper's internal search to look for your name and addresses. No results should appear for your information.

Search Engine Verification

Removing data from BlockShopper doesn't immediately remove it from Google and other search engines. Cached versions can persist for weeks:

Google Search: Search for `"your name" site:blockshopper.com`
Check Cached Pages: Click the three dots next to search results and select "Cached" to see if Google still has old versions stored
Other Search Engines: Repeat searches on Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo

If cached pages still appear after 30 days, you can request removal directly from Google using their outdated content removal tool.

Ongoing Monitoring

Set up monitoring to catch re-listings:

Google Alerts: Create an alert for `"your name" blockshopper` to receive notifications if your information reappears
Monthly Manual Checks: Schedule a recurring calendar reminder to search BlockShopper directly
Monitor Related Sites: BlockShopper data sometimes appears on partner sites or data aggregators that scrape their content

The verification process reveals a frustrating truth: removal from a single data broker requires ongoing vigilance. Your information doesn't just disappear—it requires active, continuous protection.

Preventing Future BlockShopper Listings

Preventing your information from appearing on BlockShopper in the first place is nearly impossible since they source data from mandatory public records. However, you can minimize your exposure:

Use Privacy-Protecting Property Ownership Structures

When purchasing property, consider these legal structures that can obscure your personal information:

Land Trusts: A land trust allows you to hold property title in the name of a trust rather than your personal name. The trust becomes the public record owner, while you remain the private beneficiary. Illinois, Florida, and several other states have particularly favorable land trust laws.

Limited Liability Companies (LLCs): Purchasing property through an LLC puts the company name on public records instead of your personal name. This is especially popular in states like Wyoming, Delaware, and Nevada that allow anonymous LLC formation.

Consultation Required: These structures have tax, legal, and financing implications. Consult with a real estate attorney and tax professional before implementing them. Many mortgage lenders won't finance property held in trusts or LLCs, requiring you to purchase with personal financing then transfer title afterward.

Strategic Address Management

Use a registered agent address for property tax correspondence instead of your home address
Opt out of public access to your information where state law permits (some states allow shielding for law enforcement, judges, and domestic violence victims)
Request confidential status if you qualify under your state's address confidentiality program

Minimize Your Digital Footprint

While this doesn't prevent BlockShopper listings directly, reducing your overall online presence makes it harder to connect public records to your current identity:

Avoid posting about home purchases on social media
Don't use your home address for online accounts or registrations
Use a PO Box or commercial mail receiving agency (CMRA) for non-legal correspondence
Request that your real estate agent not publish your transaction in promotional materials

Understand State-Specific Privacy Laws

Your rights vary dramatically by state:

California (CCPA/CPRA): Provides broad opt-out rights and requires businesses to honor deletion requests within 45 days. California Civil Code § 1798.105 specifically grants consumers the right to request deletion of personal information.

Virginia (VCDPA): The Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act gives residents the right to delete personal information, though exemptions exist for publicly available information.

Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah: These states have enacted comprehensive privacy laws with varying levels of protection for public record information.

Illinois: While Illinois doesn't have comprehensive privacy legislation, BIPA (Biometric Information Privacy Act) provides some of the nation's strongest privacy protections for specific data types.

The patchwork of state laws creates confusion, and BlockShopper isn't always clear about which laws apply to their operations. When submitting removal requests, cite the specific statute applicable to your state of residence.

Alternative: Use GhostMyData for Automated Removal

If this manual removal process seems overwhelming, you're not alone. The average person's information appears on 200-300+ data broker sites, and BlockShopper is just one of them. Manually removing yourself from each broker would require hundreds of hours and ongoing maintenance.

This is where automated removal services like GhostMyData become invaluable. Here's what makes automated removal different:

Comprehensive Coverage

While BlockShopper is a significant privacy concern, it's one data broker among thousands. GhostMyData scans 2,100+ data brokers—far more than competitors who typically cover only 35-500 sites. This comprehensive approach ensures your information is removed from:

Major people search sites (Spokeo, BeenVerified, Whitepages)
Real estate data aggregators (BlockShopper, PropertyShark, Zillow)
Background check services
Marketing databases
Lesser-known brokers that most people never discover

You can compare services to see how comprehensive coverage differs across privacy removal providers.

AI-Powered Automation

GhostMyData uses 24 AI agents that work continuously to:

Locate your information across thousands of databases
Submit removal requests using each broker's specific process
Monitor for re-listings and automatically re-submit removals
Adapt to changing opt-out procedures as brokers modify their systems
Handle follow-ups and verification without your involvement

This automation solves the re-listing problem that plagues manual removals. When BlockShopper re-scrapes public records and re-adds your information six months from now, GhostMyData's AI agents detect and remove it again—without you lifting a finger.

Time and Stress Savings

Consider the math: If removing yourself from BlockShopper takes 2-4 hours (finding listings, drafting emails, following up, verifying), and you need to do this for 200+ brokers, you're looking at 400-800 hours of work. That's 10-20 full work weeks.

Even if you value your time at minimum wage, the opportunity cost far exceeds the investment in an automated service. More importantly, most people simply give up after tackling a few brokers—leaving their information exposed on hundreds of others.

How to Get Started

Getting started with GhostMyData takes minutes:

Register for a free scan to see exactly where your information appears across 2,100+ brokers
Review your exposure report to understand the scope of your data footprint
Choose a plan that fits your needs (see pricing for options)
Let the AI agents handle the removal process while you receive progress updates

The service works continuously in the background, providing ongoing protection rather than a one-time cleanup. Learn more about how it works to understand the technology behind automated removal.

The Reality of DIY vs. Automated Removal

I'm not suggesting that manual removal is impossible—you can absolutely remove yourself from BlockShopper and other brokers following the steps in this guide. But here's what privacy experts know: data privacy isn't a one-time project, it's ongoing maintenance.

Six months after you manually remove yourself from 50 data brokers, your information will have reappeared on 40 of them. A year later, you'll be back on nearly all of them, plus dozens of new brokers that didn't exist before. The data broker industry is a hydra—cut off one head and two more appear.

Automated removal services exist because the problem requires an automated solution. Your information is being collected, aggregated, and sold by automated systems. Fighting back with manual effort is like bringing a knife to a drone fight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is BlockShopper legal and why do they have my information?

Yes, BlockShopper operates legally by aggregating information from public records. When you purchase or sell property, the transaction is recorded with your county recorder's office and becomes public record under state transparency laws. BlockShopper simply collects these scattered records and makes them searchable. While the practice is legal, many privacy advocates argue that the aggregation of public records into easily searchable databases creates privacy harms that existing laws don't adequately address. You have the right to request removal even though the underlying data is public.

Will removing myself from BlockShopper affect my credit or property ownership?

No, removing your information from BlockShopper has no impact on your credit score, property ownership, or legal rights. BlockShopper is a third-

How to Remove Yourself from BlockShopper