By Sash Joveski and Andrew, Fearless Agents at Realest.com
To call an expired listing, check the Do Not Call list and calling hours first, then spend a minute on the old listing so you know the days on market and price drops. When they answer, say who you are, admit they’ve probably heard from a lot of agents today and ask one question: “If your home had sold, where were you planning to move?” Let them talk. If they still want to move, ask for a 20-minute meeting to show them what you think happened. Don’t pitch, don’t quote a fee and don’t promise a price on the phone.
Picture the homeowner’s morning. Their house didn’t sell. They feel frustrated, maybe a little embarrassed, and their phone has been ringing with agents since breakfast. Most of those calls sound the same: fast, pushy and all about the agent. You can be the one calm voice they hear today. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” That verse is the whole tone of a good expired call.
What is an expired listing?
An expired listing is a home that was listed for sale with an agent and came off the market when the listing agreement ended without a sale. The owners often still want to move. Something about the price, the photos, the marketing or the timing didn’t work. Your job on the first call isn’t to win the listing. It’s to earn a short meeting so you can find out what happened.
What should you do before you dial?
- Check the Do Not Call list. Scrub the number against the National Do Not Call Registry, the Indiana Do Not Call list and your own do-not-call notes. If a number is on any of those lists, don’t call it unless your brokerage says it’s allowed. Follow your brokerage’s calling policy on every dial.
- Check the clock. Call between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the homeowner’s time zone, the federal limit. Calling Illinois numbers? Follow Illinois rules and your brokerage’s policy too.
- Look at the old listing. Pull it up in your MLS. Note the days on market, any price drops and how the photos look. Then check what is for sale on their street on a home search site like Realest.com, so you know the competition.
- Know your next opening. Have two times ready for a meeting so you can offer a real choice.
- Have your log open. Keep your CRM or notes ready so you can write down what they say while you’re on the call.
What do you say on the first call to an expired listing?
Here is the opener from our Daily Call Desk. Make it sound like you:
“Hi, is this [first name]? This is [your full name] with [your brokerage] here in [your town]. I’m calling about your home on [street name]. I saw it came off the market, and I know you’ve probably had a lot of agents call today, so I’ll be quick. Can I ask you one question?”
Wait for a yes. Then ask:
“If your home had sold, where were you planning to move?”
Let them talk. Then ask, “Is that still the plan, or has the timing changed?” If they still want to move, give them the reason you called:
“When a home sits for [number] days, there’s usually a reason buyers passed, and it’s almost never the homeowner’s fault. It’s usually price, photos or how it was marketed and shown. I’d love to take 20 minutes, walk through the house and show you what I think happened and what I’d do differently. No pressure. Would [day] at [time] or [day] at [time] work better?”
This works because you start with their plan, not your pitch. People who still want to move will tell you. People who don’t will tell you that too, and you’ve saved everyone time.
The Expired Listing Call in Four Steps
Check first
Do Not Call, calling hours and the old listing.
Ask one question
Where were you planning to move?
Offer 20 minutes
Show what happened. Give two meeting times.
Log and follow up
Write it down. Send what you promised.
A gentle answer turns away wrath. Proverbs 15:1
How do you handle common expired listing objections?
- “I’m going to relist with the same agent.” Respect it. Ask, “When you sit down with them, what are they going to do differently this time?” Offer a market report on their street so they have a second set of eyes before they sign again. Never say anything negative about the other agent.
- “I’m taking it off the market.” Ask if that means they’re staying for good or just need a break. If it’s a break, offer a monthly update on what’s selling on their street, and ask if they’d like it by email or text.
- “Your commission is too high.” Be straight. Commissions aren’t set by law and are always negotiable. Then ask if it’s worth 20 minutes to find out why the home didn’t sell, so whatever they decide, they decide with the full picture.
For more calm ways to answer pushback, read our post on handling real estate objections.
What should you never do on an expired call?
- Don’t quote a fee on the phone or promise to beat anyone’s number.
- Don’t promise a sale price, a sale date or that the home will sell.
- Don’t talk about who lives in the neighborhood or who might buy. Talk about the home, the sales and the market. Fair housing applies on every call.
- Don’t text unless they said yes to a text on the call.
- Don’t call back the same day after a voicemail.
What do you do after the call?
If you get voicemail, leave one message under 30 seconds with your name, the street and one idea about why it may not have sold, then your number twice. Log every call the same way: their status, their plan and timing, the objection they gave and the next step you promised with a date. Then send what you promised, on the day you promised it. That one bit of follow-through sets you apart from the agents who called once and disappeared.
If you book the meeting, our guide on how to prepare for a listing appointment walks you through the CMA, the plan and what to say at the table. New agents at Realest.com also get a mentor and ride-alongs on listing appointments, so you don’t have to walk into your first one alone.
Inside Fearless Training, our Day 1: The Expired Listing First Call lesson has the full word-for-word script, every objection handler, the voicemail, the follow-up text and what to log. Join Fearless Training for more lessons like this.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to call an expired listing?
Call as soon as you can after the listing expires, inside legal calling hours, which are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the homeowner’s time zone. Check the federal and Indiana Do Not Call lists before every dial.
What is the first thing to say to an expired listing?
Say your name and brokerage, mention their street, admit they’ve probably heard from a lot of agents and ask one question: if your home had sold, where were you planning to move?
Should I give the homeowner a price on the first call?
No. Save price and fees for the meeting, after you have walked the home and pulled the sales. On the phone, your goal is a 20-minute meeting, not a number.
Can I text an expired listing after I call?
Only if they said yes to a text during the call. If they did, send a short thank-you with your number and the update you promised. If they didn’t, don’t text.
How many times should I call an expired listing?
Leave one voicemail and don’t call back the same day. After that, follow up when you said you would, and stop right away if they ask you not to call.
Be fearless. Sash, Realest.com
Come hang out in the Fearless Agents Facebook group, and join Fearless Training for more lessons like this.
