If you've called a handful of expired listings and gotten nothing but silence, that's not a sign the strategy is broken — it's a sign you're early. Most agents quit expireds after a few no-answers. Top producers know it takes 7-10 touches before an expired even responds. The agents who win expireds aren't more charming than everyone else — they're just more persistent, calling the same numbers more times.
If roughly 1 in 20 expireds converts to a listing appointment, calling 9 one time and stopping was never going to work — you need to be calling 20-30 consistently. The fix isn't a better script, it's more dials: commit to calling 5 expireds every morning before you do anything else. That's a week of 25 calls, and by the end of it you're seeing real patterns in the objections instead of guessing.
Keep it short and curious, not salesy — then stop talking. Most agents kill the call by over-explaining before the prospect even responds.
"Hi, is this [name]? Hey, my name is [your name], I'm a real estate agent here in [your market]. I noticed your property at [address] came off the market recently — are you still looking to sell, or have your plans changed?"
The goal of this first call isn't to get a listing — it's to get a conversation. From there, you're listening for the "9 D's": death, divorce, downsizing, debt, diploma, diapers, desire, displacement, and disaster — any life event driving the motivation to sell.
"Great — can I ask, what do you think got in the way last time?"
Listen. Then:
"I specialize in [your niche] properties in [your market] — that's my focus. I'd love to come take a look and show you what I'd do differently. Would you be open to a quick 20-minute conversation this week?"
"Totally understand — what changed for you?"
Listen for a life event, then:
"That makes sense. Well if anything shifts down the road, I'd love to be your first call. Can I stay in touch?"
This isn't a wasted call — it's a seed. Log the reason they gave you and put them in your nurture pipeline instead of writing them off.
"I'm going to wait." "That's fair — what would need to change for you to feel ready?"
"I already have an agent." "No problem at all — I hope it goes great. If anything changes, I'm here."
"How'd you get my number?" "Public records — I research every property I reach out about. I like to be prepared."
"I'm not interested." "Totally respect that. Can I just ask — was it the timing, the price, or something else that stopped it last time?"
None of these responses argue or push. Each one either respects the "no" or turns it into one more piece of information you can use.
"I only work [your niche], so when I sit down with a seller I know exactly what buyers in this market are looking for. Would you be open to just a 20-minute call this week — no pressure, just a conversation?"
The single most important habit in this script isn't a line — it's a pause. Pause after every question. Silence is your friend; they'll fill it if you let them. Before your next call block, commit to the 5-a-morning number and track it for one week before judging whether the script is working.
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