Homeowners with expired listings already want to move. The listing agreement has ended, the contract is clear, and the seller is frustrated enough to hear a fresh approach. These seven scripts cover every touchpoint: the opening call, voicemail, text, email, door knock, and two follow-ups at 14 and 30 days.
Use each script as a starting point. Read it aloud three times before you dial, swap in your own market data, and adjust the tone to match how you speak. The structure matters more than the exact words.
Scripts for expired listings: 7 ready-to-use scripts to win the re-list
A strong expired listing script opens with empathy, delivers one data point about why the home did not sell, and closes with a single ask: a 15-minute conversation. These seven scripts cover every channel and timing window.
Expired listing script set
Script 1: The opening phone call (day one) Call within 24 to 48 hours of expiration. Keep the call under 90 seconds and focus on one specific reason you believe the listing is winnable on a re-list. "Hi, is this [Seller Name]? Great. My name is [Your Name] with [Brokerage]. I noticed your home at [Address] came off the market recently, and I wanted to call before the week was out. I know that is a frustrating place to be. You prepared the home, you listed it, and it did not sell. I have helped owners in [Neighborhood] get re-listed and under contract after the same situation, and I have a few specific ideas for your property I would love to share. Would you have 15 minutes this week for a quick call? I am not looking to sign anything today, just to show you what I found in the comparable sales and leave the decision with you." Script 2: Voicemail (day one, if no answer) "Hi [Seller Name], this is [Your Name] from [Brokerage]. I am calling about [Address]. Your listing expired recently, and I have a short analysis of what I believe held it back from selling. I would love to share it, no obligation. You can reach me at [Number], or I will send a quick email so you have my contact. Talk soon." Script 3: Text message (day one or two, after call attempt) "Hi [Seller Name], this is [Your Name], a local agent. I noticed [Address] came off the market and I have a short analysis of what typically holds homes back in [Neighborhood]. Would a 10-minute call work? [Your Number]" Script 4: Email follow-up (day two) Subject: [Address] listing analysis Hi [Seller Name], I left you a voicemail about [Address]. Here is the short version. Homes in [Neighborhood] that expired in the past 12 months shared three characteristics: they were priced 4 to 8 percent above the comparable sales at the time of listing, they had fewer than 20 photos in the MLS, and they did not have video marketing or virtual tour content. I put together a one-page breakdown for your address. It shows where your listing landed on each of those factors and what a re-list would look like with adjustments. I am not asking for the listing today. I am asking for 15 minutes to walk you through the data. Reply here or call me at [Number]. I have [Day] and [Day] open. [Your Name] [Brokerage] | [License Number] Script 5: Door knock (day two or three, if no response) [Knock. Wait. Smile when the door opens.] "Hi, is this [Seller Name]? I am [Your Name] with [Brokerage]. I tried calling and emailing about [Address]. I am sorry to stop by without warning, but I wanted to make sure you received my analysis before you made any decisions about what comes next. [Hand them the one-page printout.] This shows three data points specific to your address and what a re-priced, re-marketed listing typically looks like in terms of days on market for this neighborhood. I am not here to sign anything today. I just wanted to put it in your hand. If you have five minutes, I am happy to walk you through it right here. If not, you have my card and email." Script 6: 14-day follow-up call "Hi [Seller Name], this is [Your Name] again with [Brokerage]. I know I reached out a couple of weeks ago about [Address]. I wanted to call back because the market in [Neighborhood] shifted slightly this month: three comparable homes closed in the last two weeks that change the re-list pricing window for your property. I do not want to miss that timing for you. Would 15 minutes work this week so I can share the updated numbers?" Script 7: 30-day re-approach "Hi [Seller Name], [Your Name] from [Brokerage]. We spoke about a month ago when [Address] came off the market. I am not going to repeat the same pitch. What I wanted to share is that [Neighborhood] had three closings last month above list price, and the average days on market dropped by about eight days. That changes the window for your re-list, and I want you to have that data. If you are still thinking through your options, I am happy to send you the updated numbers. No appointment needed. Does email work?"
A specific voicemail that names the property converts better than a generic one. Mention the address, name one concrete finding, and give two ways to respond. Keep the follow-up text to two sentences so the seller understands that you noticed their actual listing rather than sending a mass message.
Email gives you space to deliver the data point that earns the appointment: the pricing gap, the photo count, the missing video or tour content, and the comparison to similar expired listings. If you door-knock, show up with the one-page printout in hand so the visit has a practical reason and the seller has something tangible to keep after the conversation ends.
The 14-day and 30-day follow-ups should lead with new market information, not a repeat of the first pitch. Some sellers need time before choosing the next step, and a changed comp set or shorter days-on-market window gives you a credible reason to re-open the conversation.
Objection handling for expired listings: responses to the three most common pushbacks
Sellers with expired listings are frustrated, guarded, and skeptical of agents. Prepare a direct, data-forward response to each of the three objections below before you dial.
Objections on expired listing calls are usually a request for something different: a different rationale, a different proof point, or a different kind of conversation than the seller had with the previous agent. A response that acknowledges the frustration and pivots to specific data books more appointments than a defensive reply.
Expired listing objection handlers
"I am not sure I even want to relist." "That is completely fair. I am not here to talk you into relisting. What I would love to show you is what the numbers say about your timing: if you do decide to relist, what the market supports today versus three months from now. That way the decision is based on data, not pressure from an agent. Can I send that to your email?" "My last agent said the same things." "I hear that, and it is fair skepticism. I cannot speak to what happened before, but I can show you specifically what I do differently in [Neighborhood]: the pricing methodology I use, the marketing channels, and the average days on market for my listings in the past 12 months. Would a one-page comparison of those three numbers help you evaluate whether there is a real difference?" "We need to think about it." "Of course. Before you do, I want to leave you with one piece of context: homes in [Neighborhood] that re-listed within 60 days of expiration tend to sell for a tighter gap to list price than those that waited longer, because the buyer pool for the property is freshest in that window. I am not asking for a decision today. I just want that number in the conversation when you sit down to think it through. Can I send you the source data?"
The first objection means the seller may be considering renting, waiting, or selling off-market. The second means they heard similar promises from the last agent and need proof of a different process. The third usually means the seller wants one concrete number before committing to another appointment. In all three cases, the response should acknowledge the frustration and pivot to data rather than defending your services.
Expired listings FAQ: answers to what agents and sellers ask most
An expired listing is a property whose MLS listing agreement ended before the home sold. The seller is free to relist with any agent, the contract is clear, and the motivation to move is already established.
Frequently asked questions
Open with the seller's name and the property address, acknowledge that the listing came off the market without selling, and deliver one specific data point about why similar homes expire in the area. Then ask for a 15-minute call to share what you found. Scripts that lead with empathy and a specific finding book more appointments than scripts that open with agent credentials.
A good expired listing script runs under 90 seconds on the phone, names the property address, includes one concrete data point (pricing gap, photo count, or marketing gap), and closes with a single ask: a 15-minute conversation, not a listing appointment. The seven scripts on this page cover every channel: opening call, voicemail, text, email, door knock, and two follow-up windows.
The three most common objections are 'I am not sure I want to relist,' 'my last agent said the same things,' and 'we need to think about it.' Respond to each with a data-forward pivot: offer to send market numbers rather than repeating your pitch. Sellers with expired listings respond to proof of a different approach, not promises of a better outcome.
Common mistakes for expired listings: pitfalls that cost agents the appointment
Most expired listing calls fail before the second sentence. The six mistakes below are specific to expired listing outreach and cost agents appointments every week.
Leading with credentials instead of the property
An expired listing seller has heard agent introductions before. Opening with years in business or production volume triggers the same skepticism the seller felt during the previous listing period. Open with the property address, acknowledge the outcome, and ask one question about the seller’s experience. Credentials belong later, when the seller asks for them.
Calling outside the optimal window
The highest-response window for expired listing outreach is within 24 to 48 hours of expiration. Weekday evenings between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. produce the best pickup rates, because sellers are home from work and the listing has been on their mind. Waiting three or four days lets competing agents reach the seller first and gives the owner time to decide against relisting entirely.
Using a generic script that does not name the property
A script that does not reference the address, the neighborhood, or a specific data point reads as a cold solicitation rather than a targeted analysis. Sellers hear the difference in the first ten seconds. Pull the original MLS listing before you call: note the price, the photo count, the days on market, and any price reductions. That detail becomes the hook in the opening line.
Asking for the listing on the first call
Asking a frustrated seller to sign a listing agreement on the first call collapses two separate conversations into one and loses both. The goal of the first call is one thing: the appointment. At the appointment, the goal is the listing presentation. Keeping those steps separate respects the seller’s timeline and positions you as an agent with a process.
Skipping multi-channel follow-up
A single phone call rarely books the appointment. A five-touch sequence (call, voicemail, text, email, door knock or a second call at day 14) reaches sellers across the channels they prefer and signals that you are persistent without being aggressive. Per Redfin data from August 2024, roughly half of all home listings sit unsold past 60 days on market, which means competition for these leads is real and consistent follow-up is what separates agents who book appointments from those who do not.
Calling without an opinion on why the listing expired
If you call without a specific theory about why the home did not sell, the seller has no reason to believe a re-list with you would go differently. Overpricing is the most common reason listings expire, according to Homes.com’s guide to expired listings: a home priced above the comparable sales sits long enough that buyers assume something is wrong with the property, compounding the original problem. Pull the comps before you call, form an opinion on the pricing gap, and lead with it.
Personalize and practice: how to make expired listing scripts your own
A script rehearsed with real market data converts better than one read cold on a live call. Block 30 minutes before your first expired listing call to personalize each script and practice it aloud.
Replace every placeholder with a real number
Each script uses bracket placeholders because a number specific to your market carries more weight than a national average. Before each call, pull the comparable sales for the address, note the average days on market for expired listings in the neighborhood over the last 90 days, and write those figures into your script. One specific local number in the first 30 seconds is worth more than a full minute of general claims.
For a deeper look at how your brand framing affects every touchpoint in the expired listing sequence, check your real estate bio for how you describe your track record, and draw on real estate slogans that can anchor your leave-behind materials.
Rehearse aloud and cut what sounds stiff
Record yourself reading each script on your phone. Play it back and mark every sentence that sounds unnatural. Cut the stiff parts and replace them with how you would say it to a friend. The goal is internalizing the structure: open with empathy, deliver one data point, ask for a 15-minute conversation. Once the structure is in muscle memory, the words come naturally in every call.
For a complete prospecting workflow that pairs expired listings with other lead sources, the real estate prospecting guide maps out a weekly outreach sequence that keeps your pipeline full across expired, FSBO, and sphere contacts. The cold calling scripts page adds an opener-to-close sequence designed for the first 60 seconds, and the real estate scripts hub covers every scenario: sphere, referral, open house, and buyer consultations.
Build your listing video as the leave-behind
After an expired listing appointment, the seller needs to see what a re-listed property looks like with your marketing. A listing video made from the property’s own photos closes the gap between what the previous agent delivered and what you will do differently. A slideshow video editor animates each photo with motion, takes a short voiceover built from the listing facts, adds captions and music, and exports three formats (9:16 for Reels, 1:1 for the feed, 16:9 for the listing page) from one project.
Pair the video with a consistent brand identity: a real estate branding guide can sharpen your professional name if you are newer to the market or relaunching, and listing description examples show you how to frame the re-list narrative in the property copy. The seller who sees a video proof-of-concept for their home, a confident bio, and a polished leave-behind is looking at an agent with a system. That is the appointment you are competing for.
To get listings as a new or relaunching agent, the how to get listings guide covers the full sourcing strategy: expired, FSBO, geographic farming, and sphere of influence, with a week-by-week activation plan.