12 expired listing scripts for 2025 + best practices

Working expired listings, listings that didn’t sell under their initial contract, has been at the core of real estate prospecting for decades for a good reason: It’s one of the most straightforward ways to identify homeowners who wish to sell their properties.

Yet many agents struggle with how to approach expired sellers and what to say. Why? Mainly because they’re likely to be upset or angry that their home didn’t sell, and they’re probably blaming their agent for it. Needless to say, there is a definite art to approaching an expired listing lead.

Keep reading to learn what to say to expired sellers and best practices for converting expired listings into closed business.

Want to save all these scripts for your collection? Download them below.

How to approach expired sellers

Before we get into the scripts, it’s important to recognize that expired listings are different than any other type of lead. These homeowners have already attempted to sell their property unsuccessfully, so chances are, they’re feeling frustrated and skeptical about real estate agents.

So, how can you be different when speaking to expired leads?

• Start with the right mindset. Go into your interactions with expired homeowners with the mindset of: They need my help to achieve their goal. This will allow you to bring the right energy to the relationship and not come off as a pushy salesperson.
• Lead with empathy. Show them at the very beginning of your conversation that you understand how they’re feeling and assure them you aren’t trying to sell them anything; you’re only looking to learn more about their situation and find out whether you can help them.
• Listen to their concerns. Let clients express what they are upset about and release all their frustrations. Your job is to gather as much information as possible about the homeowner’s goals, what they’re looking for in price and terms and why the home hasn’t sold yet (it’s not always just that it’s overpriced). Be the consultant the seller needs.
• Ask questions. Getting to the root of the problem often involves a bit of probing, so ask lots of questions. Don’t be invasive, but ask open-ended questions to keep your leads talking to you. This way, you’ll get to know them and the issues that surrounded the previous attempt at selling the house.
• Don’t focus on negativity. This isn’t an opportunity to bash and criticize the tactics of the last agent they worked with. It’s about the solutions you can bring to the table to get their property sold with less stress and more action.
• Prepare to be solutions-oriented. Come prepared with your solutions for lead generation, marketing and advertising so your clients feel that you have something to offer them. Also, review hyperlocal market information so you’ll be able to give them data that is relevant to their property.

Now that we have the groundwork, let’s get into the scripts!

Expired listings scripts

Now that you know how to approach an expired listing, you’re probably wondering what you should say when you do successfully get a homeowner on the phone. We’ve put together a bunch of scripts to use in different situations where an expired property conversation will occur.

1. Initial phone contact script

When you do make contact with an expired seller, you’ll need to be prepared with what to say to make them feel comfortable and open to discussing their situation with you. As mentioned above, it’s important to toe the line with empathy and confidence.

Here are a few simple openers to use during the initial phone call:

• “Hi, this is (Name) with (Company). I noticed your home recently came off the market, and I’m just curious – are you still thinking about selling?”
• “Hi, this is (Name) with (Company). I noticed your home recently came off the market, and I’m just curious – where had you hoped to move to? What about that is important to you?”
• “Hi, this is (Name) with (Company). I noticed your home recently came off the market, and I’m just curious – what price were you hoping for?”

Pro Tip

Remember that your opening line should reflect your personality. One of these lines may work for you, or it may not; judge it based on how confident you feel saying it. Test each of them out and feel free to adjust as you see fit.

2. Appointment script

During your initial conversation with an expired seller, whether that’s by phone, email, social media DM or in person, the goal should always be to set an appointment to see the house and meet with the seller in person. Here’s how to close for the appointment:

“I’d love to come take a look at your home and talk through some different strategies for getting it sold. It wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion, right? Great! I could come by at (give two day/time options). What works best for you?”

3. Door knocking script

While door knocking can seem intimidating, if you approach a stranger’s door with a specific and genuine reason for being there, it makes it easier. In this case, your reason for being there is to see if they’d be open to talking about their expired listing with you. Here’s what to say:

“Hi! I’m (Name) with (Brokerage), and I’m sure you saw that your home’s listing just expired. It seems like a great property; are you still hoping to sell it, or did you decide to stay?”

If they want to sell: “I would love to chat for a few minutes about strategies we could use to sell your property. Or would another time tomorrow or later in the week be better?”

If you’re looking to streamline your lead research (instead of knocking on doors), consider subscribing to a service like REDX. They do the heavy lifting for you, providing a consistent stream of expired listing leads directly into the REDX CRM, Vortex, so you don’t have to search for them. REDX even scrubs the list to make sure phone numbers are not on the Do Not Call list. It’s a huge time saver!

Related articles

Door knocking for real estate: The ultimate guide + scripts

Real estate farming: Strategies to become the go-to agent in your area

4. Mutual friend script

It’s easy enough to look up a homeowner’s name in public records. Try searching for them on LinkedIn or Facebook to see if you have any friends in common. If so, maybe your mutual friend would be willing to make an introduction, turning a cold lead into a warmer lead. This method isn’t always super effective in larger cities, but in small towns, it can be an extremely powerful tool.

Script to mutual friend: “Hi (Name)! I know this is out of the blue and a little random, but I’m wondering how well you know (Seller). I saw that their house was listed for sale but didn’t sell, and I’d like the opportunity to chat with them about it. Looks like you’re connected with them on (social media platform). Would you mind introducing us? Thank you!”

Script to seller: “Hi (Name), my name is (Name) and I saw we were mutual friends with (Friend’s name). The reason I’m reaching out is that I saw your home listed for sale, and unfortunately, it didn’t sell. I’m with (Company) and was wondering if I could be of assistance to you in getting your home sold.”

5. Call from an expired lead script

A lot of times, if you market yourself well, you won’t need to go searching for leads – they’ll come to you. Maybe they saw an ad of yours on social or found you on Zillow and went to your website; either way, they are reaching out to you because they need your assistance. Here’s what do say:

“Thank you for reaching out. I’m sorry to hear your home didn’t sell, and of course, I’d be happy to help! When would be the best time for me to come over, see the house and chat with you about my strategy to get homes sold?”

6. Internet or social media lead script

Internet leads can range from cold leads to very warm leads, depending on how much interaction the customer has had with your online presence. Did they just Google “local agents” and found your website, or have they been following your Instagram or YouTube channel for years? You’ll want to tailor your conversation accordingly, but here are some talking points:

“Thank you for reaching out! I’d love to meet with you to talk about getting your home sold. Just curious – how did you find me?”

“When would be the best time for me to come over and meet with you, how’s (give two day/time options)?”

7. Old expired listings script

A lesser-known yet effective strategy is contacting expired sellers from six months to a year or two ago. There’s less competition since most agents are not doing this, so while it takes some extra effort to research and ensure they never did sell or relist, it can be worthwhile. Here’s what to say:

“I see your home was on the market a while back, and it looks like you decided not to sell after all. Just curious – if you were able to get the price you wanted, would you sell? What’s that price?”

8. Off-market advertising script

Some sellers truly do want or need to take a break from being on the market, and that’s completely ok! We never want to pressure anyone to do something they’re not ready for. Whatever the reason for the property being off the market, there’s still an opportunity to offer value to sellers in this situation:

“Many sellers I work with who’ve been in your situation are feeling frustrated by the process. I can understand if you want to take a break for a while and try going back on the market in the (fall or spring). Why don’t I come by now anyway, though, and we can talk about how I can promote your property off-market until you’re ready to relist?”

9. Networking script

At a networking function, you won’t have time to research everyone there to see if their property is an expired listing. What you can do, though, is tailor your elevator pitch to be more specific in attracting expired sellers. Here’s what you can say to the contacts you meet at a networking event:

“I actually work with many sellers who had their house listed for sale with another agent and weren’t able to sell it. When that happens, the listing expires and the homeowner is free to hire someone else (like me). So please keep an ear out for colleagues or neighbors who are complaining about their homes not selling, and let me know when you hear someone in that situation. I can help.”

Related articles

The ultimate guide to real estate networking

14 powerful tips to master networking as an introvert in real estate

Peer-to-peer networking for real estate professionals

10. Market data script

Perhaps the seller isn’t interested in having the “expired listing conversation” at the moment. You don’t want to push someone into talking if they don’t want to – that’s a fast way to lose a client. If they say they’re not interested, offer to send them information via email if or when they are interested.

Providing market data for the area is really valuable for clients to see what’s happening locally and intrigue them to give you a call back. It will also showcase your expertise and encourage further conversation. Here’s how to phrase it:

“I completely understand that now’s not the right time to relist. Why don’t I check back in with you in a few months, and in the meantime, I’ll keep you updated on the activity in the market. Does that sound good?”

“Would you mind if I kept you updated with market data so you’re informed and ready to go when the time is right?”

11. In-person meeting script

You’ve set the appointment, and now it’s time for your first meeting with an expired seller. Here are some key questions to ask and talking points to use during the appointment:

• “Thank you for inviting me over to see your home! Would you mind showing me around while I take some notes?”
• “I know you had mentioned wanting to (repeat their motivation if you know it from the initial phone call, such as moving somewhere warmer). Tell me more about that goal.”
• “Tell me about your last experience with your agent.”
• “What are you looking for in the next agent you hire?”
• “What’s your ideal timeline for selling?”

12. Follow-up script

Continue following up and attempting to have the conversation until the seller gives you a definitive response, such as “Yes, please come over” or “Please, stop contacting me.” It may feel strange to continue to follow up, so here’s a gentler way to phrase it:

“We’ve spoken before, so I just wanted to follow up on our previous conversation. I don’t want to bother you, but I do want to offer my services, since I specialize in helping homeowners whose homes didn’t sell. Would you be interested in a strategy session?”

The full picture

If you’re looking to add more business to your pipeline, consider including expired listings in your lead generation strategy. Use these scripts and conversation starters to find and convert sellers, leading with questions and truly being the consultant who’s there to help.

About Ashley Harwood

Ashley Harwood began her real estate career in 2013 and built a six-figure business as a solo agent before launching Move Over Extroverts in 2018. She developed training materials, classes, and coaching programs for her fellow introverts. Beginning in 2020, Ashley served as Director of Agent Growth for three Keller Williams offices in the Boston metro area. She’s now the Lead Listing agent for the Fleet Homes team in Massachusetts and a regular contributor to Vetted by HousingWire. She created The Quiet Success curriculum and has taught thousands of real estate agents nationwide. She has also been a guest speaker at top industry events and has been named a leading real estate coach by prominent industry publications.

• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook