How to find expired listings: 9 proven strategies

Expired listings, listings that weren’t sold within their allotted contract time, are a lucrative niche for those who can find and work them. Truth be told, finding expired listing leads requires some effort, digging into records and feeling comfortable with cold outreach. But once you have the formula that works for you, you’ll have plenty of leads to fill your pipeline.

Continue reading as we provide proven strategies to help you locate expired listings across multiple channels.

Looking for scripts? Check out our article Expired Listing Scripts + Best Practices here.

1. Search the local MLS

Time invested: 1-2 hours per week
Cost: Free

A tried-and-true place to find expired real estate listings is your local MLS. Most MLSs will have a search function that allows you to filter expired listings in a specific area for a certain period, such as all “expired listings in Boston for the past 7 days.” Using the MLS directly is a great option for agents who have plenty of time to research the following:

• Homeowner’s names
• Double-check to make sure the property hasn’t been relisted already
• Homeowner’s contact information
• Check the Do Not Call list (DNC list) to ensure the seller isn’t on it. If they are, you can get hit with steep fines for calling or texting – so don’t skip this step!

Like all lead generation systems, having a system in place is crucial. This could look like: every day, pulling the most recent expired listings from the day before, doing your research and contacting the homeowners who have not relisted and are not on the DNC list. Once this becomes a habit, it will get easier and you’ll see more results.

Pro Tip

Don’t have time to do all this yourself? Hire an assistant who can take care of this for you, or create a custom GPT and train it to do this type of work. Check out the article below to learn more.

Related article

Custom GPTs are quietly taking over real estate — here’s how to build one

2. Purchase expired listing leads

Time invested: Minutes to sign up, hours working within product
Cost: $60 to $300 per month

While scouring listings yourself will essentially be free, minus your time and effort, there are paid options that will bring leads directly to your fingertips without having to do the research. We recommend REDX because they specialize in expired listing leads, as well as other niche lead sources. They are also reasonably priced at $60 per month.

REDX does the heavy lifting for you by acquiring contact information for each expired lead and cross-checking it against the DNC list. These leads are funneled into their proprietary Vortex CRM platform and are available for you to reach out to. REDX also features a power dialer, allowing your outreach to go much faster and open up more opportunities for your business.

3. Scour listing sites for properties with expiring red flags

Time invested: 1-2 per week
Cost: Free

You’re constantly on listing sites like Realtor.com and Zillow, so keep your eyes peeled for listings that show signs of becoming expired. Being able to identify listings on their way to becoming expired will give you a leg up on the competition, who are waiting for the expired label to appear before calling. Also, this method is free, so your wallet will thank you.

Here are the most common factors:

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  Days on market. The average length of a listing agreement typically ranges from three to six months (90 to 180 days). So when you see a listing that is creeping towards the 140-day mark, it should be on your radar.
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  Price. You could’ve guessed this one. Overpricing is the most common reason why a listing expires, by far. Since you’re an expert in your location, you’ll be able to spot when a home is priced too high. This, coupled with lots of time on the market, is a telltale sign the listing is expiring.
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  Poor photos. Listings with poor-quality (cell phone) photos or insufficient photos are more likely to expire. First impressions matter, and buyers are looking for homes online, so the first thing they see are the photos. This is an easy fix when you take an expired listing; hire a pro!
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  Proactive marketing. Is the listing advertised on Zillow and not on Trulia or Realtor? Is the listing description well-written and properly showcasing the property? Search for the agent online, are they advertising the property on their social media or website? If not, then the agent isn’t doing everything they can to sell this listing. An expired listing may not receive the same level of marketing attention it deserves.
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  Negotiation skills. This one is more difficult to spot, but some expired listings did receive offers or have been on and off the market several times. This could be a sign of poor negotiating skills on the part of the listing agent or clients who are unwilling to negotiate.
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  Staging. Staging can be as simple as making sure there aren’t clothes all over the floor and the kitchen counters are cleared off. Perhaps adding a few throw pillows and swapping out a brightly patterned shower curtain for a clean white one. A few key touches like this can make a world of difference. If these haven’t been done and the property is still on the market, red flags should be raised because the listing might be expiring soon.

4. Knock on doors in the neighborhood

Time invested: Days or weeks
Cost: Free; if bringing marketing materials, cost for materials is around $100

In some cases, people simply won’t answer their phone when an unknown number calls. Try alternative methods of communication, such as knocking on their door, to make you stand out from your competition. Door knocking is not only beneficial for finding expired listings, but also for identifying general sellers and buyers.

Pick a neighborhood, map out your journey, print marketing materials, practice your speech and be on your way. However, in this particular situation, if you see one or more expired listings in a specific area, start with those and prepare a slightly different speech. Try something like:

Hi, I’m (Name) from (Company). I’m a local real estate specialist in (Area), and was visiting the neighborhood to see if anyone needed my assistance. I saw there were a couple of houses in the area that had been put for sale, but unfortunately, didn’t sell.

Related article

Door knocking for real estate: The ultimate guide + scripts

5. Send expired listing letters

Time invested: 1-2 hours per month
Cost: Cost of paper, printing and letter design could be around $50 to $100

This may sound old school, but sending direct mail to prospective expired listings is effective. Here are some quick facts if you don’t believe me. According to ColorDynamics, direct mail has a response rate of 4.4%, 70% of Americans see direct mail as more personal and real estate brand awareness increases by 39% by using direct mail. All to say, direct mail is effective, and even more so if you’re targeting a very specific audience like expired listings.

Your letter should introduce yourself and your expertise, show empathy for their situation, present solutions to get their home sold and share how to contact you to get started. Of course, you can write your own letter, but in this situation, using ChatGPT could help speed up the process. Obviously, go through the letter to make it sound like you, but here’s a prompt and letter example to work from:

Prompt: You’re a real estate agent who specializes in working with expired listing clients. Write an expired listing letter that will be delivered to expired listing homes in the area, encouraging them to work with you to relist and get their home sold quickly.

Letter: Dear [Homeowner’s Name],

I noticed that your home at [Property Address] recently came off the market without a successful sale. I understand how frustrating and disappointing that can be—especially after investing time, money and energy into preparing and listing your property.

The truth is, homes don’t fail to sell because they aren’t desirable. More often, they fail due to poor marketing, ineffective pricing strategies, limited exposure or lack of agent communication. That’s where I come in.

As a local real estate professional specializing in helping homeowners relist and successfully sell expired listings, I offer a fresh approach and a clear plan designed to sell your home quickly and for top dollar.

Here’s how I do things differently:

• –Custom marketing plan: Showcase your home to the right buyers across the most powerful online and offline channels.
• –Professional staging and photography: Make your home stand out from the competition.
• –Smart pricing strategy: Based on real-time market data, not guesswork.
• –Frequent updates and communication: Via email, phone and/or text, whatever you’re comfortable with, so you’ll never be left in the dark.
• –Proven track record: I have worked with [X number] of individuals in your situation and have turned expired listings into sold homes—fast.

I’d love the opportunity to sit down with you, no pressure, and walk you through exactly what went wrong and how I can help you get the result you were hoping for.

Let’s turn this into a fresh start. Call or text me at [Phone Number] or email me at [Email] to schedule a free, no-obligation home evaluation.

Your next offer could be just around the corner—with the right strategy.

Sincerely,

If you won an expired listing that needs to be relisted with beautiful photos ASAP, check out Collov AI. It uses AI technology to virtually stage a room or remove unwanted objects from photos. Plus, it’s affordable and takes minutes to adjust multiple photos.

6. Use expired listing-focused marketing

Time invested: Ongoing
Cost: $100 to $1,000 per month, depending on marketing materials

Just like luxury real estate agents market themselves for their audience by highlighting gorgeous multi-million dollar listings and top-of-the-line finishes, if you’re trying to attract expired listings, you need your marketing to show that. The messaging on your website, social media, marketing materials, email campaigns and any other platforms needs to use language and images that resonate with those who have expired listings.

Notice the wording and images on the Wise Pelican postcard. It employs empathy by recognizing the owner being “Tired & Frustrated,” but also is straightforward in saying that “I can sell it!” and includes your contact information. If this is emulated across the board on all of your marketing materials, you’ll be known as the go-to agent for expired listings in no time.

7. Reach out to old expired listings

Time invested: 1 hour per week
Cost: Free

Not all expired sellers relist right away. I’ve seen plenty who don’t relist for months or even years. Since most agents who use expireds as their main lead generation source will be calling the new expireds, try focusing on older listings instead or in addition to the new ones. This will also set you apart, as those homeowners won’t be inundated with calls.

Filter your MLS or CRM for expired listings from six months to one year ago. Research the listing first before calling to make sure the property hasn’t been relisted or sold with another agent before you get a chance to call again.

If all signs indicate that the listing has not been sold and the same owners are still living there, take the time to review the property’s details and identify the reasons why it didn’t sell the first time around. Having all of this information will make you well-informed and give the prospects more reason to speak with you. Then, go ahead and give them a call. Here’s what you can say:

Hi [Homeowner], I’m [Name] with [Brokerage]. I saw your home at [Address] was listed in [Month/Year] and never ended up selling. Did you decide to stay put?

8. Target FSBO properties

Time invested: 1-2 hours per week
Cost: Free

For sale by owner sellers are a unique breed of people. These individuals have decided to take on the job of being a real estate agent themselves. While many FSBOs are successful in selling their homes, we know it is a job and takes a significant amount of knowledge, money, time and effort to get a home sold for the price people want. Unfortunately, for these owners, this means the listing often sits on the market, essentially making it “expired.” This is where you come in.

Owners don’t have access to the MLS, so do a quick search on Zillow or Realtor.com to see all the properties that are owner-listed (there will be quite a few – a search on Zillow in my town showed 16). Look into each listing to review some factors:

• Days on market: Has it been on the market for 90+ days? Yes
• Price point: Is it over- or underpriced compared to other homes in the area? Yes
• Photography: Are the pictures eye-catching? No
• Description: Does it describe the home and its best features? No
• Marketing and advertising: When you type in the address, does it appear on other listing sites? No

If your answers echo the answers above, it’s time to make a call to the owner to let them know their listing is practically expired. However, you want to approach with caution. A typical holdup for FSBOs is that they don’t want to pay commission, they’ve had bad experiences with agents in the past and/or they think they can do it themselves (even though their listing is proving otherwise). Try this casual and helpful script:

Agent: Hi, I’m [Name] with [Brokerage], and I saw your listing on Zillow for [Address]. It’s a beautiful home, you’re selling it by yourself?

FSBO seller: Yes, I’m not interested in any help.

Agent: I completely understand that involving someone else in the transaction can be a pain. If you could just give me a few minutes, I’d love to share some thoughts I had when I saw your listing. No pressure, just wanted to help you if that’s ok. What’d you say?

FSBO owners don’t realize they need your services until they do. If you open the door with honest help, not a sales pitch, they are more likely to trust and lean on you. While it might not always sway them into using your services, it may open the door for other opportunities.

9. Speak with absentee homeowners

Time invested: 1-2 hours per week
Cost: Free; if using a lead generation platform, cost could be from $100 to $1,000 per month

Similar to FSBOs, properties that have been left sitting vacant were often once expired listings. Unfortunately, since they didn’t sell, homeowners have left them to sit, becoming absentee owners. Maybe they were waiting for the market to pick back up, or they were trying to find a tenant. Either way, they need an agent’s help to sell the property.

A lot of agents find vacant homes by “driving for dollars.” This is literally driving around the neighborhood looking for signs of vacancy, like overgrown lawns, boarded-up windows and piled-up mail. Jot down the address and search for the owners in public records.

However, a predictive analytics platform like Smartzip is also an excellent resource to find individuals who are most likely to sell, as well as owners of vacant properties. Smartzip uses algorithms to predict who in your specific location is getting ready to sell and puts them at your fingertips.

Related articles

Predictive analytics for real estate: Best tools + guide

How Dean Clark built an 8-figure team working absentee owners (+ script)

The full picture

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to find expired listings. Although it may take some digging, they’re definitely out there, and they definitely need your help! Get started by trying one or two of these expired listing strategies and add (or remove) others as you find out what works for you and your area.