An expired listing is a homeowner who wanted to sell, signed with an agent, and watched the listing run out without a sale. They are often frustrated, sometimes still motivated, and on the morning the listing expires their phone can ring a dozen times. The agent who wins that listing is rarely the first caller. It is the one who sounds calm, asks good questions and has a clear reason why the next listing will go differently.
This guide gives you seven expired listing scripts you can copy, answers to the objections you will hear, a simple follow-up plan, the calling rules that apply to expired sellers, and a free calculator that shows how many listings your expired list can bring in a month.
Last checked October 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Calling rules change and vary by state and province: check with your broker or a lawyer before a large calling campaign.
Before you dial: a 5 minute prep
- Check the number against Do Not Call lists first. Expired sellers get no exception (see the rules below). Scrub every number before it reaches your dialer.
- Read the old listing. Note the list price, price changes, days on market, photo quality and how the home was described.
- Pull two or three recent sales nearby. One honest fact about the market is worth more than any clever line.
- Write down one likely reason it did not sell. Price, presentation, access for showings or marketing. You will test it with a question, not an accusation.
- Decide your ask. In most cases the goal of the first call is a short visit, not a signed listing.
Seven expired listing scripts
Say who you are and why you are calling, ask a question early, then listen. Change the words until they sound like you: a script read word for word is easy to spot.
1. The first call
[If still selling] What do you think kept it from selling? ... That makes sense. When you do put it back on the market, where are you hoping to move?
[Listen] I looked at what sold near you in the last 60 days, and I have a couple of ideas. Would a 20 minute visit this week be useful, say Tuesday at 5 or Thursday at 10?
2. The calm, low pressure version
[Listen] And is that move still important to you this year? ... Then it might be worth a short conversation about what would need to change. Would later this week work?
3. The market facts opener
[If yes] I can bring it by in person, it takes about 15 minutes. Does tomorrow or Thursday work better?
4. Older expired listings (6 to 24 months)
[If still interested] Prices on your street have moved since then. Would a fresh, no obligation price update be helpful?
5. The withdrawn or cancelled listing
[Listen] Thanks for sharing that. If it ever makes sense to try again, I would be glad to show you what I would do differently. Can I check back with you in [month]?
6. The voicemail
7. The follow-up text (only with consent)
Send texts only to people who agreed to receive them, for example during your call. Marketing texts fall under the same TCPA consent rules as prerecorded calls.
Answers to common expired listing objections
| They say | A short answer |
|---|---|
| "We are going to relist with the same agent." | That makes sense, you know them. Before you sign again, would it help to see what the homes that sold nearby did differently? Then you can decide with all the facts. |
| "We are taking it off the market for a while." | Understood. When you do decide to sell again, what would need to be different this time? ... Can I check back with you in [month]? |
| "Your commission is too high." | Fair question. The fee only matters if the home sells. Can I show you what I would do to get it sold, and then you can judge if the fee is worth it? |
| "The market is just slow." | Some homes are still selling near you. The one on [street] sold in [number] days. Would it be useful to see why that one sold and yours did not? |
| "A friend of ours is an agent." | It is great to have someone you trust. If you ever want a second opinion on price or marketing, I am close by and happy to help. |
| "Stop calling me." | Of course, I will take your number off our list today. (Then do it, for every agent on the team.) |
More openers and objection answers are in our cold calling script templates, and more messages for when nobody answers are in our voicemail scripts.
A simple follow-up plan
Most expired sellers do not decide on the first call. A short, polite plan works better than ten calls in one week.
- Day 1: first call. If no answer, one voicemail.
- Day 2 or 3: second call at a different time of day.
- Day 7: third call with one new fact, for example a recent sale nearby.
- Day 14 and day 30: short check-in calls.
- Then every 60 to 90 days: a market update. Many sellers relist months after their first listing expired.
Set a callback for each step so nobody falls through the cracks, and stop at once if the person asks.
Calling rules for expired listings
In the United States, calling an expired seller to win their listing is a telemarketing call. These are the rules that matter most.
- No exception for expired listings. The seller's contract was with another brokerage, so you have no business relationship with them. If the number is on the National Do Not Call Registry, do not cold call it. Source: FTC, Q&A for telemarketers and sellers.
- A fresh copy of the registry. Your copy of the registry must be no more than 31 days old, and you must keep your own internal Do Not Call list.
- Calling hours. Federal law allows sales calls from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the homeowner's time zone, and several states are stricter. Check any state with the free checker in our TCPA rules guide.
- Prerecorded messages and AI voices. Ringless voicemail and prerecorded or AI voice sales messages need prior written consent. A live agent on every answered call keeps you out of that category.
- Numbers on the registry. Mail, a door knock or a handwritten note are the usual ways to reach these sellers instead.
In Canada, the CRTC's National Do Not Call List applies to agents too: register with the list operator, use a copy no older than 31 days and keep your own internal list.
Expired listing calculator
How many listings can your expired list bring in? Enter your own numbers. The default values are examples only: replace them with your real rates after a few weeks of calling.
Try changing the number of attempts: going from 1 to 5 attempts usually does more for your results than any script. For the full picture of dials, conversations and listings across all your lists, see our real estate dialer guide and the cold calling statistics.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to call expired listings?
Many agents call the morning the listing expires, which is why sellers get so many calls that day. Calling a day or two later, or in the early evening, can mean a calmer conversation. Always stay inside legal calling hours for the homeowner's time zone.
Can I call expired listings that are on the Do Not Call list?
Generally no. You have no business relationship with an expired seller, so a number on the National Do Not Call Registry should not be cold called. Use mail, a door knock or a handwritten note instead.
How many times should I call an expired listing?
A short series works best: about five attempts over the first month at different times of day, then a market update every 60 to 90 days. Stop as soon as the person asks you to.
Can I use these scripts in my training?
Yes. You are welcome to quote the scripts in your team training or share the calculator, as long as you link back to this page.
Spend your prospecting hour talking, not dialing
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