How Do I Call an Expired Listing for an Appointment?

By Greg Harrelson

Greg Harrelson is the founder and leader of the largest Century 21 offices on the East Coast. With offices located throughout South and North Carolina, Greg coaches the top real estate talent in the Carolinas and also founded Real Estate Sales Solutions which has coaching programs like the Agent Success Academy.

Did you also think calling expired listings was going to be easy? In the beginning, I did. I called hundreds of expired listings and picked up a few appointments, but the process felt like a grind. I was working hard, spending long hours on the phone, and still struggling to create consistency.

Looking back, if I had known then what I know now, I would have approached expired listings in a much smarter way.

That experience is why I want to help make setting appointments with expired listings easier for you. I am going to share three simple truths I learned that helped me start setting more appointments and dominate listings in my marketplace.

1. Focus on quality, not quantity. Early on, I focused on making as many contacts as possible. While I did set a few appointments, the results were inconsistent and frustrating. Everything changed when I started asking better questions during my conversations, setting two listing appointments almost every day

Here is the truth most agents overlook. The quality of your conversations matters far more than the quantity of conversations you have.

Expired sellers are not looking for another agent to rush through a script. They want someone who takes the time to understand what happened and why their home did not sell. Here are three questions you should ask every expired seller:

• Why do you feel it failed to sell? This question helps the seller open up about their experience and reveals where the previous listing fell short.
• What condition is your property in? This gives you clarity on the home itself and helps guide a more productive conversation.
• What exactly are you looking for in the next agent you choose? Sellers will often tell you exactly what they want if you give them the opportunity.

Those three questions alone can help you understand the seller, slow things down, and separate you from agents who rush straight into a pitch.

2. Most appointments are set in the follow-up. For a long time, I was a one-and-done caller. If I heard no on the first call, I assumed the opportunity was gone and moved on. Eventually, I realized that more appointments are set in the follow-up than in the initial call.

Here is another truth worth remembering. More appointments are set after you hear the word “no” than when you never hear no at all. When an expired seller says no and ends the call, that does not mean the conversation is over. Your responsibility is to find a reason to follow up that actually benefits them.

Call them back in a few days with something useful. Share insight about pricing, timing, or buyer feedback in their area. When you consistently add value, sellers begin to see you as a resource rather than another agent calling for a listing.

3. Answer the questions they are not asking. I did not start getting consistent listings from expired sellers until I learned how to answer the questions they were not asking out loud. While asking good questions is important, listening carefully is even more important.

Expired sellers are almost always thinking about three things.

• They want to know how much you can sell the home for.
• They want to know how long it will take to get it sold.
• They also want to know if you can actually sell it.

Most sellers will not ask these questions directly, but they are evaluating your answers the entire time. Your listing presentation should clearly address all three topics every single time. When you do that, you remove uncertainty and build confidence without pressure.

Expired listings are not about working harder or making more calls. They are about having better conversations, following up with purpose, and answering the questions sellers care about most.

Following these three tips will help you dominate listings in your marketplace and generate more “come list me calls” without feeling burned out. If you find these steps useful or if you have any questions, just visit realestatesalessolutions.com. I’d love to help you grow your business and take it to the next level.