There are dozens of recommendations on the initial PHONE CALL approach with the expired listing.

1. Are you interviewing agents and may I be on that list?

2. I believe I can tell you why your property did not sell? May I come over to review it with you?

3. I am not calling to list it but rather I take short surveys with sellers that did not sell?

4. I have a buyer. May I come over to preview it?

5. I was not notified by your prior agent about your property, but I noticed that it expired yesterday, may I come over to preview it?

6. Our firm just sold a property down the street, I believe we can sell yours, may I come over to preview it?

7. This area is my specialty, would you be offended if I can by to view your property?

8. I often get relocation assignments for property in this area, may I come over to …….

9. If I could show you how I can sell your house faster, and net you more money, could I …..

10. I am a representative with BuyersBuyDirect.com where buyers purchase a property directly from the seller or listing agent, they do this to avoid paying a Buyer Agent commission, are you still accepting offers?

THE FIRST 7 SECONDS

If you are the 25th caller that day to an expired listing, there is a great possibility you may not get past the first 7 seconds if you “sound like an agent.”

When you answer your phone it is an interruption to your day. Each call to an Expired is an interruption. No matter if you are the #1 agent in the Universe, you are an uninvited guest and had better have a GREAT opening line. Or they will do what you do when you are called by an uninvited guest, you will hang up on them.

NO TRUST

You may be trustworthy, but they have no reason to trust you. They don’t know you. You are the 25th call that day and some agents have been very rude. Some have been pushy. If you even sound remotely like the other agents, you may not get past the first 5 seconds.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING THE SELLER WANTED?

What if you were in their shoes and received 25 calls in one hour? Would you hang up on agents? What is the one thing the seller wanted when they were listed for sale? They wanted one buyer to love their property and purchase it.

Can you draft that one beautiful question that has them intrigued? I learned early in my career when a friend gave me a cassette tape called “Questions are the answer.”

It was a format to design questions filled with intrigue. The questions were not “closed end”, nor were they what are called “alternative choices” questions. The questions are “therapeutic” in nature. They resembled what psychologists would use for breakthroughs with their clients.

QUESTIONS

In St. Louis I would often visit the St. Louis Art Museum. You could spend hours walking around and taking in the century old works of art.

Questions are truly an art form. Take your time to craft your questions. Don’t expect them to be handed to you. Work with them. Experiment with their structure. Pay attention to your cadence as you deliver the question. Are you interesting? Are you monotone?

Take a pad of paper and write out your opening questions for Expireds, for people at Open Houses, for what you would ask a FSBO, or an agent Recruit, or a Builder, or a Probate Attorney.