Cold calling in real estate takes confidence and a bit of moxy, but with the right scripts you should feel better about connecting with and leading your prospects to the outcomes you want. This article will give you the top five real estate scripts for cold calling made for new agents and tips to use them with confidence.
Rather than the specific scripts used for FSBO, expired listings or others, you have to keep your cold calling script very broad when because there is no known pain point. Be flexible to the direction the conversation moves, ask questions, listen, and help lead the person to the desired result of an in-person follow-up.
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Script One: Dangling the Carrot
Hi, I’m _[name]_ with _[real estate company]_. Is this the homeowner?
The reason for my call is that we have buyers current looking for homes in your neighborhood. Would you consider selling your home if you had someone lined up to buy it? [wait and listen]
The goal of this script is offer something enticing with an inherently urgent message and opportunity. You have buyers and you are giving them the opportunity to live somewhere else. These are individuals who will likely say they are not interested (at the moment), but be pleasant and be sure they have your contact information. If they do show interest, offer to meet them to do a quick pricing assessment and book an appointment.
By giving them the opportunity to truly move, you will likely have someone that may not say they are interested in selling at the moment (on the phone) but they will almost certainly bring it up later over dinner conversation and start speculating where they would move. Be sure you follow up with these individuals closely.
Script Two: Leveraging a Recent Sale
Hi, I’m _[name]__ with __[real estate company]_. Is this the homeowner?
I recently sold a property down the street from you at _[address]_ and was wondering if you have thought about selling your home if you knew you could get a fantastic price for it? [wait and listen]
The goal of this script is to have homeowners recognize that “hey if my neighbors sold their home for X amount, so can we!” Sometimes people don’t list their homes because they don’t want the hassle only for their home to sit on the market or not to sell at all.
By leveraging a recent sale, you do show homeowners two things: the potential of listing their home, and that you are the agent to do it. You can expect the response to this script to be that they hadn’t considered selling (cheers if they have), but that becomes the perfect time to talk about the sale you made – how quickly it was done, the effectiveness of your pricing strategy, and get an appointment booked to given them your opinion on their home with no strings attached.
Script Three: The Hot Neighborhood
Hi, I’m _[name]__ with __[real estate company]_. Is this the homeowner?
As you know, our neighborhood market has gotten really hot. I was wondering if you have considered listing your home now that the values are higher than they’ve ever been? There is a lot of demand for homes like yours and there aren’t many for sale right now. [wait and listen]
Often, even in hot neighborhoods, people live busy lives and often don’t stop and consider that their home would likely sell as quickly as those around them with a tidy profit. The goal of the script is to get them to take a step back and consider the conditions the current market they are apart of and what that can mean for them.
Potential responses to this script will vary. Some will be aware of how “crazy” their neighborhood prices have gotten, and others will not realize the value of their own home. Your goal is to emphasize how these conditions don’t last forever, and to get an appointment to give them a quick pricing assessment.
Script Four: The Known Person Cold Call
Hi _[persons name]_, this is _[your name]_! We know each other from _[child’s party, neighborhood event, religious organization, etc.]_ How have you been? [engage here – ask questions, etc.].
I was calling because as you might know, I’m a real estate agent for [brokerage], and I’m just touching base with friends and family to see if they’ve thought about upgrading, downsizing, or selling their home. Have you considered it given the market right now — buyers are really hungry for great places! [wait and listen]
This script gives you a way of both reconnecting, and organically offering them a service from someone they trust. Statistics show that if an individual is going to sell their home, they are more likely to list it with an agent they know or are referred to by friends or family. You are placing yourself top of mind to an audience who is already more likely to use your services than another if they need it.
The great thing about this script is that the potential responses will likely be far less defensive. People you know tend to be more forthcoming about the discussion of selling, saying things like, “we’ve thought about it,” or other open-door answers.
The known person script provides a great opportunity to keep the mood casual but still remain productive. You can often say things like, “well, I can swing by on Saturday and give you an estimate on what your home is worth if you do decide to list it – when are you around?” Getting access to a known person, even if just on the periphery of your network, gives you access to their network as well. Be especially good to them, and be sure to ask at your appointment if they know of anyone else thinking of selling.
Script Five: The Job Interview
Hi, I’m _[name]__ with __[real estate company]_. Is this the homeowner?
I know it might be odd to be getting a call out of the blue, but I’ve been selling a lot of properties in the neighborhood, and was wondering if you knew when you might be putting your home on the market? Next year, two years, five years… [wait and listen]
What would you be looking for when you hire your next agent? [listen, and start a conversation about buyers you have, how many listings you’ve sold in the area quickly, and what makes you different – even your hustle by being on the phone right now]
The goal of this script is to immediately connect with the homeowner over the cold call, humanize yourself, and then get to the point. Most homeowners will move at some point, and you want to capitalize on the fact that now is a time they could do so easily. Listen to their responses, push a bit for them to give you responses, and showcase your own hustle. An appointment to assess their home or meet with them about strategy is the goal.
9 Tips to Dominate with Your Real Estate Cold Calling Scripts
Using real estate cold calling scripts should give you a comfortable introduction, but how do you leverage the scripts you have and maximize their effectiveness? This section will give you eight tips to dominate in your use of real estate cold calling scripts so that your calls go smoothly, you feel prepared, and you get that follow-up appointment.
Research your Cold Calls
Almost everyone has some kind of social media profile online. If you want to give yourself an advantage before you make your cold call, take a few moments to research who you’re calling to get a sense of what their interests are, and what their personality may be like prior to making the call.
While some agents say that this takes away from the point of the rapid phone call, finding a public social media profile can help you join with someone naturally on common interests if you have them, and increase your rate of getting to the next step. Of course, any information you integrate should sound natural, and not “I read that on your Twitter bio,” which can come across as creepy.
Hopefully, you are already on social media and have an established presence there. If you need help building your presence across the board, try CityBlast, a real estate social media platform that automatically finds and posts real estate content to your Facebook and Twitter feeds. Click here for a free 14-day trial.
Define the Outcome You Want Prior to Calling
Having a goal going in will make your calls more productive and the point of your cold calling scripts should be to naturally steer them to whatever your goal would be. Goals could be as simple as setting up an appointment, and/or getting another neighborhood lead.
Many people who live in the area often know those who are thinking of selling prior to the agents who work the neighborhood all the time. For example, in my own neighborhood where property values have increased by over 52% in less than two years, there are some owners who are holding on to their properties while they observe the market but many others who would likely sell if they were asked. Areas like this are primed for farming, and just waiting to have the conversations a realtor could bring to the table.
The casual conversations neighbors have about their properties often ends up disclosing upcoming sales, frustrations, surprises or other agent related interests. For tips to getting the outcome you want from your cold calling, see our top 25 cold calling tips on how the pros call with confidence.
Rehearse to Sound Natural
A real estate cold calling script should not sound like a script, but rather a natural conversation. Rehearse your script in the same location with the same body posture of how you’ll be making the call — perhaps in your home office sitting at your desk.
Along with rehearsing, be sure to keep your energy up and be positive throughout. Home owners may have some definite thoughts about any cold calls they receive, so you want to stay positive, confident, and keep them in as good a mood as you are able. If you can get your homeowner in a positive mood, they will be far more receptive to what you have to say, and leave the conversation with a much better impression of your call and possibilities overall.
If you’ve never done cold calling and still would like further tips on how to implement this to the best of your ability, we offer a Beginner’s Guide to Cold Calling that will help you feel more confident making the plunge.
Know the Best Days & Times to Call
According to recent statistics, 4:00 to 5:00pm is the best window of time to cold call a prospect and Thursday is the best day of the week. While most people give up after calling a prospect only twice, research also shows that it now takes the average person almost eight attempts to reach someone by phone.
Chantay Bridges, Clear Choice Realty & Associates
Chantay Bridges, Clear Choice Realty & AssociatesPersistence and a well managed CRM will be the key to converting cold calls in real estate to clients. Chantay Bridges, a real estate agent in Los Angeles with Clear Choice Realty & Associates, can attest to the value of persistence in converting leads. She makes it a point to work hard during traditionally slow real estate months to always have leads in the funnel, and states, “I’ve always heard that this time or that time of year is slow for real estate. I’ve never adopted that ideal.”
Keeping track of the multiple contacts required to convert leads is the purpose of a well-functioning CRM. Freshsales helps you create effective engagement with your clients and visualize their journey through the sales process, and it notifies you to consistently follow-up each step of the way. The “forever free” version lets you test the waters to see how a CRM can benefit your real estate business. If you’d like to add more features, Freshsales’ paid version starts as low as $12/month. Click here to learn more.
Have a Quick Introduction
It’s important to get your homeowner engaged in the conversation as soon as possible when cold calling. If your introduction is too long, you are going to be listening to a lot of hang-ups.
People are used to getting cold calls for other reasons, such as political campaign contributions, and if your opening is too long they won’t have patience to hear you through. A quick introduction allows you to get your potential lead talking about themselves and their home.
Don’t assume all homeowners need lengthy introductions or extensive education about their market, and give them the space to vocalize what they know and how they see their position.
Ask Questions (and Listen)
There is a difference between those who ask questions with a genuine intent to understand, and those who are simply waiting for their turn to talk. While using a real estate cold calling script may make you more likely to simply “get back to the script,” you want to connect with the person on the phone and be willing to hear them out, understand their position thoroughly, and be sure they feel heard.
In listening, you have the opportunity to understand where they’re at, and offer real solutions. Real estate leads have the possibility of not only bringing commissions, but helping real people. Be a helper, offer solutions, and listen carefully to understand what their needs really are.
A saying from Bernard Baruch that seems appropriate for cold calling comes from our 29 must read real estate quotes, “Most of the successful people I’ve known are the ones who do more listening than talking.”
Make Adjustments in the Conversation
Agents often avoid cold calling because it’s unpredictable. You may be talking to someone about listing their home and find out they’re in the midst of a divorce — yikes! It can be uncomfortable, awkward, and no script will give you all the answers. Be willing to make adjustments in the conversation when necessary and to “go off script” if you feel that is what’s warranted.
While having a real estate cold calling script is a fantastic part of your toolbox, those who use them often will tell you that sometimes the best conversations happen off script. Be flexible and willing to make adjustments when necessary to get to your goal, or just to be a decent human being.
Have Talking Points Ready to Go
Using a real estate cold calling script opens the conversation, but from there can go in a variety of directions. Have talking points ready to go. Conversations that should be ready to go are the “what’s in it for me” (meaning the prospect) talking points. Discussing the prices you got over ask, doing a free in-home pricing consult, or quickness of sales.
If you’ve found them on social media, you might ask them specific questions from information that you were able to glean. For example, if they are looking for a home with a larger yard (if they have pets), or if they were thinking of upgrading to a gourmet kitchen (if you see they enjoy cooking).
Having talking points should also apply to situations when you seem to be at an impasse, and the appointment simply isn’t in the cards. Simple phrases when rejected, like, “do you know anyone who has been having thoughts of selling” can provide you valuable leads even if the initial call did not result in an actionable follow-up with the homeowner.
Last but not least, be sure to do your homework on the neighborhood prior to cold calling. Look at the MLS, be fluent with neighborhood stats, and be able to answer questions about sales in the area. People select their realtor based on a variety of criteria, so don’t let easily discoverable statistics hold you back.
Plan to Follow Up
If you real estate cold calling script sent you on your way to booking an appointment, you already know the follow-up. For those that might have shown interest but weren’t ready for an appointment just yet, further contact will be necessary. Research shows it often takes five follow-up contacts before an appointment is made.
Whether you decide to follow up with a phone call or mailing, it’s important to let the homeowner know that you will check back in with them. An easy way to keep it professional is to send out a postcard to remind them of your conversation. ProspectsPLUS!® offers a variety of postcards specifically for real estate agents. Choose from one of their professionally designed templates or upload your own design and start your postcard marketing campaign today.
Two Groups to Call to Maximize Your Cold Calling Results
Cold calling requires finesse, but directing your calls toward primed groups is a way to improve your chances of successful outcomes. While there are some fantastic real estate scripts for specific types of calls, like FSBO calls or Expired listings, cold calling for prospects is avoided by far too many agents. Here are two groups to target when using real estate cold calling scripts.
Using Real Estate Cold Calling Scripts in Your Neighborhood After Sales
Timing is key to using real estate cold calling scripts in your neighborhood effectively. Not only do you want to call at the right times of the day as stated above, but align calls with your achievements in the community such as a recent sale nearby to increase your odds of conversion.
Be sure that those in your neighborhood see you calling from a local number. While the office may have phone numbers that reflect the neighborhood, you may be calling from a home number that does not. It can be worth it, to get a local number from Grasshopper or a similar service so that calls appear to be right in the neighborhood.
Using Real Estate Cold Calling Scripts in Your Sphere of Influence
Cold calling friends and family contacts can make prospecting fun. Reconnect with your distant uncle, ask about how things have been, if he’s selling or if he knows anyone who is. Chances are, someone in your family has a friend who is thinking of putting their home on the market.
Pat Vosburgh, Vosburgh & Vosburgh, NextHome Gulf to Bay
With 42% of all people finding their selling agent through a friend or family member referral, by calling a family member, you put yourself in a position to be first to mind when the opportunity arises. Your sphere of influence can get you quality leads and be the agents that drive your future pipeline. Pat Vosburgh, a real estate agent in Saint Petersburg, Florida, speaks about her sphere of influence with great enthusiasm, saying “These people are Gold. They are our influencers.”
The Bottom Line
Cold calling is a challenge, but not one to be feared. Using real estate cold calling scripts can boost your confidence, increase your rates of conversion, and fill your pipeline. By using your scripts when you’ve been closing in the neighborhood, or targeting your sphere of influence to both catch up and inquire, you put yourself two steps ahead in the game by positioning yourself well.
Getting quality leads and maintaining communication with them is one of the most important aspects of building your business. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of cold calling, you can buy exclusive leads from Market Leader to help you to edge out the competition and close more sales. Click here to check your area.
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