Answers · reviewed by Grant and Gia Freer, updated October 30, 2026
The questions agents ask before the call.
Twenty plain answers about prospecting calls, objections, follow-up and practice, written by two brokers who practiced two hours a day for years. Each one ends with a drill you can run today, alone or with a colleague. No scripts to memorize; the lines are examples, and you say them your way.
What do I say when an expired seller says the last agent did nothing?When an expired seller says the last agent did nothing, do not agree and do not defend. Ask what got in the way, then offer a plan they can compare.What do I say to an owner whose listing just expired?Say who you are, ask one honest question about what happened, get where, when and why, then ask for the appointment and ask again after a no.What is the difference between an expired, cancelled and withdrawn listing?Expired, cancelled and withdrawn are not the same call. Here is what each status means and what changes when you dial.
What do I say to a for-sale-by-owner on the first call?Say who you are, say you are not a buyer, give an owner selling alone something useful, then ask for the appointment and ask again after a no.What do I say on the second and third call to a for-sale-by-owner?Bring something new each time, on the day you said you would call. What to say on follow-up calls to an owner selling alone.What do I say to the objections owners selling alone raise most?Six objections owners selling alone raise most, each with two routes: answer and ask the next question, or answer and ask for the appointment.
Absentee owners, investors and commercial
How do I prospect a multifamily property owner?Multifamily owners think in numbers and time. Identify plainly, say why you are calling, ask about their plans for the building, and end with a date.What do I say when I call an absentee owner?Say who you are and that you're calling about the property, not a home. Ask how it's working for them, then branch by investor or second home.
Sphere, circle, farm and open house
How do I find a seller's real motivation?Ask where they are going, why the move is happening, and when it has to be done by. Say why you are asking, repeat it back, and use it at the options.How do I ask for the appointment without sounding pushy?Ask for the appointment plainly, with two real options tied to what the seller told you. After a no, answer what is behind it and close again.How many times should I ask for the appointment on one call?As many times as it takes: after each no, find what is behind it, answer it, and close again with a different close.How do I reconfirm an appointment so it holds?Reconfirm the day before as a statement with a reason, not a question that invites a no. Three checks, under two minutes, and what to do on a cancellation.How do I practice a listing presentation?Practice a listing presentation in pieces, out loud, with a partner who asks real questions. Here is a drill, what to record, and what to listen for.How do I price a listing with the seller instead of for them?Bring the sales, ask the seller what they see before you say what you think, and let them reason to a price they own. What to say and how to drill it.What do I ask a seller before the listing appointment?Confirm motivation, timing, and every decision maker, hear their view on price, and send the pre-listing package before you walk in.How do I bring up a price adjustment with my seller?Bring the showings, the feedback and the comps, then let the seller draw the conclusion. What to say when the listing needs a price adjustment.
How do you tell an objection from a condition?An objection is a concern a good answer or question can resolve. A condition is a fact no answer changes. Here is how to tell them apart on a call.How do I handle "we want to think about it"?When sellers want to think about it, ask which part, answer it and close again with two day-and-time choices. After a no, find what is behind it.How do I handle the commission objection?The commission objection is usually a question about the net, not the fee. Say your fee plainly, since it is yours to state, and put the net side by side.How do I handle "we're interviewing other agents"?When a seller says they are interviewing other agents, ask one question before you move on. Here is what to say, what not to do, and how to practice it.When the owner says "I'm not interested"What to do when an owner says "I'm not interested" on a prospecting call. Tell a reflex no from a real one with one honest question.When the owner says "just send me information"What to do when an owner says "just send me information." Agree, ask what would help them, get permission to send it, and set a time to go over it.When the seller wants to wait until springWhat to do when a seller says "we'll wait until spring." Ask what the date gives them, work backward from it, and offer a small step that fits it.When the seller says "we already have an agent"What to do when a seller says they already have an agent. Respect a signed agreement and end well. If nothing is signed, ask about their plans.When the seller says "my friend is an agent"What to do when a seller says their friend is an agent. Honor the friendship, ask what matters most to them in the sale, and leave room for their choice.What do I say when a seller wants to wait until after the holidays?What to say when a seller wants to wait until after the holidays: agree, find the real reason, then plan around their calendar and ask for a short meeting.
Follow-up and referrals
How do I follow up with a lead who said "not yet"?Not yet is a timeline, not a no. Call on the day you said you would, open from memory, deliver what you promised, and set the next date with a reason.What should I log after a prospecting session?After prospecting, log contacts, appointments set and held, agreements signed, closings, and every follow-up you set with its date. Under a minute.
How do I get over call reluctance in real estate?Call reluctance is the dread before a prospecting call. It fades when the words have been said before, out loud, to someone who pushes back.How do I practice cold calls for real estate?Practice the first ten seconds alone until you can say who you are and why you called without reading, then full calls with a partner who mostly says no.How do I sound natural on a prospecting call instead of reciting?You sound natural when the lines are yours: practiced until you can say them in your own words, at the prospect's pace, with the request on a falling tone.What do I say in the first thirty seconds of a real estate cold call?Four parts, in order: who you are, why you are calling, a fair time check, then your first real question. What to say and why it works.Why should I smile when I make prospecting calls?A smile changes how you sound, and listening changes what you say next. How to build both habits, on the phone and at the door.Mindset for agents who prospectHow agents who prospect by phone build belief through skill: a short morning routine, resets for hard moments and counting what you control.
How do I run a role-play group for real estate agents?One scenario a session, a prospect player who answers only what is asked, one thing to fix per turn, rotate, and stop at thirty minutes.How many practice calls a week should a real estate agent make?Nobody has measured the right number. One short practice call a day, aimed at your weakest habit, beats a long Sunday session. A floor and a ceiling.What should a real estate call scorecard measure?A useful call scorecard grades what the agent did, not script match, names one thing to fix, reports how the call sounded, and tracks movement over weeks.
Language, tonality and NLP
What is NLP in real estate prospecting, and where is the line?Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) in prospecting is a small set of honest language habits that help a seller feel heard and think clearly.How do I practice real estate conversations in Spanish?Practice Spanish calls with lines written for the Spanish your market speaks, not translated, and a native speaker as your partner. Same habits.
Training programs
AI tools for real estate agents
AI for real estate agents, used to practice the conversation, not replace itWhere AI helps a real estate agent, and where it should not stand in for you. Use it to draft, organize and practice the conversation, then make the call.Why not just practice real estate calls with a general AI chatbot?A general AI chatbot helps with the words. A prospecting call is spoken, live and pushed back on. What a chatbot does well and how to practice the call.
Real estate prospecting, as a daily plan you can keepReal estate prospecting as a daily routine you control. Practice, then prospect in a protected block, then present. Plan who you call and in what order.How to get more listings, one lead type at a timeWhere real estate listings come from, one lead type at a time, and the call that turns each owner into a listing appointment. Practice the call first.Real estate cold calling, built so the owner can say yesHow a real estate cold call is built, part by part, so you can say it your own way. Open plainly, ask one real question, listen, and make yes easy.Real estate scripts, shown as the shape of every callThe shape of every real estate call, from the cold call to the price talk, in plain words, with a link to each full answer. Learn the order, then practice.What do I say when I knock on a door as a real estate agent?Knock around a just listed or just sold home. Who you are, why you are at this door, one fact, one honest question.
Your plan, schedule and habits
Practice this moment
Make one practice call. See your card.
A prospect who sounds real raises this exact moment. Ten minutes, in the browser, no account. The scorecard tells you the one thing to fix.