What to Say in the First 30 Seconds of an Expired Listing Call

The expired listing appointment is won or lost in the first 30 seconds. The seller picking up your call has a number in their head, and it is not your name. It is how many agents have already called them since their listing died, usually somewhere between five and fifteen.

That changes everything about how you open. You are interrupting a tired, annoyed homeowner who has heard the same script all week. The agents who win the appointment in 2026 are the ones who sound nothing like the calls that came before them.

This guide breaks down exactly what to say in those first 30 seconds to win the expired listing appointment, why frustrated sellers respond to it, and how to handle the objection most expired listing sellers are waiting to throw at you.

Co-authored by the REDX Publishing Team and:

Kent Brown

Kent is a top-performing Utah real estate agent known for strategic pricing, and famous for his 1,000 call per day challenge.

Read about my 1,000 dial Challenge

What should I say when I first call an expired listing?

The strongest opening for an expired listing appointment acknowledges their frustration and asks for permission to be brief, never launching into a pitch. Sellers shut down the second a call sounds rehearsed, so your first job is to sound human.

The mistake most agents make is leading with themselves. “Hi, this is Jordan with ABC Realty, and I noticed your home came off the market…” The seller has heard that sentence a dozen times this week, and they tune out before you finish it.

A stronger opening flips the focus to them and gives them an easy exit, which paradoxically makes them stay on the line. Try this structure:

1. Name the obvious. “I know your listing just expired, and I’m guessing your phone has not stopped ringing.”
2. Earn the next 20 seconds. “I’m not going to pitch you. Can I ask one quick question and then let you go?”
3. Ask about them, not the house. “When it didn’t sell, what was the most frustrating part for you?”

That third line carries the conversation, because you are not asking for the listing, you are asking what went wrong, and a frustrated person usually wants to tell that story. A forward-looking version works just as well: ask where they were headed when they listed, since reconnecting the seller to the move they wanted reopens the real reason to sell.

How do I sound different from the 10 other agents calling expireds?

Stop selling and start naming what the seller is already thinking. The fastest way to stand out is to say the quiet part out loud: that you know you are not the only call today.

Every other agent is trying to convince the seller they are special. You will do the opposite by admitting the obvious, and that honesty is what makes you memorable and moves you toward the expired listing appointment.

Lead with the truth they expect you to hide

When you say, “I’m probably the eighth agent to call you today, so I’ll keep this short,” the seller relaxes. You just proved you see the situation from their side. That single sentence separates you from the wall of agents reciting the same opener.

The frustration in their voice is aimed at the situation, not at you. They are tired of the calls, tired that the home did not sell, and tired that these same agents were nowhere to be found when they needed them. Meet that with a calm “That sounds frustrating,” then point toward a reason to meet instead of dwelling on the complaint. When a seller says you are the 20th agent to call, the strongest response is not a defense, it is a short acknowledgment followed by a question that moves toward the expired listing appointment.

Trade the pitch for a question

While the other agents talk, you ask. Sellers remember the person who asked what they wanted instead of telling them what they need, so a few questions tend to open sellers up:

• “What do you think kept the home from selling last time?”
• “If you do sell, where are you hoping to go next?”
• “What would an agent have to do differently to earn your trust this time?”

That last question matters most, because the seller hands you their exact criteria, and you can mirror it back when you book the appointment.

What do expired listing sellers actually want from a new agent?

They want a clear answer for why the home did not sell and a plan that is visibly different from the last one. They do not want another confident promise, because the last agent made plenty of those.

Put yourself in their position. They trusted an agent, the home sat, and the listing died, and now strangers are calling to make the same promises that already failed them once, which means trust is what you are really building.

Give them a reason, not a pep talk

Sellers are starving for a diagnosis. Pricing, photos, exposure, showing feedback, the agent going quiet. Pick the most likely cause based on what they tell you and name it plainly. “It sounds like the home was priced for the market you wanted, not the market you had” lands harder than any slogan.

Be the data-driven agent, not the emotional one

Most agents blame the market, so you separate yourself by showing it is often the marketing, not the market. Homes with the same bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage are closing in their area every week.

Walk into the expired listing appointment knowing five numbers:

1. total homes for sale
2. new listings last month
3. new pending sales
4. recent closings
5. average days on market.

When you speak in numbers instead of opinions, the seller starts to see you as an agent worth meeting, which is the shift that earns the appointment.

Show that the timing is on their side

Here is a fact that helps the seller and you: 43% of expired listings relist within 90 days, with a 45-day average relist rate, according to REDX MLS tracking data. You can ground that urgency in the wider market by checking national housing market data before your calls (or better yet, use the built in local market data REDX gives you with the lead).

This is also why expired listings are the fastest conversions in real estate and the smartest starting point for newer agents. To work them at volume, you need a reliable source of fresh contacts, which is exactly what REDX Expired Leads delivers every morning.

How do I handle the “why are you any different” objection?

Answer it before they ask it, and answer with proof instead of adjectives, since this objection often decides the expired listing appointment. The seller is already holding the question “why should I list with you when the last agent failed?” so answer it first.

When you raise the objection yourself, you take its power away. Say something like: “You’re probably wondering why I’d do anything different from the last agent. Fair question. Let me give you two specific things, not a speech.”

It also helps to treat the objection as a good sign. A seller who pushes back is still on the line, and they often pause for a beat before they would hang up, because part of them wants a reason to keep listening. That hesitation is your opening, so answer with proof and keep moving toward the meeting.

Replace promises with specifics

Adjectives like “aggressive marketing” and “hard worker” are noise. The last agent used them too. Specifics cut through:

• A concrete reason the home likely did not sell, based on what they just told you.
• One change you would make first, stated in a single sentence.
• A number that proves you do this seriously, such as how many listings you take or calls you make in a week.

One more thing on staying different: the volume of calls matters, but so does staying compliant. REDX recommends agents avoid dialing numbers on the Do Not Call list, and you can learn how to protect yourself in the DNC and TCPA compliance guide before you start dialing.

How do I turn the opening into a booked expired listing appointment?

Once the seller is talking, your only goal for the expired listing appointment is a short, low-pressure meeting, not a commitment to list. Ask for 20 minutes, not a signature.

The pressure-free ask works because it matches the trust you have built so far. Try:

“Based on what you told me, I think I see what happened. Could I come by for 20 minutes, show you exactly what I’d do differently, and you decide from there?”

That is an easy yes for a seller who finally feels heard.

On the phone, your job is not to win the debate. Handle the objection, step around it, and close for the meeting, then save the proof for the table where you can show the data instead of describing it. Going deep on one objection over the phone usually talks you out of the expired listing appointment, so keep every answer short and keep pointing back to a time to meet.

To keep your opening sharp and consistent on every call, a dialing tool that speeds up your prospecting keeps you in rhythm. The REDX Power Dialer moves you through your list faster so you reach more sellers during the hours they actually answer, without slowing down to dial each number by hand.

Your 30-Second Expired Listing Appointment Framework

Use this as a repeatable structure to set every expired listing appointment. It keeps you human in the opening and specific when it counts.

1. Seconds 0 to 5: Name the obvious. “I know your listing just expired and your phone has been busy.”
2. Seconds 5 to 10: Earn the time. “I’m not here to pitch you. One quick question, then I’ll let you go.”
3. Seconds 10 to 20: Ask what frustrated them most, then stop talking and listen.
4. Seconds 20 to 25: Reflect back one specific reason the home likely did not sell.
5. Seconds 25 to 30: Raise the “why are you different” objection yourself, then ask for a 20-minute meeting.

For deeper scripting once the conversation opens up, study how to prospect expired listings the right way and build your follow-up rhythm around the sellers who are not ready on the first call. The expired listing appointment is rarely won on the words alone, but on sounding like the one agent who listened.