13 real estate cold calling scripts to increase lead generation

Filling your real estate prospecting funnel involves a lot of outreach, which can be costly and time-consuming. Cold calling can be a great way to connect with prospects – if you do it well.

Successful real estate cold calls come down to preparation, targeting and delivery. If you’re up for the challenge, a database of killer cold calling scripts for real estate agents can help you land more clients.

In this article, we’ll explore how real estate sales cold calling works and share 10 real estate scripts (plus two real estate wholesaling scripts) to help you fill your sales funnel and your CRM with new leads and prospects.

What is a real estate cold calling script?

With a cold calling script, you can plan exactly what you want to say. It’s all written down to ensure you cover all the key areas of your pitch.

Real estate agent scripts are also useful for nurturing different consumer groups.

For example, if you’re calling a first-time buyer, you can create a script that outlines how you can help them navigate the baffling process of buying a house. If you’re calling an investor, you can explain how your services will make it easier for them to buy and invest in worthwhile real estate.

The structure of a cold calling script varies depending on who you’re calling and what you’re trying to achieve. To give you some inspiration, take a look at these 10 cold calling scripts for real estate.

For the examples in this piece, we’re going to use the persona of John, who works for Big Wins Real Estate.

1. The initial cold calling script

Let’s start with a real estate script for making an initial cold call to a potential seller.

Now, let the prospect respond. Showing a prospect that you understand they may be busy is a good way to build rapport.

At this point, your prospect will either give you an objection (such as “I’m not interested or give you a couple of minutes of their time. Regardless of their answer, steer the call with empathy:

• “I totally get it, you’re busy and I understand you can’t talk right now. It’s [prospect’s name], right?”

• “Sure, I can feel your frustration. The market certainly is difficult right now, [prospect’s name]”

• “Of course, I completely understand you’re low on time, [prospect’s name], so I’ll get to the point”

2. The script that measures interest

This script measures a prospect’s interest in the market and whether they’d consider selling their property.

Wait for their confirmation.

By telling the prospect you have interested buyers, you’re creating a sense of urgency which may encourage them to sell.

If the property owner shows an interest, make an appointment to do an initial pricing assessment of their property.

Many homeowners will tell you that they aren’t interested in selling at the moment. If that’s the case, pass on your contact information and explain how they can get in touch with you. A cold lead is better than no lead, so keep them in your sales pipeline to follow up later.

3. The script that positions you as a community champion

Positioning yourself as a champion in the community builds trust between you and your prospects.

This script gets to the point. Your prospect will either say “yes” or “no”. Even if the prospect says “no,” you’ll likely strike up a conversation about the local area.

It’s a great way to build the foundations of a relationship, and they may refer you to friends or family members who are looking to sell.

4. A script for leveraging a recent sale

This real estate script builds trust with prospects by showing that you have sold a property in their local area.

It also helps you with circle prospecting techniques. Homeowners who live near your real estate listings will want to know who you are and how you operate in case they decide to sell or buy a new home in the future. The best real estate agents are consistently building relationships that help them stay top of mind.

Wait for their confirmation.

Highlighting recent sales in a neighborhood is a great way to get a prospect thinking about if it’s also the right move and if you’re the person who can get them the best price.

If the prospect shows a hint of interest, offer up any information about the recent sale that’ll paint you in a good light. It could be how quickly you sold the property, or how well the property was priced (e.g. above market value).

From there, you can book an appointment to meet or price their property for them.

5. The script for nailing your elevator pitch

Elevator pitches have one goal: to highlight why a buyer or seller should pick you as their real estate agent.

Every realtor needs an elevator pitch, but a big mistake is coming across as robotic and callous. You need to sound natural and convincing. It’s crucial to show that you care about helping prospects rather than having your call sound like a rehearsed telemarketing campaign.

Here are some examples:

Or

Your goal with this elevator pitch script isn’t to sell yourself as the best realtor in the area but to book an appointment with the prospect.

If they do object, here’s what you can do:

• Show empathy toward their objection: “I understand you’re busy”

• Ask for details: “Can I ask, why do you have a tight deadline for your property sale?”

• Offer up a solution: “We can get your property sold within your timeframe.”

Positioning the conversation around their pain points can make a difference in success.

6. The script for pitching to someone you already know

Has somebody put their property on the market that you’ve already met at an event or know through a mutual friend? If so, this is a great opportunity for you to connect organically and build on the trust you’ve already established.

Don’t open with the fact that you’re a real estate agent. Try to build the conversation from your last engagement with the prospect.

Reconnecting with someone you’ve already met means they’re much less likely to be defensive. Chances are, they’ll be more open to a discussion and want to keep the conversation casual.

7. The script that gets to the point

Cold calling can be time-consuming. With this script, you can get straight to the point (without making your prospect feel cornered or rushed).

If they’re interested, move on to your next pitching technique. If they say “no”, add them to your CRM as a cold lead and make a note to follow up with them in the future.

8. The script to pitch to a “for sale by owner” (FSBO) prospect

Motivated sellers will sometimes try to sell their homes themselves to avoid commissions and make a fast sale. They’ll usually list their house for sale on websites such as Zillow or Trulia.

If they’re struggling to sell, you can pitch to them to offer them a helping hand and relieve some of the pressure.

Wait for their answer, which will most likely be a “no” if you’ve spotted the property online.

Wait for their answer.

Wait for their answer.

Wait for their answer. By now, you’ve already got some information that can steer the pitch in your favor.

At this point, you may get some objections from the prospect. For example, they might reassure you that they’ve got the sale under control or that they can’t afford a realtor. If this is the case, you can then ask whether they’d change their mind if you could get them the property price they’re asking for.

Either they’ll bite at this point, or they won’t. If they don’t, make a note of it in yourreal estate CRM and follow up with them in the future.

9. The script for cold texting a “for sale by owners” prospect

Phone calls may not be the best method, or the only method, to reach out to potential clients. Cold texting is another option for real estate professionals hoping to find people who need help with a property sale.

Here’s a cold texting “for sale by owners” script.

With this text, you hit a number of important points:

1. You know the area

2. You’ve had success selling houses there

3. The seller may have a lot of offers and could potentially use your help managing them

This script is good for: reaching out to FSBO prospects when a phone call hasn’t worked.

10. The script to follow up on a previous property appraisal

If you’ve given a property appraisal and don’t hear back from a prospect, it doesn’t mean you should write them off. They’ve shown initial interest in selling their property, so try following up six months after the appraisal to see where they’re at.

Wait for their answer.

Wait for their answer. If they say “no”, don’t give up.

Wait for their answer. If they don’t put up any immediate objections, you can talk to them about any new sales or listings in the area.

As mentioned previously, people are often interested in how much properties are selling for in their local area, so use it to your advantage.

11. The script to stop a discussion about commissions

It’s likely your prospect will want to discuss your commission rate. To help them overcome any objections or concerns about your commission rate, this script acknowledges their concerns while moving the process forward by arranging a meeting.

The best way to handle an objection about commission is to extinguish it early.

Here, you’re not agreeing to their terms, but merely acknowledging their concern to help the prospect feel understood. If they won’t move past it and they want to know what your rates are, you can share them but add a caveat that rates can change based on several factors (including sale price).

If your rates are higher than they’re willing to pay, outlining your benefits can be a good way to encourage them to up their budget.

Also, explain that you’ll have a better idea of your rates after reviewing the property in person. After valuing the property, let them know what you can offer them as a realtor and what your commission fee will be.

How to use the scripts in this article for wholesaling

Wholesaling is when a real estate wholesaler puts a seller's home under contract and then finds an investor to buy it. In a wholesale deal, the agent acts as an intermediary between a seller motivated to sell their property quickly and a buyer who wants to purchase a property at a discount.

A wholesaler would use a cold calling script for two reasons:

• To contact potential sellers and help them make a quick sale

• To contact real estate investors and encourage them to make a purchase

All of the scripts in this article can be used for wholesaling houses. However, you might need to tweak them to suit your audience.

Here are a couple of wholesaling real estate scripts you can use as a guide.

12. A wholesale real estate script for contacting a potential seller

Here’s a cold calling script for contacting a potential seller.

Wait for their answer. If they say “yes”, start to build rapport.

Identifying need:

Now, you can offer some value and build a connection.

From here, you can either arrange a time to meet in person or continue the call to further explain your services, prices and what the next steps should be.

If they don’t want to meet or learn more about what you do, let them know that you’ll reach out again in a few months to see if their needs have changed.

13. A wholesale real estate script for reaching out to a potential investor

Use this cold calling script to reach out to a potential investor.

If the investor sounds like a good fit, explain more about what you do and how you can help them achieve their goals.

After this, you can continue the call to further explain your services, prices and what the next steps should be. Or, you could arrange a time to meet in person to discuss your services in more detail. Let the prospect decide what works for them.

If these options don’t interest them, let them know that you’ll reach out in a few months to see if their position has changed.

Does cold calling work in real estate?

When done well, ​​cold calling can be an effective lead-generation tool. In fact, 41.2% of respondents to this survey from Sales Insights Lab said that the phone is the most effective sales tool at their disposal.

It can be challenging and time-consuming, but it can also connect you with potential clients who may not have otherwise found you.

Here are some of the other benefits of cold calling in real estate.

• You have direct contact with potential clients: With other forms of outreach (such as email or paid ads), prospects have the option to keep scrolling. Cold calling cuts through the noise and puts you front and center of the prospect’s attention.

• You can gather immediate feedback: If a prospect doesn’t want to use your services, they can instantly tell you why. This gives you valuable information, which can help you improve your scripts going forward.

• It’s cost-effective. Unlike paid advertisements, direct mail or other marketing strategy tactics, cold calling is a relatively low-cost method of outreach. It does require more time (you may be on the phone for a few hours at a time) but has less impact on your marketing budget.

The secrets to creating the perfect cold calling scripts

There’s no single recipe for success when it comes to cold calling. However, there are some best practices you can follow to increase your chances of conversion.

Identify the purpose

When you know what you’re trying to achieve with your call, you can make a script that’s more likely to succeed. For example, if you want to encourage an investor to buy a property that you’re selling, you can create a script for this exact purpose.

Here are some of the areas to consider when identifying the purpose of your cold call:

• What’s the goal? Start by clarifying the goal of the phone call. It might be to connect with new customers, referrals or past clients who are looking to put their property on the market. Or, it may just be to reach out and see if a homeowner is looking to sell in the future.

• What do you want your prospects to know? Be clear about what information you want your prospects to know from the call. For example, do you want them to know that you’re offering a discount for beginners that are trying to get on the property ladder? Or that you’ll provide a free valuation?

• What are your prospect’s pain points? Think about the challenges your prospects face and how you can solve these problems. This will help you create cold calling scripts that resonate with your audience and build a connection.

Practice makes perfect

According to sales training guru Mike Ferry, practicing real estate cold calling services is the key to making them as successful as possible.

To do this, you must practice and develop your skills for any cold sales pitch. Ferry says this means practicing cold call lead generation with intensity:

You can also enlist the help of other salespeople and real estate cold callers in the office to help you practice the script and share feedback.

The great thing about the real estate industry is that objections from buyer or seller leads are easy to predict, so you can practice a variety of scenarios. As a realtor, you’ll likely get asked for the following information:

• Your commission rate

• Your experience

• How many properties you’ve sold

• If you’re familiar with the seller’s area/property type

If you practice handling these objections in-house, it gives you a better chance of tackling them with confidence in the real world.

Do your research

Before making any real estate cold calls, take some time to research the prospect and their background. This can help you tailor your pitch to their specific needs and establish a connection with them.

Here are the steps you can take to perform this research:

• Identify your target market: Start by identifying the market you want to focus on. Are you looking for first-time buyers, real estate investors or a mixture of both? After figuring out who you want to target, create a buyer persona for your audience. This will give you a better understanding of who they are, what they want and how they behave.
  
  

• Research the area: Learn as much as you can about the area you’re targeting. This includes the local real estate market, property values and recent sales. All of this information will help you understand the market, which puts you in a stronger position to sell.
  
  

• Create a list of potential clients: Based on the information you have from your research, compile a list of potential clients. If you have more than one target audience, you can create more than one list for each type of client.

Focus on the benefits

When making the call, focus on the benefits you can offer your prospect. This will show prospects why your services are worth using and how you can help them overcome their challenges and start to build trust.

Let’s take a look at how you can promote these benefits.

• Highlight valuable services: Outline any unique or valuable services that your real estate business provides. For example, offering a free valuation of their property or providing discounted fees if the property sells within 30 days.
  
  

• Address pain points: Consider the pain points that your prospects may be experiencing and highlight how you can solve the problem. For instance, if a seller wants to make a quick sale, you can explain how your services will speed things along.
  
  

• Use specific examples: Use real case studies to demonstrate how your services have been beneficial to other customers. That way, the prospect can understand exactly how you can help. It also builds trust, showing the prospect that you’ve supported other customers in similar situations.
  

Final Thoughts

To be successful at the cold calling game, you need to do more than dial phone numbers and tell prospects you can sell their house.

Whether you’re just touching base or looking to make ground with an old relationship, the strategy is the same: listen to their pain points, be empathetic and let them know you’re the right realtor to make ground with their property.

To track and manage all your prospects, take a look at Pipedrive’s real estate CRM. With our software, you can track conversations, segment different audience groups and automate follow-ups to keep the relationships going.