What to Say When Calling FSBO Sellers for Listings

The most effective FSBO scripts for contacting and listing For Sale By Owner homes over the telephone may seem surprisingly simple and painless. That might be because FSBO sellers are very receptive to calls concerning the sale of their home. This motivation is evidenced by the fact that they are at least attempting to sell their house. Consequently, agents should never consider an initial prospecting call to a FSBO seller a “cold call” just because they aren’t in relationship with the homeowner. These sellers want to sell their homes, so agents should adopt a contributory mindset by attempting to meet that need. Some some simple FSBO scripts and techniques that top prospectors use to help get these homes sold are listed below.

FOCUS ON RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Understand that prospecting for FSBO listings is a numbers game, and even the most effective agents will list no more than 20% of the FSBO sellers they contact. Therefore, it is essential to filter through FSBO sellers quickly over the phone by asking the qualifying questions contained in the FSBO scripts listed below. Don’t always attempt to aggressively close an appointment on the first call or you might find yourself wasting a lot of evenings on fruitless appointments. They may never intend to list with an agent or they might be obligated to use an agent that is a family member of friend if they ever do list their home for sale. Remember that a relationship building approach enables you to interview them as they become more comfortable with you.

SYSTEMATIZE FOLLOW-UP

The key to listing FSBOs is consistent and systematic lead follow up. Experienced prospectors know that many FSBO sellers won’t be ready for a true listing appointment until at least the fifth or sixth contact. This provides repeated opportunities to build the relationship by adding value. Each time provide them with beneficial information like neighborhood data, a comparative market analysis, property profile information or a pre-listing presentation. Call and let them know when other homes come up for sale, go under contract, and sell in their area. Treat each contact as a chance to show your worth as an agent.

FSBO SCRIPTS & DIALOGUES

Ask Three Qualifying Questions:

1) “If I brought you a qualified buyer, would you be willing to pay me a 3% commission?” If yes, continue on to the next question.

2) “How long are you going to try to sell your home on your own before you explore other options?” Cut their answer in half for practical purposes. So if they say 2 months, they will likely list in a month. If their answer is 6 months or less, continue on to the next question.

3) “If you don’t sell your home by that time, what other options will you consider?” Again, this is to ensure that an agent is not their relative or best friend and you don’t waste too much time and effort. If they are open to the possibility of interviewing agents in the future, place them in your lead follow-up campaign and move on to contacting the next FSBO seller!