Straightforward and Stealth Pitches
Want to hear from a Realtor?
Or more likely, lots of ’em?
Let your listing expire, and just wait.
I don’t make a practice of trolling expired listings for business, but lots of other Realtors — especially newer, less established ones — do.
Would-Be Seller Beware
The pitch can be straightforward — “Hi! I’m Jane Doe. I’m with XYZ Broker, and saw that your listing expired. I just wanted to introduce myself and discuss how I can help you sell your home . . . ”
Or, it can be a little more “stealth”: “Hi, I’m Jane Doe. I saw that your listing expired, and may have a Buyer for you. When is a good time to talk?” (Note: sometimes such Realtors really do have a client in tow . . . more often they don’t.)
Occasionally, the foregoing pitch is accompanied by the Realtor’s claim to be a “neighborhood specialist” (sometimes true . . . often not).
Jumping the Gun, or, The Especially Well-Timed Preview
In fact, agents at one Twin Cities broker are known for not waiting for listings to expire to solicit the owner.
Their “m.o.” is to screen listings approaching 3 or 6 months of market time — a common listing contract term — and “coincidentally” schedule Previews then.
The goal?
Leave their business card on the owner’s Dining Room table, and — if the owner happens to be around (permissible with Previews) — engage them in a dialogue.
With tight inventory continuing to be the order of the day, look for a proliferation of such tactics — and more aggressive variations on same — in the coming year.
See also, “Too Much — and Too Little — Realtor Attention.”