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The fastest way to win an expired listing in 2026 is to combine a short script that earns the conversation with a 60 to 90 second video CMA delivered before any other agent gets in the door. Scripts open the door. The video walks through it. This guide gives you 8 expired listing scripts that still work today, the three objections you will hear on every call, and the video follow-up almost no agent is sending.
Amplifiles is an AI real estate video maker that turns a listing's existing photos into a polished walkthrough video in about five minutes at $1.50 per image (one dollar and fifty cents per image), which is why it has quietly become the default video layer in modern expired listing follow-up workflows.
Why expired listing scripts feel broken in 2026
The expired listing playbook every coach teaches comes from a different phone era. Mike Ferry wrote his scripts when cold calls reached live humans. Tom Ferry refined them when sellers had not yet been called 30 times by the same Tuesday morning. Most of what you read online is a remix of that lineage, and the bones are still good. The phrasing is not the problem.
Three things have changed since those scripts were written:
- Carrier-level spam labels. Most US mobile carriers now flag unknown business numbers as "Spam Likely" or "Potential Spam" by default. If you cold dial an expired seller from an unrecognized number, your call is screened before it rings.
- Post-NAR settlement seller sentiment. After the NAR settlement took effect in August 2024, sellers became more skeptical of the value proposition every agent recites. "I have a marketing plan" no longer differentiates anyone. Sellers want to see the marketing plan, not hear about it.
- Voicemail screening. Voicemail transcription, AI screeners, and the simple fact that nobody listens to voicemails from unknown numbers anymore mean the average expired listing call routes straight to a void. The follow-up is now the lead generator. The call is just the trigger.
The takeaway is straightforward. Treat the script as the way to make the first contact land. Treat the follow-up, particularly a personalized video sent within 24 hours of expiration, as the actual conversion lever. This is also where most agents stop reading the next blog post and miss the part that matters. For more on what a modern agent marketing system looks like once that conversation starts, see our real estate marketing plan template.
8 expired listing scripts that still work
Each of these is short by design. Modern sellers tune out after the second sentence of an obvious pitch. Use these as the frame, then improvise inside the frame.
1. The initial contact script
This is the standard opener for a first-touch dial. The goal is rapport, one diagnostic question, and a soft ask for the appointment.
"Hi, is this [Seller Name]? This is [Your Name] with [Brokerage]. I noticed your home at [Property Address] came off the market recently, and I am calling because I work exclusively with sellers whose homes did not sell the first time. Quick question: if you were going to try again, what would you want done differently this time?"
The reason this works in 2026 is the diagnostic question. You are not telling them what went wrong. You are asking them. That single shift is what separates a useful conversation from another spam call.
2. The 30-second voicemail
Most expired listing voicemails get deleted in three seconds. The ones that get replayed have a specific structure: name, reason for calling, one concrete value point, callback request.
"Hi [Seller Name], this is [Your Name] at [Brokerage]. I am calling about [Address] because I just put together a short video walkthrough showing what I would change about the listing to get it sold. I would love to send it over to you if that is helpful. My number is [Number]. No pressure either way."
This works because it offers something concrete the seller can receive without committing to a meeting. The video walkthrough is the hook. Even sellers who hate agents will text back to see what someone says about their house.
3. The empathy opener for the burned seller
If the seller picks up and you can hear annoyance in the first two words, switch to this.
"I know you are probably getting bombarded with calls right now, so I will be brief. I do not want to add to the noise. Can I ask, if there was one thing that would make you feel confident about re-listing, what would it be? If I can solve that, great. If not, I will not bother you again."
The "I will not bother you again" line is what makes this script work. It removes the pressure dynamic that makes burned sellers hang up.
4. The two-question pre-frame
Use this when the seller agrees to talk for a minute but is clearly evaluating whether to keep going.
"Just so I am not wasting your time, two quick questions. First, are you still motivated to sell, or has that changed? Second, when your home was on the market, where were you hoping to move to? Both of those answers tell me whether I am even the right agent for you."
This script flips the assessment direction. You are interviewing them, which paradoxically makes them want to qualify for the meeting.
5. The "what would have to be different" script
Pull this out when the seller starts listing things the previous agent did wrong.
"That makes sense, and you are not alone. Most of the homes I take on were listed by an agent who did not show up after the listing photos. So let me ask: what would have to be true about the next agent for you to feel like this time is going to be different?"
You are turning a complaint into a brief. Then you fulfill the brief in the appointment.
6. The text message opener
Texting expired sellers is a gray area under TCPA. Get explicit consent before sending automated messages, never use auto-dialer technology to send these, and always include opt-out language. A personally typed text from your own number to a single seller is generally fine.
"Hi [Seller Name], [Your Name] here, local agent in [Area]. Saw your home at [Address] came off the market. I built a short video walkthrough showing what I would change to get it sold. Want me to send it? Reply STOP to opt out."
The reply rate on a text like this is higher than any voicemail. The reason is the same as for the voicemail script: you offered something specific the seller can evaluate without a meeting.
7. The handwritten letter follow-up
Most agents have abandoned mail. That is exactly why it works again. A handwritten note delivered on day 3 or day 4 of your follow-up sequence stands out for the same reason a thank-you card from a contractor stands out: it costs effort, and the seller can tell.
"Dear [Seller Name], I called earlier this week about your home at [Address]. I do not expect you to remember the voicemail. I am writing because I rarely see homes like yours sit, and I think it is fixable. I put together a 90 second video showing what I would do differently. If you would like to see it, my number is [Number]. Either way, I wish you well. [Your Name]"
The note is not the sales tool. It is the permission slip for the seller to call you back without feeling like a target.
8. The day-after-expiration walk-up script
If you do any farming at all, knock on the door the day after the listing expires. Nobody else does this anymore because everyone outsourced cold calling to dialers. That is exactly the gap.
"Hi, I am [Your Name], an agent in the neighborhood. I noticed your listing at [Address] came off the market yesterday and I was already in the area, so I wanted to introduce myself. I work specifically with homes that did not sell the first time. I am not asking for the listing today. I just wanted to put a face to a name in case you decide to try again. Here is my card."
The seller will almost never list with you that morning. They will remember you when they are ready, which is usually 30 to 60 days later. The walk-up is a planting move, not a closing move.
For a deeper view of how these conversations transition into a listing appointment, see our real estate listing presentation guide, which covers the 8 sections of a presentation that wins the relisting.
Three objections every expired seller raises
Memorize one response for each of these. The exact words matter less than the fact that you do not flinch when you hear them.
"We are going back to our old agent"
"That is fair, and it is the right answer if you trust them. Before you commit, would you be open to a 15 minute side-by-side comparison of what they did and what I would do differently? If their plan still looks better, you have lost nothing. If mine looks better, you have saved yourself another six months on the market."
You are not asking them to fire their agent. You are asking them to compare. Sellers will say yes to a comparison far more often than they will say yes to a switch.
"All you agents are the same"
"You are right that most of us pitch the same thing. The reason I am calling is that I do not pitch. I send. Can I send you a 90 second video showing what I would do differently with your specific home? If after watching it you still feel I am the same as everyone else, I will leave you alone for good."
The objection assumes a pitch. The response removes the pitch and replaces it with a deliverable.
"We are taking it off the market for a while"
"Totally fair. Quick question though: if the right offer came in tomorrow at a price you liked, would you take it? If yes, you are not actually off the market. You are off the marketing. Those are different. Can I show you what marketing would look like for the next 30 days, no commitment?"
This script reframes inactivity as an opportunity rather than a closed door. Most sellers who say they are taking a break are actually saying they are tired of the wrong approach.
The video CMA follow-up (the part nobody else does)
This is the section most agents skim. It is also the single highest-impact move in modern expired listing prospecting.
Here is the move. After the call or voicemail, you pull the expired listing's MLS photos, drop them into Amplifiles, record a 20 to 30 second voice-over walking the seller through what you would shoot differently and how you would re-market the home, and send the finished video by text and email within 24 hours of the expiration. The whole production takes about 15 minutes per seller. The video itself comes out in roughly five minutes.
The reason the video CMA outperforms a postcard or an email is that it does three things at once. It shows the seller you actually looked at their home. It shows them you can already produce listing media at a higher level than the prior agent. And it costs them nothing to consume. They can watch it once at a stoplight and call you back.
A 7 photo video in Amplifiles costs about $10.50 to produce, and the first 1,200 credits are free, which is enough to send roughly 8 video CMAs before paying anything. That is a meaningful unit economics shift compared with the $400 to $700 a videographer would charge per listing video. For a full breakdown of what video actually costs in 2026, see our real estate video pricing guide.
What to say in the video itself
Keep the voice-over under 30 seconds. Anything longer feels like a pitch. Structure it like this:
- One sentence acknowledging the seller by name and the address.
- One sentence about what jumped out at you in the photos (specific, not generic).
- Two sentences about what you would change about the marketing approach (lighting, format, distribution, pricing position).
- One sentence inviting a 15 minute call to walk through it in more depth.
Here is the script template:
"Hi [Seller Name], [Your Name] from [Brokerage]. I put together a short video using your listing photos from [Address] because I wanted to show you, not just tell you, what I would do differently. The interior photos are strong, but the marketing skewed toward stills when this home would convert much better as a 60 second walk-through video pushed into [target buyer channel]. If you want, give me 15 minutes this week and I will walk you through the full plan. Either way, the video is yours to keep."
The "yours to keep" line matters. It removes the transactional feeling and replaces it with a gift dynamic. The cost to you is one credit pack. The cost to the seller is zero.
How Amplifiles fits versus other follow-up tools
Most modern expired listing stacks include REDX for sourcing leads, a dialer like Mojo or Espresso Agent for parallel dialing, a CRM like Follow Up Boss for tracking, and BombBomb or Loom for video email. The gap in that stack is the part where you actually make a listing-grade video from the expired seller's own photos. BombBomb and Loom record your face talking. Animoto and Canva require you to do the editing yourself. Amplifiles is purpose-built for the real estate use case where you have the photos and you need a finished 1080p walkthrough video, with captions, music, and a voice-over, in under 10 minutes. That is the slot it fills in the expired listing workflow, and the reason it gets used alongside, not instead of, the rest of the stack.
The 14-day expired listing follow-up sequence
The single biggest mistake agents make on expired listings is one-and-done. Sellers do not list with the first agent who calls. They list with the agent who is still around when they are ready, which is rarely day 1.
Use this sequence as a default and customize it by lead source:
The day 14 script is worth memorizing. It works because it inverts the dynamic.
"Hi [Seller Name], one quick favor. I have been trying to reach you about [Address] for two weeks and I do not want to keep pestering you. Can I have permission to close your file? If you tell me no, I will stop calling. If you tell me yes and ever want to revisit, you have my number."
About one in five sellers respond to this with some version of "do not close it, I am still thinking." That response is the relisting conversation you have been waiting for.
Frequently asked questions
What do you say when calling an expired listing in 2026?
Lead with a diagnostic question rather than a pitch. The 2026 reality is that sellers have heard every variation of the standard script. Ask them what they would want done differently next time, then listen. Follow the call with a short personalized video CMA built from their existing listing photos so the conversation continues even when they did not pick up. Amplifiles produces that video in about five minutes from a folder of photos, which is what makes the follow-up scalable.
How do you contact an expired listing without sounding like every other agent?
Differentiation has moved from script wording to follow-up format. Every agent reads a variant of the same Mike Ferry script. Very few send a 60 to 90 second walkthrough video personalized to the expired seller's own home within 24 hours of the listing expiring. That video is the single highest-impact differentiator available to a solo agent in 2026.
What is the best voicemail to leave on an expired listing?
The 30-second voicemail in section 2 above. The key structure is name, reason for calling, one concrete value point (the personalized video offer works well), and a low-pressure callback line. Avoid pitching your track record on a first voicemail. Avoid the phrase "I just wanted to reach out." Sellers delete those before the third second.
How do you handle the "we are going back to our old agent" objection?
Do not try to displace the prior agent. Ask for a 15 minute side-by-side comparison instead. Position it as risk-free for the seller. If the prior agent's plan still looks better after the comparison, the seller has lost nothing. If your plan looks better, the seller has avoided another six months on the market. This reframing wins the meeting in most cases where the seller has not already signed a new agreement.
Can you text an expired listing seller?
Yes, with caveats. TCPA permits a personally typed one-on-one text from your own number to a seller you are prospecting. What it does not permit is mass automated messaging without express written consent. The safe pattern is to personally type each text, include opt-out language, and never use an auto-dialer for SMS. Even with those constraints, a well-written text outperforms a voicemail by a wide margin because the seller can read it on their own schedule.
How much does it cost to send a video CMA to an expired listing?
Amplifiles charges $1.50 per image (one dollar and fifty cents per image). A 7-image video CMA costs about $10.50 to produce, and the platform gives new users 1,200 free credits, which covers roughly 8 video CMAs at no cost. Compared with the $400 to $700 a videographer would charge per listing video, the unit economics make it realistic to send a personalized video to every single expired listing in your farm area.
Final thoughts
Expired listing scripts have become a commodity. Every agent in your market has access to the same 12 scripts and the same dialer technology. The differentiator in 2026 is not the script. It is the follow-up. A 60 to 90 second video CMA built from the expired seller's own photos and delivered within 24 hours of the listing expiring is the move that almost no agent is making. The agents who add this layer to their existing script work end up closing relistings the rest of the market wrote off.
We built Amplifiles because the gap between "I should send a video" and actually sending one was the difference between an agent who closes expired listings and one who only calls them. Our platform turns listing photos into professional 1080p marketing videos in about 5 minutes, with voice-overs, captions, and branding. No filming or editing required.
Browse real estate video examples to see what a delivered listing video looks like before creating one. Or jump straight to how Amplifiles works for real estate agents and start with your 1,200 free credits.