After your call
Thanks for talking with me just now. This is {{agent}}. As promised, I'll keep texts to one subject: what to do differently with your home. Reply STOP anytime and I won't text again.
Expired listing text scripts: 13 messages that start after you have made contact
A listing expires and the owner is back at the start, which is a good moment to reach out and an easy one to get wrong. A marketing text to a homeowner you have never spoken with counts as a telephone solicitation, and the National Do Not Call Registry and the TCPA consent rules apply to texts as well as calls. So these 13 messages begin after contact: after a call to a number you scrubbed against the registry, after a door knock or a mailed letter when the owner gives you their cell, or when the owner texted or called you first. Each names you, offers an easy exit and promises no price or timeline. Ask your broker about state rules. Copy any message, or add the whole pack to your keyboard and send from any app in one tap.
Works in WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram, Messenger and every other app.
Words in {{double braces}} are blanks. In the textcuts keyboard you fill them with one tap, and the names you used recently come back.
After a call, a knock or a letter
After a door knock
It was good to meet you at the door today, {{name}}. Thank you for sharing your cell number. I'll text only about your home, and if you'd rather I didn't, say so and that's the end of it.
They called after your letter
Thanks for calling about my letter, {{name}}. I'm glad to answer questions here or by phone, whichever you like. Where would you like to start?
They texted you first
Thanks for your message. This is {{agent}}, and I'm glad you wrote. Would a ten minute call be easier today, or would you rather keep going by text?
Before you go further
Check the old agreement is over
Before we go further, {{name}}: is your agreement with your previous broker completely finished? If you're still under contract with them, I'll step back and wish you luck.
First text, with permission
Hi, this is {{agent}}. You said I could text, so here I am. I'd like to offer a short, no obligation conversation about your home and your next step. Reply STOP and I won't text again.
Replies from the owner
Why didn't it sell?
Fair question, {{name}}. I haven't seen your home yet, so I won't guess. Often it comes down to price, photos, timing or access. May I take a look and tell you what I would change?
What is my home worth?
I'd rather not guess a number by text, {{name}}. It wouldn't be fair to you. Once I've seen the home and the recent sales nearby, I can share a range and explain it. Does {{day}} work?
I already have an agent
Thank you for letting me know, {{name}}. I'll leave you to it, and there won't be another text. Good luck with the sale.
They said stop
Understood, {{name}}. You won't get another text from me. Take care.
Setting a meeting and one follow up
Propose a time
Would {{day}} at {{time}} suit you for a short visit? I'll bring recent sales from nearby and a few ideas. If another time works better, tell me and I'll adjust.
One follow up
Hi {{name}}, I'm following up once on my note about your home. If the timing isn't right, that's fine. If you'd like to talk, reply here or call me. Reply STOP and I won't text again.
Send your guide
Here's the short guide I mentioned, {{name}}: {{link}}. It covers pricing, photos and showings. Questions are welcome, here or by phone.
When to send each message
| When | Message | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Within an hour of a call | After your call | Only to a number you scrubbed against the Do Not Call list. |
| Same day as a door knock | After a door knock | Only if they gave you their cell. |
| When an owner replies to your letter | They called after your letter | Reply, do not start. |
| Before any pitch | Check the old agreement is over | Make sure the old agreement has ended. |
| When they ask why it did not sell | Why didn't it sell? | Never blame the previous agent. |
| The day they agree to meet | Propose a time | Offer one specific time. |
| A week after silence | One follow up | Once, then stop. |
Do not say
A cold first text to an owner's cell because the listing expired. A marketing text is a telephone solicitation, and the Do Not Call Registry covers mobile numbers.
Instead: Call a number you scrubbed against the registry, knock on the door or mail a letter, then text once the owner gives you their number or contacts you.
Contacting an owner whose listing is still under an exclusive agreement with another broker ("I saw your listing is about to expire").
Instead: Check the MLS status, wait until the agreement has really ended, and ask the owner to confirm it, as the message "Check the old agreement is over" does.
Blaming the previous agent ("Your agent did a poor job", "They never marketed it right").
Instead: "I haven't seen your home yet, so I won't guess what happened."
Promising a result ("I'll sell it in 30 days, guaranteed").
Instead: "I can show you my plan and the numbers behind it."
Naming a price before you have seen the home, to win the listing.
Instead: Offer a range with reasons after a visit, as in "What is my home worth?"
Texting again after STOP, "not interested" or "I have an agent".
Instead: Confirm once, remove the number and stop.
A first text that does not say who you are or which brokerage you work for.
Instead: Open with your name and brokerage, and add "Reply STOP and I won't text again."
Texting before 8 am or after 9 pm in the owner's time zone.
Instead: Send between 8 am and 9 pm where they live.
Works in WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram, Messenger and every other app.
Frequently asked questions
Can I text an expired listing owner?
Not as a cold first contact. A marketing text counts as a call under the TCPA, so a number on the National Do Not Call Registry needs the owner's permission first, and texts sent with an autodialer need written consent, as the FCC's guidance explains. That is why these messages follow a call to a number you scrubbed against the registry, a door knock or letter where the owner gives you their cell, or a message from the owner. State laws can add rules, so ask your broker.
When is a listing really expired?
When the listing agreement with the previous broker has ended, not when it is about to end. A listing marked withdrawn or canceled in the MLS may still be under contract, and one that was extended or relisted with someone else is off limits. The NAR Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice bar soliciting a listing that is exclusively listed with another broker. If you are unsure, ask the owner, as the message "Check the old agreement is over" does.
How do I answer "Why didn't mine sell?" without criticizing the last agent?
Say you have not seen the home, name the usual factors (price, photos, timing, access) and offer to look. Realtors are held to truthful comments about other professionals, so do not guess at what they did wrong.
Should I give a price or a sale timeline by text?
No. A number sent before you have seen the home can mislead, and a promised timeline is a guarantee you cannot keep. Offer a visit and a range with your reasoning.
What goes in the {{agent}} blank?
Type your name and brokerage, for example "Dana Reyes with Maple Realty", so the owner knows who is writing and for whom. The same value fills the blank wherever it appears.
Do these templates work on the free plan?
Yes. 10 of the 13 use a single blank, which fills in on the free plan. Three use two blanks ("What is my home worth?", "Propose a time" and "Send your guide") and need Pro to fill both from the keyboard. The free plan holds 8 textcuts and 1 folder, and imports are never blocked.