When I first started off in real estate, I was one of four newly licensed agents in my brokerage. We’d meet with our broker every week to talk about lead generation, and every week he’d mention his favorite lead source, and the best way to get to them: FSBO homes, and a great FSBO script.
“FSBO homes are perfect leads. They’ve already told you they want to sell and want to sell now. All you have to do is convince them you’re the right person for the job.”
Winning over FSBO leads felt easier said than done in those days…mostly because I didn’t have great FSBO scripts to work with.
Don’t be like young me, take The Close shortcut. Here are five great FSBO scripts, including the Tom Ferry FSBO script that I used to get my first listing.
1. Tom Ferry’s “Appointment Setter” FSBO Script
Rockstar Realtors who are converting FSBOs like crazy will tell you that getting in the door is the most important step to getting a listing. If you can manage to set an appointment and get yourself across the threshold of a FSBO seller’s home, you’ve got a fish on the line, all you’ve got to do is reel them in.
Of course, getting in the door is no easy task. That’s why we love this FSBO script from Tom Ferry.
Here’s his approach for turning a cold call into a listing appointment:
Hi, I’m looking for the owner of the home for sale.This is (name) with (company). As an area specialist, my goal is to know about all the homes for sale in the marketplace for the buyers I’m working with. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about your property?
(Excellent!)
I know the ad in the paper said it had (#) bedrooms and (#) baths, are the rooms a good size?
How is the kitchen?
Have the bathrooms been remodeled?
Would you tell me about the yard?
Tell me about your neighborhood: Has it been a nice place for you and your family?
Is there anything else that’s important to know?
Sounds like you have a great home, why are you selling? (Great!)
Where are you moving? (Terrific.)
How did you decide on that area? (Fantastic.)
How much is the new house you’re buying? (Good for you.)
You know, with as many homes as are on the market right now, what are you doing differently to market yours? What else?
So, do you have to sell this home in order to close on the new one? (Great.)
If you don’t mind me asking, How did you determine your sales price? (Got it.)
OK, so I have to ask, if there was an advantage to using me as an agent to market your home, and it got you a higher sales price, would you consider it?
I know you chose to sell your home FSBO for a reason, I respect that. It also sounds like you’ve got a lot going on and a lot you’re trying to accomplish, and I think I could help. How about we get together for 20 minutes or so, we can talk more about your goals, and whether or not I could help you achieve them. I have some time on __________ or ___________, which would be better for you?
I look forward to meeting with you on (___), thanks again and have a great day!
Why Tom Ferry’s “Appointment Setter” FSBO Script is Effective
First of all, the entire conversation is seller-focused. Every question is about the seller’s property, the seller’s needs, the seller’s desires. People love talking about themselves. Why not give them that opportunity?
Secondly, the conversation starts off with an earnest desire to be more informed about the market and its offerings. Regardless of whether you get this listing or not, this is valuable information that you could leverage with a buyer down the road if the listing doesn’t work out.
Pro Tip: Keep Track of Your Outreach With a Proven CRM
The secret to being successful with FSBO leads? Follow-up. Your CRM is your best friend when it comes to jogging your memory for which FSBO leads you’ve reached out to, what your conversation was like, and which leads have the most potential to actually work with you.
Even better, a proven CRM like Top Producer makes follow-up easy with tested email templates that boast industry-leading open and click-through rates, a personal ” “follow up coach” that prompts you with daily actions to take, and time-saving integrations with your local MLS data, email client, and more. Request a demo to learn more.
2. David Hill’s “We’re Trying to Save Some Money” FSBO Script
Most FSBO sellers are trying the do-it-yourself approach for one simple reason: money.
For many homeowners today, this is a legitimate concern. For example, a homeowner who purchased their property two years ago may not have enough equity combined with the maturation of the market to be able to break even on a sale when you factor your commission. At least, that’s what they think.
Check out what David Hill does to help quell these concerns. We’ve inserted some hypothetical responses here so you can see how Hill deals with answers that aren’t always affirmative.
“Hello, this is (name) calling from the (brokerage). I noticed you have a house for sale in my coverage area. Is it still available?”
“Yes.”
“Great, are you cooperating with real estate agents?”
“No.”
“Okay, I know the area well, and I’m wondering how much you’re asking for the house?”
“$264,900.”
“If I had a buyer who would be a fit, would that be helpful for you?”
“Yes.”
“Great, what I’d like to do is schedule a time to come by and look at the house to see if it would work for any of our clients. I’d also like to share some of the things we do to help FSBOs like yourself. Do you have time this afternoon, or would tomorrow work better for you?”
“You know, I really don’t want to work with an agent. If you have someone who’s serious, you can send them by, but I’m not looking to sit down for a sales pitch with an agent.”
“Sure, I can appreciate that. Let me ask you this: why did you decide to sell your house without hiring a professional agent?”
“Well, I wanted to save the money, you know. A five or six percent commission would be a lot.”
“Yeah, I can understand that completely. Interestingly enough, 90 percent of the FSBOs I speak with tell me the exact same thing. If I could show you a way that I could net you the same or possibly even more money by using our services, would that be something you’d be open to?”
“Well, basically what we’re trying to do is break even. We bought the house two years ago, and the value hasn’t really gone up.”
“So, what is the main reason for your sale?”
“I’ve been transferred. We’re moving to Arkansas.”
“Oh, congratulations. And when will you need to be in Arkansas?”
“We need to be in Little Rock in 90 days.”
“Gotcha, so the clock’s ticking for you. And if the house doesn’t sell in 90 days, what’s your plan B?”
“Well, we’re going to have to go — the house will just be empty.”
“Oh, yeah, I’d hate to have that happen to you. If I could sell the house, have you break even, and get it done before you get to Arkansas, would that be a win for you?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, perfect. Why don’t we meet? I’d love to see if I can do that for you. I’ll be 100 percent honest with you. If I can do it, I’ll let you know. If I can’t, I’ll let you know that as well. How does that sound?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. If you want to give it a shot, you can come on over.”
“Awesome, I appreciate that. I’ll see you this afternoon at four. Will that work?”
“Sure, see you then.”
Why David Hill’s “We’re Trying to Save Some Money” Script is Effective
Hill does a couple of things that really make this an effective FSBO script. First off, he creates a level of camaraderie with the seller, identifying with their needs and commiserating with their pain points.
Also, we love how Hill seals the deal by admitting he may not even be able to help them. That sort of openness goes a long way to landing a listing.
3. Mike Ferry’s “Describe Your Perfect Agent” FSBO Script
We all know that Tom Ferry is a powerhouse in the real estate coaching field, but did you know he isn’t actually the OG of the Ferry family when it comes to this line of work? His father Mike Ferry has run a very successful real estate coaching and mentoring business for over 40 years, and has some fantastic information to share on the topic of FSBO scripts.
Check out Mike’s strategy on getting your prospect to describe what they’re looking for in the agent they didn’t even know they wanted.
Hi, I’m looking for the owner of ___________. Am I speaking to them?
My name is ___________ from ___________, do you have just a second to answer a couple of questions about the sale of your home?
First of all, just because I’m curious, if you sold this home, where would you go next?
That’s exciting! How soon do you have to be there?
Fantastic!
How would you rate your motivation to move, on a scale of 1 to 10?
Good for you!
What methods are you using for marketing your home?
That’s great! How did you determine your sales price?
Fantastic!
Are you prepared to adjust your price down when working with a buyer?
Terrific!
Why did you decide to sell yourself, rather than list with a real estate agent?
Makes perfect sense.
If you were to list with agent who would you list with?
Fantastic!
How did you happen to pick that agent?
Good for you!
If you were to list with an agent, what would you expect the agent to do to get your home sold?
How much time will you take before you will consider interviewing the right agent for the job of selling your home?
Excellent!
What has to happen before you will consider hiring a powerful agent like myself for the job of selling your home?
Tell you what: How about we put a date on the calendar for me to come chat with you about your home after ________. If you sell it before then, great! If not, let’s talk about what I can do for you. How does that sound?
Why Mike Ferry’s “Describe Your Perfect Agent” FSBO Script is Effective
There is a reason Mike Ferry has been around for so long: this script is a sly way to get your prospect to give you a roadmap of what it takes to get hired. We love how he gets the FSBO to drill down into what is going to be important in an agent. Also, even though it isn’t a listing appointment immediately, it gets a date on the calendar, one that you can follow up on later, and keep communication going in the interim.
4. Agent Mastermind’s “I’ve Got a Buyer” FSBO Script
If you’re an agent with a lot of buyers, having a solid script to work with FSBO sellers is a must. A proven dialogue that will get you in the door of FSBO homes gives you access to relatively exclusive listings that the rest of the market may not be aware of, giving you another way to market yourself to your potential buyers as the agent with the “insider info”.
Check out how the collective Agent Mastermind approaches getting buyers in the door of FSBO homes.
Hello may I please speak to the owner of the home for sale at ___________________?
I understand that you’re selling “For Sale by Owner” and I’m not trying to interfere with that, I was just wondering are you cooperating with buyer’s agents?
Oh sure, let me clarify that. When I say “cooperating”, I mean, if I am working with a buyer that makes an offer, are you willing to pay the standard ______% commission in our area for a buyer side only?
Ok, that sounds great!
Do you mind telling me a little bit about your home?
That sounds really nice. I’ve got a couple of buyers right now that I think would be interested. Is there a time I could come by and take a look at the property before bringing my clients through?
Why Agent Mastermind’s “I’ve Got a Buyer” Script is Effective
This is a short and sweet script that buyers’ agents should have in their back pocket at all times. This script does a great job of both communicating in a non-threatening way, and at the same time sounding serious and professional. Remember, your FSBO prospects may not be hip to a lot of Realtor lingo, so when you use a term like “cooperating”, make sure you are prepared to explain it in layman’s terms!
Pro Tip: Find FSBO Leads With REDX
Need help finding FSBO leads fast? REDX scoures the web for all the places that FSBO sellers advertise their property for sale. They even put all the listings in one place with contact info, listing price, and other publicly available helpful data that can make your first conversation with a FSBO much client easier.
Check out REDX to harness the power of your own FSBO dashboard.
5. Breakthrough Broker’s “Choose Your Own Adventure” FSBO Script
Sometimes having a plan of attack for different answers to your responses is helpful. We love how Breakthrough Broker took the FSBO script and turned it into a flowchart so you can help alter your approach midstream if necessary.
Why Breakthrough Broker’s “Choose Your Own Adventure” Flowchart is Effective
If you can feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up when you start to hear “no”, it’s great to have a plan for that. By creating a flowchart, you have an answer to get yourself past the first no, which is often the toughest roadblock for Realtors to overcome.
Tips For Using Your FSBO Scripts Effectively
Now that you’ve got your FSBO scripts, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page as to the best way to use them. Here are some helpful hints that you can use to make sure you are getting the most out of each of these.
- Rehearse Your FSBO Scripts: Find another Realtor who you can use to practice delivering your scripts to. Why another Realtor and not a friend of a spouse? You want to practice with someone who is familiar with the sorts of objections you’ll hear so you can get comfortable with moving the conversation forward even with objections.
- Choose the Best Time To Call: A study by Lead Response Management suggests that the best time to reach people at home for sales calls is between 4p and 6p, Monday through Friday. But, also keep in mind, the FSBO sellers you are working with are expecting calls for their home, so don’t feel like this is set in stone. The best time to prospect FSBO homes is when you feel prepared, confident and can set aside the time on a regular basis.
- Use an AutoDialer: When you are dialing one or two numbers, your fingers work perfectly fine for connecting your call. But, when you have a list of 50 phone numbers you are working through, it is amazing how much time you spend physically dialing and waiting. Using an Autodialer (like REDX’s Storm Dialer) can up your calls per hour by more than 400% by dialing multiple numbers at once, only connecting you to those who actually pick up.
- Get a Dedicated Business Phone Number: For most Realtors, the idea of carrying multiple phones is unrealistic and sounds like a recipe for confusion. But, thanks to great VOIP service providers like RingCentral, this is no longer a problem. Get a dedicated professional phone number to put on your business cards, make and receive calls from your business phone number using your cellphone, and keep your personal contacts separate from your prospects.
Bringing it All Together
Cold calling can be intimidating and frustrating if you are flying blind without a FSBO script to help. Take these scripts, tweak them a little to make them your own, and get out there and start converting FSBOs into bonafide listings.
Thank for this information
Phyllis –
Glad to help, we’re always here for you!
Chris
This is a jewel. Thanks
Hi Andrea –
Glad we could help, let us know if we can answer any questions for you.
Chris
Hey, for some reason I’m not getting the scripts to my email.
Has this happened to anyone else?
Hey Adam,
Did you ever get your scripts? If not, send us an email at info@theclose.com and we can send directly.
I’m looking for assistance in writing out a postcard asking if the owner is interested in selling. Do you have any good script ideas for that way. Thank you.
I know that prospects plus or yellow letters have prewritten postcards specifically designed for FRBO and other potential sellers. Are you an agent or investor?
Hello, I need help putting together a flyer to handout in my neighbor. Can you help?
Hi Bridget –
ProspectsPLUS has a lot of great templates for that for sure.
Chris
Are there scripts available for when you are at you fsbo appointment? I’ve had appointments but have had trouble closing the deal.
Hi Bridget –
We don’t have a collection of those scripts (yet), but you might want to check out the listing presentation article we just published.
Chris
I am a brand new agent in Florida and I am STRUGGLING with cold calling I have tried all of these scripts and nothing has worked! 🙁 Advice?
Hey Bella,
Like anything worthwhile, getting good at cold calling takes practice! Maybe try doing some role playing with a coworker to get warmed up. Subtle tells, like your tone of voice might be making people expect a sales pitch, or, you could just be dealing with the realities of your market. Inventory is low these days.