Script guide for agents
FSBO scripts that turn for-sale-by-owner sellers into listings
Five word-for-word FSBO scripts for real estate agents: the first call, “we don’t want to pay a commission”, “we already have plenty of interest”, “are you bringing a buyer?” and the follow-up. Plus the objections, the questions that qualify an owner, and the rules for calling FSBOs legally.
The short answer
What a good FSBO call does
A FSBO seller chose to sell without an agent, so a pitch on the first call usually ends it. A good FSBO script asks how the sale is going, finds out what the owner will do if it does not sell by their deadline, and offers something useful with no strings. The listing comes later, from the agent who was helpful and kept in touch while the owner tried it alone.
Read the scripts out loud a few times, then make them yours. If you are calling expired listings too, see our expired listing scripts. Want both on paper? Get the free agent script pack (PDF).
Before you call
Four things to have ready
- A Do Not Call check. A call from an agent offering to list the house is a telephone solicitation. A sign in the yard or an online ad is not permission to call a number on the national registry. Remove those numbers before you dial and reach those owners another way.
- Their ad, read properly. The asking price, the photos, how long it has been posted, any open house dates. You will sound like someone who looked, because you did.
- The local numbers. What similar homes nearby sold for recently and how long they took. This is the most useful thing you can offer a FSBO, and it costs you nothing to share.
- The right hour. Federal rules allow calls between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the owner’s time zone, and some states set a narrower window. Florida, for example, stops at 8 p.m.
The scripts
Five FSBO scripts, word for word
Square brackets are for you to fill in. Each script ends with a short note on why it works.
Script 1: the first call
The aim is a friendly conversation and a reason to call again, not a listing appointment today.
You: Hi, is this [First Name]? This is [Your Name] with [Brokerage]. I saw your house on [Street] is for sale by owner, and I’m not calling to talk you out of it. Can I ask how it’s going so far?
Owner: It’s fine. We’ve had a few people come through.
You: Good. Any offers yet, or mostly lookers?
Owner: Mostly lookers.
You: That’s common in the first weeks. Do you have a date you need to be moved by?
Owner: By the end of [month], ideally.
You: Then here’s something that might help either way. I can send you what the three closest similar homes sold for this year and how long each one took. No strings. Would that be useful?
Why it works: You ask about their plan instead of yours, and the move-out date tells you how real the sale is. The recent sales are a genuine favor, and they give you a reason to call back.
Script 2: “We don’t want to pay a commission”
This is the reason most owners sell by themselves. Agree that it is a fair goal, then talk about what they keep, not what they pay.
Owner: We’re doing it ourselves so we don’t pay a commission.
You: That makes sense, and if you can sell it yourself at the right price, you should. Can I ask what you’d want to walk away with after the sale?
Owner: About [amount].
You: Thanks. That number is the one that matters, more than any fee. If it ever looks like you won’t get there on your own, would you be open to a 20-minute conversation about how I’d get you there?
Why it works: You never argue about the fee. You move the conversation to the owner’s net, which is what they actually care about, and leave the door open. Commission itself is a conversation for the appointment, not the phone.
Script 3: “We already have plenty of interest”
Owner: We don’t need an agent. We’ve had lots of interest.
You: That’s great to hear. Has any of that interest turned into an offer you’d accept?
Owner: Not yet.
You: When it does, the part after the offer is where most owners want help: the inspection, the appraisal, the buyer’s financing. If you get an offer and want a second pair of eyes on it, call me. Can I give you my number?
Why it works: Interest is not an offer, and you let the owner notice that themselves. Offering help at the offer stage is low pressure and puts you in the room at the moment many owners realize they want an agent.
Script 4: “Are you bringing a buyer?”
Owners often ask this first. Never claim a buyer you do not have. It is the fastest way to lose the owner’s trust, and it can break your license rules.
Owner: Do you have a buyer for it?
You: Not today, and if I did I’d tell you straight away. Here’s a question that may matter more: have you decided whether you’ll pay a buyer’s agent if one brings you a buyer? Many buyers shop with an agent, so it’s worth deciding before the first one calls.
Why it works: An honest “no” earns more credit than a vague “maybe”, and the buyer’s agent question is one many FSBO owners have not thought through. Since the 2024 changes to how buyer-agent pay is offered, it is a question they will face.
Script 5: the follow-up call
You: Hi [First Name], it’s [Your Name] with [Brokerage]. We talked on [date] about [Street], and you said you’d like to be moved by [month]. A house like yours on [nearby street] just sold, and I thought you’d want the details. How has your sale been going?
Why it works: You open with their own deadline and a piece of news they can use, so it is a call worth taking. Each follow-up should bring something new: a nearby sale, a price change, a question answered.
Objections
What FSBO sellers say, and what to say back
| They say | What is usually behind it | What to say |
|---|---|---|
| “No agents, please.” | Too many sales calls already | “Understood, and I won’t push. Would the recent sales on your street be useful, with no strings?” If not, thank them and stop. |
| “We’ll list with an agent if it doesn’t sell.” | A plan B they have not chosen yet | “That’s sensible. When would you decide that? I’d like to be one of the agents you talk to.” |
| “Agents just want to list it high and drop the price.” | A bad past experience | “That happens. If we ever meet, I’ll show you the sales I’d price it from before I say a number.” |
| “My cousin is an agent.” | A soft no, or a real relationship | “Then you’re in good hands. If anything changes, I’m happy to help.” Note it and follow up later. |
| “Take me off your list.” | A do-not-call request | “Done, you won’t hear from me again.” Add the number to your do-not-call list that day. |
Qualifying
Questions that tell you if they will list
- Why are you selling, and where are you moving? A move with a date is a seller; “testing the market” may not be.
- When do you need to be moved by? The closer the date, the sooner they will want help.
- How did you set your price? It tells you whether they will listen to recent sales.
- What will you do if it hasn’t sold by then? “List with an agent” is your opening.
- Have you had any offers? An offer that fell through is often the moment a FSBO decides to list.
- Who else is part of the decision? Make sure everyone is at the appointment.
Follow-up
How often to follow up with a FSBO
FSBO sellers usually decide over weeks, not on one call. A sensible starting schedule:
- First week: the first call, then send the recent sales you promised the same day.
- Every week after that: a short call with something new, such as a nearby sale, a price change or an answer to a question they asked.
- Around their deadline: a call to ask how it is going and whether their plan B has started.
- If they sell on their own: congratulate them and ask whether you can help with their next home.
Stop at the first request not to be called. Keeping this schedule for every FSBO in your market is a full-time job, which is why many agents hand it to an inside sales agent.
Common questions
About calling FSBO sellers
What do you say when calling a FSBO?
Say who you are, say you are not calling to talk them out of selling it themselves, and ask how the sale is going. Then ask when they need to be moved and offer something useful, such as recent sales near them. The listing usually comes on a later call.
Is it legal to cold call FSBO sellers?
Yes, if the number is not on the national Do Not Call registry or your own do-not-call list, and you call during allowed hours. An agent offering listing services is making a telephone solicitation, and advertising a house for sale does not change that. Our guide is real estate cold calling legal? covers the rules.
Should I tell a FSBO I have a buyer?
Only if it is true. Claiming a buyer you do not have destroys trust the moment the owner asks for details, and misrepresentation can break your license rules.
How do you convert a FSBO into a listing?
By being useful while they try it alone: recent sales, an honest answer to their questions, and steady follow-up tied to their own deadline. When the sale stalls or an offer falls through, the owner calls the agent who helped, not the one who pushed.
Should I hire someone to call FSBOs for me?
If you are not calling every new FSBO in your market and following up for weeks, an inside sales agent will reach owners you are missing. Our outsourced ISAs make these calls and book listing appointments on your calendar.
Want these calls made for you?
Our ISAs call your FSBOs, expired listings and farm every working day and book listing appointments on your calendar. Book a 15-minute call to see how it would work in your market.