Expired Listing Outreach Sequence

Expired listings are warm leads — these homeowners want to sell but their last agent couldn’t get it done. The challenge is standing out from the 15 other agents who call the same morning. This workflow creates personalized outreach that demonstrates competence instead of just promising it.

Step 1: Research the Expired Listing

Before writing anything, spend 3 minutes researching each listing. Check the MLS history: original list price, price reductions, days on market, listing photos, and description. Look at what sold nearby during the same period. Identify 2-3 likely reasons it didn’t sell (overpriced, poor photos, bad description, limited marketing). This research is your ammunition.

Step 2: Generate the Initial Outreach Email

Open ChatGPT with your research and use this prompt:

You are a real estate agent reaching out to a homeowner whose listing just expired.

Property: [ADDRESS]
Original list price: $[PRICE]
Days on market: [NUMBER]
Price reductions: [NUMBER AND AMOUNTS]
Likely reasons it didn't sell: [YOUR ANALYSIS - e.g., "priced 8% above recent comps, listing photos were dark, no virtual tour"]
Comparable that DID sell during same period: [ADDRESS, PRICE, WHAT WAS DIFFERENT]

Write a first-contact email that:
- Acknowledges their frustration without badmouthing their previous agent
- Demonstrates you've done homework on their specific property (reference actual details)
- Identifies 1-2 specific things you would do differently (backed by the comp data)
- Offers a no-obligation, specific next step (not "let's chat" -- something concrete like a revised pricing strategy or new marketing plan)
- Keeps it under 150 words
- Tone: respectful, direct, evidence-based

Do NOT use phrases like "I noticed your listing expired" (they know) or "I can sell your home" (everyone says that).

Step 3: Optimize with Lavender

Paste the email into Lavender and score it. Expired listing outreach gets deleted fast, so your email needs to be scannable, mobile-friendly, and under 150 words. Fix anything Lavender flags. Make sure the subject line is specific to their property, not generic.

Step 4: Create the Follow-Up Sequence

Most expired listing conversions happen on the 3rd-5th touch. Generate a follow-up sequence:

Using the same property context, write 3 follow-up emails:

Follow-up 1 (day 3): Share a specific market insight relevant to their property's price range or neighborhood. Include one new data point.
Follow-up 2 (day 7): Send a brief "what I'd change" analysis -- 3 bullet points on marketing improvements with expected impact.
Follow-up 3 (day 14): Final touch. Share a recent success story of a similar property you sold after it expired with another agent. Include the result.

Each email: under 100 words, specific subject line, clear CTA.

Step 5: Personalize and Send in Batches

Review each email for accuracy. Replace any placeholder data with real figures. Send in small batches (5-10 per day) so you can handle the responses. Log everything in your CRM and set follow-up reminders for anyone who opens but doesn’t reply.

Pro tip: The agents who win expired listings are the ones who show their work. Attach a one-page “what I’d do differently” PDF to your first email. It takes an extra 5 minutes to create but separates you from every agent who just calls and says “I can sell it.”