24 of them, answered
What they say, and what to say back
“I'm not interested”Almost always a reflex rather than a decision. It arrives before they have heard what you want, so it is an answer to being interrupted, not to your offer.
“How did you get my number?”A trust question wearing a privacy question. They want to know whether you are legitimate before they will hear anything else.
“That offer is way too low”Usually true from their side. They are comparing your number to a retail listing price, not to a cash sale with no repairs, no agent and no waiting.
“I need to think about it”Either a real need for time or a polite exit. The difference is whether they can tell you what specifically they need to think about.
“I am already working with someone”Often a wholesaler who has tied the property up and gone quiet, which happens constantly. Sometimes a real agent.
“The house is not for sale”True today. It says nothing about six months from now, and most sellers who eventually sell said this first.“I am going to list it with an agent”Reasonable, and often right for a house in good condition. Your opening is the cost and the wait they have not counted yet.“Call me back later”A soft no most of the time, but a real one occasionally. The way to tell is whether they will name the time themselves.“I do not do business over the phone”Fair, and often generational. They are not refusing to sell, they are refusing this format.
“I owe more than it is worth”The most under-served seller on any list, and the one most wholesalers hang up on. There are real structures for this.
“There is a tenant in it”A problem for a retail buyer and almost none for a cash one. This is usually a reason to buy, not to walk.
“I have to talk to my wife, husband or family”Genuine in most cases, and the person you are talking to is often not the decision maker.
“What are you going to do with the house?”A fairness question. They want to know if you are about to make a great deal at their expense.
“I dealt with a wholesaler before and it went badly”Usually true, and usually because somebody tied the house up and disappeared. You are being measured against them.“Send me something in writing”A genuine request as often as it is a brush-off. The tell is whether they will give you an address to send it to.
“How fast can you close?”Not an objection at all. This is a buying signal and it usually means something is forcing a timeline.
“The house needs a lot of work”They are pre-apologising, and often bracing for you to walk. Condition is why you are calling.
“The house is in probate”A timing question, not a blocker. Plenty of these close, they just take a step more.
“Somebody offered me more”Sometimes true, sometimes leverage, and sometimes an offer that will never close.“I do not want to be lowballed”They have been called before, and probably by somebody who opened with a number.“Take me off your list”A direct instruction, and in the United States it is also a legal one under the TCPA.“Just tell me your number”Impatience, sometimes a test. Giving a number blind is how you end up bound to something you cannot deliver.
“I inherited it and I am not sure what to do”Not an objection. Somebody is asking for help while grieving, and how you handle it decides everything.“Are you an agent?”A licensing question, and answering it wrong is a real problem, not just a lost call.