All scripts · The original call breakdown · Objection library
The script
Opening: “Hi, is this [name]? My name is [your name] with [company]. I am calling about the property on [street]. I know I am calling out of the blue, so I will be quick. Are you the owner?”
Permission: “Would you be open to a question about the property, or would you prefer I leave it there?”
Condition: “If I walked through it today, what would I be looking at?”
Timing: “If you did sell, what would the ideal timing look like for you?”
Reason: “What has you thinking about it now rather than a year ago?”
Price: “Have you got a number in your head?”
Frame and close: “I would buy it as it sits, without asking you to make repairs. If your priority is the highest possible price and you are happy to do the work, listing with an agent may fit better. Let me check the numbers and call you at [specific time] with a number I can explain. Does that time work?”
Why each line is there
The opening gives the owner a name, a company and an address. Those details let them decide whether they want the conversation. The out-of-the-blue line acknowledges the interruption, and “Are you the owner?” is a simple first question. If the timing is bad, ask for permission to call at a specific time. Do not deliver the whole pitch over the top of a refusal. If you have the wrong person or property, apologize, correct the record and end the call.
The permission question is deliberately small. It is a request to talk, not a claim that the person needs to sell. The original post also gives a short question for an early “not interested”: would they even look if the number were right. Ask that only if the conversation remains open, and accept the answer. It leaves room for a simple no. If they say yes, do not mistake that for agreement on price or terms. It only means you can ask the next question. If they say no, record it accurately. The not interested response is for understanding a live answer, not a reason to ignore a stop request.
The walkthrough question opens condition without assuming the home is distressed. Let the owner describe repairs, occupancy and things you cannot see from a list. Ask a narrower question only after they answer: roof, systems, layout, water, access or any work they have already done. Mark what they know and what still needs checking. A seller's estimate is useful context; it is not a substitute for an inspection or a repair estimate.
Timing comes before motivation in the original call flow. The two questions together reveal the decision behind a possible sale. Someone may be exploring an offer, coordinating family, waiting on a tenant or moving on a fixed date. None of those situations justifies pressing them. Write their actual words and the date they name. “Soon” means something different to each person. A promised call on Thursday belongs in a task for Thursday, not in a generic sequence.
The price question comes last so the seller is not defending a number before you understand the property. If they have a figure, repeat it to confirm and ask what it includes. If they want yours first, say what you still need to verify. Use the ARV calculator, MAO calculator and MAO formula guide before discussing an offer. If you promise a number at a specific time, do the checks before that call. If an important repair remains unverified, explain the condition on the number rather than presenting an uncertain estimate as a sure closing price.
The frame explains the direct-buying tradeoff: buying as it sits and working toward the seller's timing may be useful, while listing may produce a higher price. Do not claim certainty before title, funding and property facts are checked. The close is an agreement on the next action, ideally a specific callback time with a number you can explain. Tell the owner what you will do, when you will do it and how you will reach them. If they ask for a written offer, confirm what details and terms they expect, then use the written offer response. If they want no further contact, stop. A clean no is better than a follow-up your team cannot explain.
When the conversation changes
Real calls do not follow this order. A seller may ask “What's your offer?” before you ask about condition. Explain that the number depends on the property and ask for permission to check one or two facts. If they ask “How did you get my number?,” answer truthfully from your actual source. If you cannot explain the source, pause your outreach and fix the record. If they say “Take me off your list,” acknowledge it and suppress the number. Do not turn that into another question.
Some owners want to list with an agent. The agent response explains why that can be the right choice. A cash offer may fit a different set of priorities, but you should let the seller make the comparison. Do not invent urgency, promise a certain close or tell them what a contract means in their state. Keep notes about the property and the seller's stated priorities, then hand the lead to the person who can check the offer.
After the call
Before you move to the next number, save the address, condition notes, timeline, reason, asking price and the agreed action. Mark unknowns as unknown. If you promised to call after reviewing comps, create that task and assign an owner. OfferDesk keeps a call note and the next task on the seller record, so another teammate can pick up the conversation without making the owner repeat themselves. The CRM setup guide shows how to make that handoff visible.
Only text where you have a lawful basis to do so, and honor opt-outs and quiet hours. The text below is for a seller who agreed to a follow-up, not for everyone you dialed. Read the seller text scripts and texting guide before scheduling a sequence.
Follow-up text: “Hi [name], Adam with [company]. Thanks for talking about [street]. I'll check the property details and call you [agreed day]. Reply STOP if you don't want texts.”
Use this as a prompt, not a performance
Practice the opening until it sounds like your own voice. Then practice being quiet after the question. The strongest version of this script is usually shorter than the printed version because the seller tells you which topic matters. For a different situation, use the absentee owner, landlord or follow-up script. If there is no answer, use the voicemail guide. The call should leave both people clear on what happens next.
Want a printable copy beside the phone? The free PDF below contains the opening, discovery questions, a note checklist and the agreed follow-up text.