{"id":2322,"date":"2026-10-24T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/?p=2322"},"modified":"2026-10-24T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T10:00:00","slug":"expired-listings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/expired-listings\/","title":{"rendered":"Expired Listings: How to Find Them and Reach the Owners"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Expired listings are homes whose listing agreement ended without a sale, and their owners are some of the most reachable sellers an agent can find. They also come with rules, because many of those owners are on the Do Not Call Registry and nearly every agent in town is trying to reach them. This guide shows where to find expired listings, which owners you may call, why a letter should come first, and how to follow up over the weeks after. It is one source in our wider <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/real-estate-lead-generation\/\">real estate lead generation guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>What Is an Expired Listing?<\/h2>\n<p>An expired listing is a property that was listed for sale under an agreement that has now ended without a closing. Many of those owners still want to sell. The old agreement is over, so they are free to talk to a new agent, and the home may need a different price, a different presentation or a different plan.<\/p>\n<p>Vendors often quote figures for how many expired homes relist. We could not trace those numbers to an independent source, so we leave them out. What you can say safely is simpler: a homeowner whose home did not sell has just shown that they intended to sell, which makes them a stronger lead than a stranger who has never thought about it.<\/p>\n<h2>How Do You Find Expired Listings?<\/h2>\n<p>You can find expired listings in three places, and the best agents use more than one. If you are building a wider seller plan, our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/listing-leads\/\">finding seller leads and winning listings<\/a> shows how this source fits beside the others.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Your MLS.<\/strong> Most systems let you search by status and expiration date. Ask your broker how your MLS labels expired and withdrawn listings, and read its rules on how listing data may be used before you build a mailing or call list.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Public records.<\/strong> They are free but slower, and they can show owner names and mailing addresses. They tell you who owns the home, not whether the listing has ended.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Your network.<\/strong> Other agents, lenders and past clients often hear when a listing fails. Ask them to tell you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Paid lead companies also sell expired listing lists. If you buy one, ask how the numbers are checked against the registry, because the legal duty to check stays with you.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/hLhOVkxH.jpg\" alt=\"expired listings come from an MLS search, public records, and your network\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2>How Do You Choose Which Expired Listings to Pursue?<\/h2>\n<p>You will not have time for every expired listing, and you should not try. Narrow the list the way you would narrow a farm: by area, price range and type of home. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/real-estate-farming\/\">picking and working a real estate farm<\/a> uses the same idea of choosing a place where you can become the known name.<\/p>\n<p>Then read each listing&#8217;s history in the MLS. Look at how long it sat, how many times the price changed, how the photos and description looked, and whether the asking price matched nearby sales. A home that sat for months at a price well above comparable sales tells a different story from a well-priced home that was shown rarely. Use that history to decide what you would change, and say so briefly in your first letter. Owners respond to a specific observation more than to a generic offer.<\/p>\n<h2>Which Expired Listings Owners Can You Call?<\/h2>\n<p>Owners of expired listings are not exempt from the Do Not Call rules. North Carolina Realtors&#8217; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncrealtors.org\/question\/do-not-call-rules-update\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">summary of the Do Not Call rules<\/a> says the FCC declined to exempt calls to expired listings, and that the same order declined to exempt calls to for-sale-by-owner sellers when the purpose is to offer services to the homeowner. This is general information, not legal advice.<\/p>\n<p>The FTC&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/business-guidance\/resources\/qa-telemarketers-sellers-about-dnc-provisions-tsr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Do Not Call Q&amp;A for telemarketers<\/a> says you must synchronize your lists with the registry at least every 31 days, and that violators may face fines of up to $53,088 per violation. Its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/business-guidance\/resources\/complying-telemarketing-sales-rule\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">guide to the Telemarketing Sales Rule<\/a> lists calling before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. as prohibited.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\">\n<div style=\"overflow:auto\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Situation<\/th>\n<th>Can You Call to Offer Your Services?<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Number is on the registry and the owner has no relationship with you<\/td>\n<td>Not without an exemption<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Number is on your own do-not-call list<\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Owner inquired with you within the last three months<\/td>\n<td>Generally yes, unless they asked you to stop<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Number is not on the registry or your list<\/td>\n<td>Yes, within calling hours and your state&#8217;s rules<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Owner is already under a new agreement with another agent<\/td>\n<td>Do not solicit. Ask your broker how your association&#8217;s rules apply<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/real-estate-cold-calling-scripts\/\">cold calling scripts and DNC rules<\/a> has the full table and a calling log. Texts and automated messages need consent on top of all this, so read our <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/tcpa-compliance-for-real-estate-agents\/\">TCPA compliance guide<\/a> first.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Should a Letter Come Before the Call?<\/h2>\n<p>Mail is not covered by the Do Not Call Registry, and it lets the owner decide whether to respond. A short letter is also a respectful first touch that costs the owner nothing to ignore. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/real-estate-prospecting-letters\/\">prospecting letters for sellers and expired listings<\/a> includes templates you can adapt.<\/p>\n<p>Keep the letter respectful. Do not criticize the previous agent, and do not promise a sale price. Mention the address, say you would like to offer a fresh look at the plan, and give one next step, such as a call or a short meeting. If you also visit, a handwritten note at the door can follow the letter, as our <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/door-knocking-for-real-estate-agents\/\">door knocking guide<\/a> explains.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/DtSmbKpg.jpg\" alt=\"expired listings contact order: letter first, then a call after the registry check, then a text only with consent\" \/><\/figure>\n<h2>What Do You Say First to an Expired Listings Owner?<\/h2>\n<p>Open by asking permission and then ask a question. These two openings are our suggestions, so put them in your own words and keep each call short.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8220;Hi [Name], this is [Your name] with [Brokerage]. I saw that your home on [Street] is no longer listed. Do you have a minute?&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>&#8220;I sent you a note last week. I wanted to ask what you plan to do next with the home.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Then listen. Many owners are tired of the process, and some will say they are done. Thank them, end the call and record it. Anyone who asks you not to call again goes onto your own do-not-call list that day.<\/p>\n<h2>What Does a Follow-Up Calendar for Expired Listings Look Like?<\/h2>\n<p>Most owners will not answer the first time, and the sellers who are still deciding often respond to a steady, polite sequence. The calendar below is our suggestion, not a formula. Drop any step you may not take, such as the call, if the number is on the registry.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/TrmhlFUn.jpg\" alt=\"expired listings follow-up calendar from day one letter to a month three check-in\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>Keep track of every step in your CRM, with a lead source of expired, the date the listing ended and the next action. That record shows you did what you said you would, and it protects you if a complaint arrives. Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/real-estate-lead-follow-up-automation-guide\/\">real estate lead follow-up automation<\/a> shows how to schedule these reminders.<\/p>\n<h2>How Do You Win the Listing?<\/h2>\n<p>When an owner agrees to meet, your job is to show what will be different this time. Bring comparable sales, a pricing method you can explain, and a marketing plan with dates. Use the structure in our <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/listing-presentation\/\">listing presentation template and script<\/a>, and do not promise a price.<\/p>\n<p>Ask what the owner thinks went wrong and listen before you answer. When price was the problem, show the data, and when presentation was, show a new plan. A page built for these owners helps too, and our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/seller-landing-pages-real-estate\/\">seller landing pages and the types that convert<\/a> covers the expired listing version.<\/p>\n<h2>How Do Other Sources Support Expired Listings?<\/h2>\n<p>Expired listings work best beside other sources. When you win one, the neighbors become a natural circle for outreach, and our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/circle-prospecting\/\">circle prospecting around a listing<\/a> shows how. Ask your sphere too, because friends and past clients often know a neighbor whose home did not sell; see <a href=\"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/sphere-of-influence-real-estate\/\">building and working your sphere<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Common Expired Listings Mistakes<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Calling before checking the registry.<\/strong> A complaint can cost more than the listing earns.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Criticizing the previous agent.<\/strong> It makes you look like the next problem.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Promising a price to win the meeting.<\/strong> Overpricing is a common reason a listing expires in the first place.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sending one letter and stopping.<\/strong> Most owners need several touches over weeks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Using a purchased list unchecked.<\/strong> The duty to check the registry stays with you.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not logging calls.<\/strong> Without records you cannot show what you did.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>Expired listings reward agents who are prepared and polite. Find them in your MLS and public records, check the registry before you call, send a letter first, and follow a calendar you can keep. When an owner agrees to talk, show a different plan with data, not a promise. Record every step, and move on gracefully when the answer is no.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Expired listings are homes whose listing agreement ended without a sale, and their owners are some of the most reachable sellers an agent can find. They also come with rules, because many of those owners are on the Do Not Call Registry and nearly every agent in town is trying to reach them. This guide [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2323,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[392],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-marketing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2322"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2352,"href":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2322\/revisions\/2352"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2323"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/infina.ai\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}