When Is the Best Time to Call Expired Listings?

 The phone rings at the wrong moment, and you lose the listing forever. Expired listings are not just leads. They are emotional landmines. The seller has been through a failed listing. They have endured open houses, price drops, and nosy neighbors. Now the contract is over. They are raw. They are skeptical. They are still hoping to sell. 

Calling them at the wrong time can ruin your chance before you say a word. So when is the best time? Many agents ask how many times should you call an expired listing before they give up. The answer depends on your approach.

The Expired Listing Clock Starts Ticking Immediately

The best time to call an expired listing is not a single hour. It is a window. That window opens the moment the listing expires. The first 24 to 72 hours are the most fertile. The seller is still motivated. The pain is fresh. They have not yet committed to another agent. They have not yet decided to rent the property. They have not yet given up. But they are also being bombarded. All agents in the area have access to the same listings that have expired. Your call is just one among many. 

So timing is about standing out, not just being fast. Early morning calls can catch a seller before their day gets loud. Late afternoon calls can catch them during a commute. Evening calls can catch them after dinner. Each has trade-offs. The best time depends on the seller’s lifestyle, not your schedule.

The First 72 Hours: Your Prime Window

You might wonder what time do expired listings hit the MLS. Most systems update at midnight local time, so your first call should be the next morning. How soon should you call an expired listing? Within the first 24 hours is ideal, but not at 6 AM. Real estate cold callers who wait three days often find the seller has already relisted. 

Day one is chaos. Day three is reflection. Day seven is decision time. If you call on day one, you are competing with noise. If you call on day three, you are competing with other agents who are already scheduling appointments. When you call on Day seven, you will most likely be too late. The listing might have been re-listed by that time. Therefore, the answer that makes sense is that you call on the first day, but at the time when you are human.

Expired Listing Calls: When to Call for Better Results 

Best Time of Day to Call: Morning vs Afternoon vs Evening

Let’s get specific. A listing expires at midnight on a Tuesday. By 8 AM Wednesday, the seller’s phone is already buzzing. Agents who call at 7 AM might seem desperate. Agents who call at 9 AM might get a groggy hello. 

The sweet spot is often 10 AM to 11:30 AM. Why? The seller has had coffee. The kids are at school. The morning rush is over. They are at their desk or kitchen table. They are more likely to talk. 

Another strong window is 4 PM to 5:30 PM. The workday is winding down. They are planning their evening. A call then feels like a problem they can solve. Avoid 6 PM to 8 PM. That is dinner and family time. Avoid Monday mornings. Avoid Friday afternoons after 3 PM. Those calls get lost in the weekend shuffle.

A Real-World Example

Consider a seller in a suburban neighborhood. Their listing expires on a Thursday. The first agent calls Thursday at 8 AM. The seller is rushing kids to school. The call is short. The second agent calls Thursday at 7 PM. The seller is cooking dinner. The call is ignored. The third agent calls Friday at 10:30 AM. The seller is home, relaxed, and thinking about the weekend. That third agent gets a 20-minute conversation. That is timing.

Best Day of the Week to Call

Tuesday and Wednesday make up some of the best days for calling expired listings. Monday is too chaotic. Thursday and Friday are too close to the weekend. If you are wondering how much real estate cold calling services cost, it varies. Some charge per hour. Some charge per appointment. The best real estate cold calling companies and services in the USA train their callers to hit these windows. They know that Tuesday and Wednesday mornings produce the highest connection rates.

Weekend Calls: Yes or No?

Saturday morning from 9 AM to 11 AM can be excellent. Sellers are often drinking coffee, browsing Zillow, and wondering why their home did not sell. They have time to talk. Sunday afternoon from 2 PM to 4 PM can also work. But Sunday evening is risky. The seller is dreading Monday. They may not want to discuss real estate.

How Many Times Should You Call?

When you ask how many times should you call an expired listing, the answer is often three to five times over two weeks. Space them out. Do not harass. Provide value each time. Do not read a script. Ask about their experience. Ask what they think went wrong. Offer a specific plan. That conversation is more likely to happen at 10 AM than at 6 PM. Remember that the answer to “How many calls should be made for an expired listing?” varies and is dictated by the seller’s feedback. If the response was “Not yet,” then the next call should be after a week. But if it was “Tell me more,” then another call can be made after two days.

The Emotional Curve: Meeting Sellers Where They Are

The Grief Curve in Real Estate

Here is what most agents miss. The optimal timing for calling on an expired listing is not about you. It is about the seller’s emotional state. There is a concept called the “grief curve” in real estate. The seller has lost a dream. They may be angry at their old agent. They may be embarrassed. They may be financially stressed. Your call should meet them where they are. If you call too early, they are still in denial. If you call too late, they are in acceptance and have moved on. The sweet spot is the “bargaining” stage.

When You Have Something New to Say

Another insight: the best time to call is when you have something new to say. Do not call just to say “I saw your listing expired.” That is a waste. Call when you have a comparable sale that just closed. Call when you have a buyer who missed the home. Call when you have a new pricing strategy. A well-timed call with substance beats a fast call with fluff.

Reaching Both Decision Makers

Also consider the decision maker. Many expired listings are owned by couples. If you call during the day, you may only reach one spouse. That spouse may say, “I need to talk to my partner.” The call stalls. The best time to call is when both are likely home. That is often weekday evenings from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. But you must be brief. You can ask, “Is now a good time, or should I call back when you both can talk?” That respect goes a long way. Real estate cold callers who master this balance close more deals.

When to Bring in a Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant can help here. Keach Assistant can make calls at these optimal windows. They can log outcomes. They can follow up. They can free up the agent to attend appointments.

Tracking Your Results

Finally, track your results. What time of day produces the most appointments? What day of the week? What script? Data beats opinion. After 50 calls, you will see a pattern. The best time is the one that works for your list. And if you are still asking how many times should you call an expired listing, let the data answer. If three calls yield no conversation, move on. If five calls yield a meeting, keep going.

Conclusion

The best time to call an expired listing is a moving target. It is the first 72 hours. It is mid-morning. It is late afternoon. It is when you have a real reason to call. It is when the seller is calm, curious, and ready to listen. You cannot control the competition. You can control your timing. You can control your empathy. You can control your follow-up.

If you need help hitting those windows consistently, consider Keach Assistant. They can make the calls, log the notes, and keep your pipeline warm while you focus on closing. The right call at the right time can turn an expired listing into a signed agreement. 

The wrong call can close a door forever. Choose your moment carefully. And remember that how many times should you call an expired listing is less important than how well you call.

FAQs

When should a Realtor try contacting an expired listing owner?

The middle of the morning is often the best time of the day, from 10 AM to 11:30 AM. At this time, the seller should be up, free of rush, and willing to talk.

Is it too much to call a seller three to five times?

Not at all. In fact, two weeks and several contacts may be necessary to convince an owner to relist his property. If there is no response from the owner, it looks like harassment.

Is it okay to call an owner on weekend days?

It’s good to choose Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, but not Sunday evening, because the seller will think about the coming working week.

What if the seller answers that they are not ready to relist?

Then the owner should be respected, and the seller should agree to come back later. It should be planned for 30 days in advance.

Are expired listings ever sold?

Of course they are! Sometimes the problem with selling is in price or marketing strategy. A new agent can make a difference.