FSBO
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For sale by owner homes were 5% of sellers in NAR’s 2025 Profile, an all-time low. Of those FSBO sellers, 60% knew the buyer, and 40% did not actively market the home.

That splits your FSBO list in two. Some owners are selling to a neighbor or a relative and do not need you. Others put a sign in the yard and are waiting. Your first question sorts them.

A yard sign or a by-owner ad is not permission to call. If your purpose is to win the listing, the Do Not Call rules apply, and a registered number gets a visit or a note instead.

You: Hi, I’m calling about the home for sale on [street]. Is this the owner? This is [your name], a real estate agent with [brokerage], so you know who you’re talking to. Do you already have a buyer lined up, or are you still looking?

If they have a buyer. You: Then you don’t need me, and I’m glad it’s going well. If the paperwork gets tangled, I’m happy to answer a question. Thanks for your time.

If they are still looking. You: How has it been so far? How many people have come through?

You: Why are you selling on your own? I ask because some people are saving the fee and some just want control of it.

You: I’m not calling to change your mind. I have a one-page sheet that shows what a seller walks away with at a given price. Can I drop one off? It’s yours either way.

Call when you said you would. Bring what you offered and one new thing: a sold price on their street, or a question buyers keep asking.

You: You’ve been on the market [days] days now. What are buyers saying when they see it?

You: If it hasn’t sold by [date], would you want to look at what an agent would do differently, or are you set on doing this yourself? Either answer is fine.

Them: We don’t want to pay a commission. You: That’s a fair reason. Commissions aren’t set by law and they’re negotiable, so the real question is what you’d net each way. Want me to run both on the sheet?

Them: We don’t work with agents. You: Understood, and I won’t push. Would it help to know what the last three homes on your street sold for?

Them: Do you have a buyer? You: Only say yes if you do. If not: No, I don’t have one today. I’m calling because you’re selling near where I work.

You: Hi, I’m [your name], an agent with [brokerage]. I saw the sign. I’m not here to talk you into listing. Do you have a buyer yet? If not, I brought a sheet that shows what you’d net at your price. It’s yours.

Hand it over and leave. Check your town’s solicitor rules before you start knocking.

The home: 8 Sample Court, Anytown, by owner, ad up for 12 days. Number checked and clear of the registry.

You: Hi, I’m calling about the home for sale on Sample Court. Is this the owner? This is Alex Sample, a real estate agent with Sample Realty, so you know who you’re talking to. Do you already have a buyer lined up, or are you still looking?

Them: Still looking. We’ve had two people through.

You: Why are you selling on your own?

Them: Honestly, the commission.

You: That’s a fair reason. It’s negotiable, so the real question is what you’d net each way. I have a one-page sheet that runs both. Can I drop one off Saturday? It’s yours either way.

Check every number against the National Do Not Call Registry before you dial, using a copy no more than 31 days old. Check your state list too.

A sales call to a registered number is allowed only with the person’s permission or an existing relationship: a sale or transaction in the last 18 months, or their own inquiry in the last 3 months.

Call between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. in their time zone. Give your name, your company and a number or address where you can be reached.

When someone says stop calling, add them to your own do not call list within 10 business days and keep them there for 5 years.

FTC, Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule · 47 CFR 64.1200, the FCC telemarketing rule · NAR, Telemarketing and Cold-Calling

Marketing calls or texts to a mobile number from an autodialer, or with a prerecorded voice, need prior express written consent: a signed agreement that names the number and says signing is not a condition of buying.

The FCC’s calling rules cover text messages to mobile numbers too. Give an easy way out, such as replying STOP, and honor it within 10 business days.

A person can sue under the TCPA for $500 for each violation, and a court can triple that. The FTC’s civil penalty runs to $53,088 for each violation of its rule.

47 USC 227, the TCPA · 47 CFR 64.1200, the FCC telemarketing rule · FTC, Complying with the Telemarketing Sales Rule