Inventory is climbing. Days on market are stretching. And a lot of sellers still expect the prices they heard about two years ago. That gap is going to produce a lot of expired listings.
Expired listings in a shifting market are one of the best opportunities you’ll get as a listing agent. These sellers already want to move. They’re frustrated, and they’re looking for someone who will tell them the truth. The question is whether you’ve adjusted to the new market fast enough to be that agent.
Have you really accepted that the market has shifted?
Every agent is aware the market is changing. Awareness is easy. It doesn’t take a single listing.
I coach this in three steps: awareness, acceptance, action. Acceptance is the one most agents skip. You’ll know you’ve accepted the new market when you stop complaining about rates, lowball offers, and stubborn sellers, and start doing something different because of them.
We’re not going back to the market we had a few years ago. We’re heading into a new normal. That means changing how you price, how you negotiate, and where you look for your next listing.
Why are there more expired listings in a shifting market?
When homes sit longer and sellers hold onto old price expectations, more listings run out their term without selling. Each one of those is a homeowner who still wants to sell and just lost faith in their current plan.
That’s why now is the time to start calling expireds, not three months from now when every agent in town has noticed. The agents who get in early build relationships before the phones get crowded.
What should you do this week to win more expired listings?
Here are the five moves I’m coaching right now.
1. Recommit to expired lead generation
Put expireds on your prospecting calendar every day. Keep the call simple and human:
“Hi, this is [your name] with [your company]. I noticed your home came off the market. Are you still hoping to sell in the next six months?”
That one question tells you whether they’re still motivated. If you need a push to make these calls, read why agents skip expired listing calls.
2. Sharpen your negotiation
A lot of agents and sellers haven’t had to negotiate much lately. That muscle is weak. Practice helping sellers respond to reasonable offers instead of rejecting them on emotion. Walk them through the real cost of waiting: another month of carrying costs, another price reduction, another round of showings. Saying no to a fair offer today often costs a seller more later.
3. Educate your database
People are confused, and confusion builds trust in whoever explains things clearly. Record a short video or send a quick market update breaking down what’s happening locally. Be the calm voice. When a homeowner in your database decides to sell, you want to be the agent who helped them understand the market first.
4. Lead with data, not opinions
Pull current inventory, days on market, and price trends for the seller’s area. Show them. Facts reset expectations in a way your opinion never will. An expired seller has already heard one agent’s opinion, and it didn’t work.
5. Stay emotionally detached
If you catch yourself blaming the market, stop. That mindset costs you momentum. The best agents I know are already adapting and taking consistent action while other agents complain.
How do you talk to an expired seller about price?
Start with what happened, not what they did wrong. Ask them why they think it didn’t sell. Then show them the numbers for homes that did sell in their area recently.
When the data makes the point, you don’t have to. The seller reaches the conclusion themselves, and that’s the only price conversation that sticks. If the price needs to come down, make it part of a clear plan they can see, not a surprise three weeks after you list it.
What’s the one thing to do this week?
Pull your expired list for the last 30 days and build a one-page market snapshot for your main area. Call five expireds a day this week with that page in front of you.
Change doesn’t have to mean chaos. It just means new conversations with yourself, your database, and your sellers. Move forward, and move fast.
Ready to master the next market?
Join the Agent Success Academy and surround yourself with agents who are taking action instead of waiting for the market to change back. You’ll get the scripts, pricing conversations, and accountability to win more expired listings.
Not sure where to start? Explore Greg’s coaching programs for personal and group support, or dive into the self-paced courses and start leveling up today.
Frequently asked questions
Why are there more expired listings in a shifting market?
Homes take longer to sell and many sellers still price based on old expectations. More listings run out their term without selling, which creates more expired sellers who still want to move.
What do I say when I call an expired listing?
Mention that their home came off the market, then ask one simple question: “Are you still hoping to sell in the next six months?” Keep it short and let them talk.
How do I get an expired seller to adjust their price?
Lead with recent sales data from their area instead of your opinion. When the seller sees the numbers, they can reach the pricing conclusion on their own.
When should I start calling expireds?
Now. Agents who start early build relationships before the market gets crowded with other agents calling the same sellers.
About Greg Harrelson
Greg Harrelson has worked through more than 30 years of real estate markets, and he still prospects about three hours a day with his agents. He’s the Broker/Owner of Century 21 The Harrelson Group, where four of the top five producing agents in the market are on his team, none of them licensed before they met him. He ranks in the top 1% of Realtors nationwide. Through the Agent Success Academy, Greg coaches agents on expireds, pricing, and negotiation so they keep taking listings no matter which way the market moves.
