The hardest part of a database call isn't the whole conversation — it's the first ten seconds. Get the opener right and people talk to you. Get it wrong and you're a telemarketer they're already trying to get off the phone. Here are five openers that earn the conversation, why each one works, and how to keep it going.
The one rule behind all of them
Don't lead with intent. The instinct is to open with some version of “are you thinking of selling?” — and that single question turns a catch-up into a sales call. People close up. Every answer after that is guarded.
The openers below all do the opposite: they name who's calling and why in one breath, remove the pressure explicitly, and end on a genuine question about them. Intent surfaces on its own once someone feels like they're having a conversation rather than being processed.
1. The past-appraisal call
“Hi [name], it's [agent] from [agency] — no agenda, promise. You had us out to value [address] a while back, and I'm just working through people I haven't spoken to in a bit. How's the place treating you?”
Someone who once invited you to appraise their home is the warmest contact in your database, and the one most agents never ring back. “No agenda” kills the sales-call reflex before it fires. The open question about the property gets them talking about the thing you actually want to know about.
2. The missed-out buyer
“Hi [name], [agent] from [agency]. You looked at [suburb] with me a while back and missed out on a couple — I'm checking in with everyone from around then. Are you still looking, or did something come up?”
A buyer who missed out is often a seller in waiting — they may need to sell to buy, or they've given up and quietly settled in. Either way it's a live conversation, and you're the agent who was already helping them.
3. The past client (the anniversary call)
“Hi [name], it's [agent] — hard to believe it's been [X] years since we sold [old address] / settled you into [address]. No reason other than I was thinking of you. How's the place worked out?”
People remember the agent who stayed in touch after the commission cleared — and they're the ones who refer you and list with you again. The anniversary is a natural, non-salesy reason to call.
4. The “just sold nearby” call
“Hi [name], [agent] from [agency]. We just sold [nearby address] and it went well above what people expected for the street — I'm letting the owners around there know what it means for their place. Have you got two minutes?”
This one leads with something genuinely useful to them: local market news that affects their biggest asset. It's the opener that most naturally flows into “would you like to know what yours is worth?” — because you've earned it.
5. The re-engagement call (the cold one)
“Hi [name], [agent] from [agency] — we've had your details for a while and I'll be honest, I'm not even sure we've spoken before. I'm just tidying up who's who. Are you a homeowner in [suburb], or has that changed?”
Radical honesty disarms people. Admitting you're not sure you've met is more human than pretending to a relationship you don't have — and it gives them an easy, low-stakes way to re-enter the conversation.
What to do once they're talking
The opener's job is to buy you a real conversation. From there, ask about their situation, not their intent:
- “How long have you been in the place now?”
- “Any plans to do it up, or are you pretty happy as-is?”
- “Kids still at home, or has that changed?”
People tell you they're about to sell without ever being asked — if you give them room to. The selling question, if you even need it, comes last. Usually they've already answered it.
The real problem isn't the script
Most agents know roughly how to have this conversation. The problem is volume and consistency — there are only so many hours in a day, and the follow-up always loses to the deal in front of you. A database of 800 relationships needs hundreds of these calls a month, every month, and it never happens.
That's the gap workmylistfills: an AI that makes these calls for you, in your voice, discloses that it's an AI, and hands you back the people who said they're thinking of selling — so you spend your time on the six conversations worth having, not the two hundred that got you there.