What’s the best way to work expired listings in 2026? Run a 14-day, four-touch sequence — personalized letter, short video walk-through, a hand-delivered packet, then a single phone call referencing all three. The agents who blow past cold callers are doing the work before they ever ask for the appointment.

Every agent I know has tried cold-calling expired listings at some point. Most quit within a week. The seller has already been burned, the agent on the other end sounds like every other agent who called that morning, and the call ends in two minutes.

Here’s the part most agents miss: the expired list isn’t crowded with effort. It’s crowded with phone calls. Almost nobody is doing the actual work — the kind that gets you in the seller’s living room before the third agent calls.

I’ve been running this system in Columbia County for the past eighteen months. Conversion rate to listing appointment is sitting at about 18%, which beats every cold-call coach number I’ve ever seen quoted. The script is below, with the asterisks where most agents trip up.

Why Expired Listings Are Better in 2026 Than They’ve Been in Years

Inventory is rising. Days on market in the Augusta/Columbia County area are stretching back toward pre-pandemic norms. That means more listings are expiring — and most of them are expiring because the original agent ran a 2023 strategy in a 2026 market.

Those sellers are sitting at home, frustrated, and they’ve already proven they want to sell. They’ve already cleaned the house, taken the photos, and absorbed the disappointment of a failed listing. They are the warmest cold leads in real estate.

What changed in 2026 is the saturation of phone outreach. Every agent has access to the same Vulcan7, RedX, or Espresso Agent dialer. The seller picks up at 9:01 AM and answers four versions of the same call by lunch. If your only contact strategy is the phone, you are the fourth voice they’ve heard, and you sound exactly like the first three.

The agents who are converting are the ones who arrive before the phone rings.

The 14-Day, Four-Touch Sequence

This is the workflow I run on every expired that fits my criteria — single-family, in my target zip codes, expired within the last seven days. I exclude expireds that have already relisted, ones with obvious legal flags, and anything outside my actual coverage area.

Day 1: The Hand-Addressed Letter

Not a postcard. Not a Mailchimp template. A real letter, hand-addressed, in a #10 envelope with a real stamp. The letter is two short paragraphs. Paragraph one names the property by address and acknowledges that the listing recently expired. No “stunning home” language. No “I noticed your home didn’t sell.” Just: “Your home at 145 Pinewood Drive came off the market on April 28th, and I wanted to reach out directly.”

Paragraph two is the offer: “I’d like to drop off a short market analysis specific to your property and the three closest comps that closed in the last 60 days. There’s no obligation. If you’d rather I email it, my contact is below.” Sign it by hand. The whole letter takes you ninety seconds once your template is set. Print fifteen of them at a time on a Sunday afternoon.

Day 3: The Personalized Video

Record a 60-second video addressed to the homeowner, by name and by property. Use Loom or BombBomb so they can see you, see the address bar, see that this isn’t a mass blast. Script structure: “Hey Mark, Noah McBride with The McBride Team. I sent you a letter this week about 145 Pinewood — wanted to follow up with a quick face-to-face. Two things I noticed about your previous listing that I’d want to do differently if I were sitting at your kitchen table…”

Then name two specific, observable things. Maybe the photos were dark. Maybe the listing remarks led with HVAC dates instead of buyer benefit. Maybe the price-per-square-foot was ten percent above the three closest closings. Two things — no more — and they have to be true. End with: “I’ll drop a packet by your front porch on Thursday. No need to be home. Just take a look when you have a minute.” Then send it. SMS or email — whichever address you can find.

Day 5: The Drop-By Packet

This is where almost every agent stops. Don’t. Print a three-page packet. Page one is a custom CMA for that specific property — three recent sold comps, two active competitors, and a price recommendation range. Page two is a one-page “What We’d Do Differently” — photography, listing remarks, pricing, marketing distribution, and showing strategy. Page three is your one-page bio with two client testimonials.

Put it in a kraft envelope, with the homeowner’s name written on the front in marker. Drop it on the porch, not in the mailbox. Take a photo of the envelope on the porch with the house in the background and text it to the homeowner the same day: “Just dropped the packet I mentioned. Take your time with it.” That photo is the touch that breaks the pattern. The homeowner now has visual proof you were physically at their house. That changes the conversation.

Day 7: The Single Phone Call

One call. Not a campaign. One. Open with: “Hi Mark, Noah McBride with The McBride Team. I dropped the packet at your house on Thursday and wanted to circle back. Did you get a chance to look it over?” Three things make this call land harder than a cold call. First, you’ve already given them something of value. Second, you’ve already shown up in person. Third, you’re not asking for the listing — you’re asking for the feedback.

If they say yes, the conversation moves naturally to: “What questions can I answer?” If they say no, you offer to walk them through it on the phone in three minutes. If they say not interested, you ask one question — “Do you mind if I check back in 60 days in case anything changes?” — and you log the date.

What to Cut from the Standard Expired Script

Most expired scripts in 2026 are recycled from a 2018 playbook. Cut these phrases entirely: “I’m sure you’re frustrated” — you don’t know that, and assuming it sounds patronizing. “What went wrong with the marketing?” — sellers don’t know, that’s the agent’s job to figure out. “I have a buyer who might be interested in your home” — almost never true, and they know it. “My team specializes in expired listings” — specializing in expireds is a red flag, not a credential.

What works in 2026 is specificity. Reference the actual property, the actual market data, and the actual reasons the listing didn’t sell. Then offer a clear, narrow next step.

The Augusta and Columbia County Angle

In this market specifically, two factors are working in your favor right now. First, the spring 2026 inventory bump means more listings are expiring in zip codes like 30813, 30907, and 30909. The volume is there if you commit to the workflow. Second, military relocations through Fort Eisenhower mean a meaningful share of expired sellers are working against a PCS deadline. Those sellers have a forcing function the agent didn’t address in the first listing. If you can show them a 30-day strategy in your drop-by packet, you’ve solved the problem the prior agent didn’t.

FAQ

What’s the right monthly volume for this system? Start with fifteen new expireds per week. That’s a manageable workflow once your templates and scripts are built — about three hours per week of focused work. Most agents who quit cold calling do so because the volume is unsustainable. This workflow rewards consistency, not blitz.

How do I handle expireds the original agent is still pursuing? You don’t compete on price. You compete on plan. If the original agent is still calling, the seller has already decided not to relist with them. Your packet either confirms that decision or earns the relist. Either way, you’re not in a head-to-head.

Should I include my commission rate in the packet? No. Save compensation for the appointment. The packet sells the meeting, not the contract. Mention that all of your terms are negotiable and you’ll cover them in person.

Found this useful? Share it with an agent who’s tired of dialing for dollars. Or, if you want to operate inside a team that runs systems like this, reach out — let’s talk.

Noah McBride | Broker | The McBride Team — 706.701.5940 | Guiding you home.

Go sell something. — Noah