Losing an aged seller leads to ghosting? You might be making the Happy Puppy Mistake—coming in too hot, too soon. In this post, Cody & Vikram share two proven scripts that reignite cold leads with casual, human-first conversations that actually convert. If your old seller leads are collecting dust, this is your reactivation playbook.
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Vik and I were jamming this week on one of the biggest mistakes agents make when trying to follow up with aged seller leads.
We call it the Happy Puppy Mistake.
You get someone on the phone who filled out a form for a home valuation 60, 90, maybe even 120 days ago and you get excited.
Tail wagging.
Heart racing.
You assume:
“They must be ready to list!”
So you go for the close too fast…
And suddenly, they ghost.
Here’s the truth:
Most people aren’t ready to sell when they request a valuation.
They’re exploring.
Thinking.
Gathering info.
And the moment they feel like they’re being sold to… they shut down.
You just act like a person.
Talking to another person.
With zero assumptions.
Let’s break this down with two angles you can use right now:
This is clean, professional, and works great when you’re calling someone who might not remember filling out a form.
“Hi [First Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company Name]. You had recently asked us to send you information about the value of your home, and I was just calling back to see if we could possibly help you. Is this an appropriate time?”
If they say yes, move to:
“I should probably start by asking—have you already found what you were looking for, or are you still curious about your home’s current value?”
Then go deeper:
“Just curious, what was it about the ad that caught your attention?”
No pressure. Just casual curiosity.
This one’s more playful, conversational, and works wonders when the lead is older or less responsive.
“Hey [First Name], it’s just [Your Name] over at [Company]… looks like you had requested a home valuation maybe like 3 or 4 months ago. I was just going through our records—were you able to get that taken care of or what did you end up doing?”
If they say they don’t remember:
“Ahhh man, what are we gonna do with you?”
(or)
“No worries… must’ve been one of those ‘Zuckerberg Facebook ad moments,’ right?”
Then gently pivot:
“Totally cool—just curious… what do you think might’ve prompted you to click back then? Were you thinking about refinancing, relocating, or just curious about equity for insurance or estate planning?”
Let them talk.
Then ask: “Got it… have you already taken care of that or is it still something you’re thinking about?”
From here, if it sounds like there’s still a why behind their curiosity, you offer value:
“Would it be helpful if I asked a few detailed questions about your current situation to see if we could even help?”
That’s it. No sales pitch.
Just helping someone explore their options.
If you’ve got leads that have gone cold, this simple human-first approach can bring them back to life—without triggering objections or ghosting.
If you want the full breakdown (and some bonus questions to qualify seller motivation without pressure), just Click HERE
Talk soon,
Cody & Vikram
Founders of Sheridan St. & TRIS
Hosts of The RE Agent Podcast
What could be better than a knowledgeable, lively group of people who have a passion for what they do and are good at it, too? We have put together an extraordinary team of innovative, committed members who put client success first.
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