Your First 30 Seconds Make or Break a Prospecting Call

By Tamara Lamore

Tamara Lamore has been an agent since 2002 and is the founder and leader of BKT Northwest, powered by PLACE real estate team, based in Everett, Washington.

One question I hear from agents all the time is simple: What do I actually say when I’m prospecting so I don’t sound like every other agent? It’s rarely the struggle people think it is.

I brought in my director of sales, Toby Kienzle, who’s been with BKT Northwest for over five years and has a real talent for starting conversations that build trust instead of pushing for a listing.

What follows are the exact things that work for him, and you can start using them right away.

The problem usually isn’t the script. It’s the first thirty seconds. As Toby puts it, most agents don’t struggle with getting leads. They struggle with that opening moment, the one where you stare at your phone and think, what do I even say? And usually it’s not the words. It’s the fear of sounding awkward or pushy that makes the call harder than it needs to be.

With buyer leads, lead with context instead of a pitch. When Toby calls an online buyer lead, he doesn’t open like he’s selling. He says, “Hey, I saw you were looking at homes online and requested information. I just wanted to see what caught your attention.” It’s simple, context-driven, and it lowers the wall before it ever goes up. From there, he asks easy, open questions:

• What has you thinking about homes?
• What are your wants, your needs, your must-haves?
• Where are you in the process?
• What stood out about that particular home?

Questions like these lower resistance, start a real conversation, and earn the next step rather than forcing it.

With expired listings, change the tone instead of competing. Expired calls can feel even more intimidating because that seller has often already heard from ten agents that morning. If you sound like the tenth one, you’re done. So instead of leading with “Can I sell it this time?” Toby says, “I know you’ve probably gotten a lot of calls today, and I’m just curious what you felt didn’t work the first time.” That one shift changes everything. Now it’s a professional conversation, not a competition.

The reason this gets easier is structure. This is where a team model earns its keep. Agents are not just told to go prospect. We run structured call nights and inventory creation days, same time, same focus, clear scripts, and shared accountability. That consistency is what builds real confidence. And yes, we use data tools like Remine to identify equity, ownership timelines, and neighborhood turnover, but tools alone don’t set anyone apart, because plenty of agents have the same platforms.

What sets the team apart is what happens around those tools: defined prospecting blocks, clear follow-up expectations, ISA support, internet lead routing, and a listing system that activates the moment someone says yes.

Confidence on the call comes from knowing the back end delivers. When Toby is making calls, he knows he isn’t operating alone. Behind every listing is a full marketing rollout, MLS audits, advertising refresh cycles, weekly seller communication, and a long list of back-end tasks that fire the moment a listing goes live. That’s why he can prospect with confidence: if the seller says yes, the team delivers. That confidence changes your tone, and sellers can feel it.

Prospecting isn’t about being aggressive. It’s about being steady.

Lead with context, ask better questions, and focus on earning the next conversation. Combine that with a structured call night, real accountability, and back-end systems that actually support you, and your pipeline becomes predictable instead of stressful.

If you’d like to sharpen your prospecting and plug into a model built for consistency, let’s talk. Book a strategy call, call or text me at (206) 222-1250, or email me at Tamara@tamaralamore.com. You may also visit growth.tamaralamore.com. Let’s make those first 30 seconds easier and much more effective.