The Stale Listings Playbook
Turning last week’s strategy into a weekly operating system.
Last week’s article lit a spark.
A PM reached out to tell me her team had already built a plan around the strategy. Not a "one day we should do this" idea, but an actual, documented process they’ve started taking action on.
That’s the difference between PMs who read strategies... and PMs who take action.
And honestly? That’s Top-100 caliber behavior.
So this week, we’re going deeper. Not more theory, but an actionable playbook you can deploy tomorrow and run every single week.
Choose Your “Who”
Every playbook needs a single owner.
This can be:
- You, the owner
- A BDM
- A remote BDR
- A leasing agent who wants to grow
It doesn’t matter who - it matters that one person is accountable for running this every week and reporting activity.
If everyone owns it, no one owns it. Pick your operator.
Build Your Tech Stack (Start Simple, Scale Smart)
You don’t need enterprise tools. You do need clarity, organization, and follow-up.
Here’s the progression that works in PM:
Step 1: Google Sheets (Week 1-2)
Track:
- Realtor name
- Contact info
- Listing link
- Days on market
- Touches
- Meeting booked
Simple. Fast. Zero friction.
Step 2: HubSpot or LeadSimple (Month 1+)
When you start feeling momentum, upgrade:
- Build a "Stale Listings" pipeline
- Add call templates
- Create follow-up sequences
- Assign tasks
- Stay consistent
HubSpot is ideal because you can build multiple pipelines as your sales motion matures. Notion can work, but it’s not nearly as strong for sales workflow.
Choose Your Hunting Grounds
You need consistent, renewable opportunities.
Start with Zillow.
Why?
- Every market has plenty of stale listings
- Filters make it easy to find the right ones
- It updates constantly
- You can create a clean, weekly list in minutes
These are the listings on Zillow in just one area with 90 days on market over $175k
Your weekly workflow:
- Filter for your service areas
- Target properties that fit your ideal rent range
- Focus on listings 30-90+ days on market
- Add them to your sheet or CRM
- Refresh the list weekly
Pro Tip: Have ChatGPT pull the data from your screen into a table. You can build your list 10x faster.
Build Your Script (and Practice It)
Don’t wing it. Don’t sound robotic. Create something simple, clear, and human.
Your talk track:
- You noticed the listing
- You help realtors protect their seller relationships
- You offer options, not pressure
- You help them look good
- You’re here to support, not sell
Here's a call script I created. Spoiler, I used ChatGPT. Use this as inspiration and make it your own.
Practice a bit. Get comfortable. Confidence is a differentiator.
Start the Calls - And Don’t Stop at One Touch
This is the part that separates the pros.
Most PMs make one call, get no answer, and assume it doesn’t work.
Real sales motions take multiple touches.
Here’s a simple, repeatable sequence:
Touch 1: Call
Warm, professional, helpful. Leave voicemail.
Touch 2: Email + Loom/Tella
A 30-45 second personal video works wonders.
Touch 3: Call (Day 7)
Friendly follow-up. Short and simple.
Touch 4: Email (Day 17)
If the listing is still active, offer an analysis. CTA: coffee or a quick Google Meet.
Touch 5: Final Touch (Day 30)
Gentle check-in. Often this is where the magic happens.
HubSpot makes this 10x easier. Consistency becomes automatic.
Track Your KPIs (Keep It Simple - Use EOS)
No complex dashboards. No vanity metrics.
Track:
- Weekly calls
- Conversations
- Meetings booked
That’s it.
If you’re already running EOS, plug this into your Level 10. If you’re not using EOS, this is a great reason to start.
Pro Tip: The majority of Top 100 PMs use EOS. This isn't a coincidence. Success is in the details.
The Math of Momentum
This is where PMs underestimate the upside.
If you:
- Make 10 calls per day
- Book 1 meeting per day