Motivated sellers: the golden ticket to consistent success in real estate. Almost every agent knows the rush of discovering someone ready and eager to sell.

Yet, many still grapple with the best way to initiate that pivotal first contact. Get it right, doors open, deals accelerate. Get it wrong, calls are missed, opportunities evaporate, and leads turn cold.

Timing, so often overlooked, can transform a call from ignored to engaged. When markets intensify and competition sharpens, knowing not just what to say, but when to say it, sets discerning agents apart. This post dives deep into time-tested insights unlocked through analysis of over 5,000,000 seller calls, pinpointing optimal calling windows, offering practical strategies, and dispelling common myths.

Grounded in data and designed for agents serious about raising their game, this article is your owner’s manual for maximizing contact rates, boosting listing appointments, and filling your calendar with genuinely motivated prospects.

By the end, you’ll know exactly when to pick up the phone, and how to make your calls count.

Why Timing Matters More Than You Think

When competing for a seller’s attention, technique and tone are important, but timing is your powerful, underutilized lever.

Sellers aren’t waiting by the phone for your call; they’re juggling work schedules, family obligations, and stressors that come with deciding to sell a home. Even the best calling script falls flat if delivered at the wrong moment.

Consider the nature of motivated sellers, individuals who need or urgently want to sell, versus those passively “testing the waters.” Their willingness to speak is higher, but so are their feelings of anxiety, busyness, and sometimes distrust. Match your outreach to moments their guard is lower and focus sharper, and the odds tilt dramatically in your favor.

Contact rate simply refers to how often a dialed lead actually picks up the phone and engages in conversation. Higher contact rates translate to more appointments, more signed listings, and less time wasted.

Key factors that influence contact rate:

• Daily routines: Commutes, meetings, school drop-offs

• Energy patterns: When people are most alert and receptive

• External distractions: Mealtimes, prime TV hours, errands

By anchoring your outreach strategy around these patterns, you avoid fighting the current. Instead, you catch sellers when they’re most likely to answer, listen, and act.

Behind the Data: How Over 5,000,000 Calls Reveal Seller Behavior

Calling strategies abound, but most are based on hunches or broad generalizations. 

By contrast, analyzing thousands of seller calls reduces guesswork and highlights patterns in when conversations actually happen.

Our analysis zeroed in on three dimensions:

1. Day of the week
2. Time of day
3. Length and quality of conversations

The findings are eye-opening, busting some assumptions and confirming others. Here’s where the numbers lead, and how you can apply them to your call calendar.

The Weekday Advantage: Not All Days Are Equal

It’s tempting to batch seller calls as your schedule allows, but not all weekdays are created equal for connection. Let’s examine how lead receptiveness shifts through the week, and how to play it smart.

Conventional wisdom holds that Monday, the start of the workweek, is a day for strong outreach. The data tells a different story. Mondays see low answer rates (averaging 14-18 percent), as sellers are absorbed in meetings, planning, and post-weekend catch-up. Motivation to engage rarely spikes here, and conversations are the least likely to last beyond a minute.

Pro tip: Use Monday for prepping call lists, researching leads, and scheduling high-likelihood connections for later in the week.

These days show moderate answer rates (hovering around 20-22 percent). Sellers are into their routine, meaning calls are more likely to be picked up than Monday, but not quite at the week’s high point.

Ideal for:

• Following up on initial contact attempts from previous weeks

• Testing different call times to get a feel for a particular seller’s preferences

Often overlooked, these “middle day” slots perform well when paired with highly qualified or warm leads.

Thursdays strike the perfect balance. Sellers are transitioning mentally toward the weekend, task lists are smoother, weekends plans are forming, and attention starts to shift. Answer rates peak at 26-29 percent, and willingness to set listing appointments is highest. The quality of conversations, measured by length and follow-up engagement, also spikes here.

Agent Takeaway: If you have limited time for calls, block Thursday as your “prime day” for motivated seller outreach.

While answer rates remain robust on Friday mornings (similar to Thursday), they nosedive after midday. Motivated sellers are eager to wrap up work and get into weekend mode; distractions multiply after noon.

• Morning (8-11:45 AM): High connect rates, productive conversations

• Afternoon (post-12 PM): Calls often go unanswered or are rushed

How to adapt: Treat Friday mornings as a valuable window, but avoid calling after lunch unless you know your seller is available.

Weekend calling is controversial among agents. Some view weekend calls as intrusive; others see a chance to catch busy homeowners. The data is clear: overall answer rates for motivated sellers dip on weekends to 12-15 percent.

That said, certain periods, especially late morning, still show above-average engagement, particularly for those sellers unable to talk during the workweek.

Weekend calling tips:

- Time calls for late morning (10:30 AM–12:30 PM)
- Skip early mornings and dinnertime entirely
- Reserve weekend calls for leads who have explicitly expressed they can’t be reached during the week

When During the Day? The Hourly Deep-Dive

Knowing which day to call is only half the battle. Drilling down by the hour exposes sharp peaks and valleys in receptiveness. Here’s where the data becomes even more illuminating.

Early birds delight at being productive out of the gate. But for motivated sellers, data says don’t expect much pre-9:30 AM, answer rates lag at just 8-10 percent. Most people are handling morning routines, kid drop-offs, or are in transit to work.

Exception: Retirees or those working non-traditional hours (identified during lead research) may be reachable.

Sellers who are going to answer will do so now. This window posts the highest answer rates (24-32 percent), with a notable increase on Thursday and Friday mornings. People have cleared their first wave of tasks, and the day’s stresses are not yet overwhelming. Conversations are most likely to last longer than two minutes, a sign of genuine interest and comfort.

Tips for maximizing morning calling:

• Stack your highest-priority leads during this window

• Prepare fast, value-driven openers, competition is stiffer in the prime window, so make your call count

Lunch hour carries a paradox. Conventional wisdom once advised agents to call during lunch, assuming sellers are more available. The data says otherwise, answer rates drop to 12-15 percent. People are eating, running errands, or enjoying a rare mid-day break.

Save your calls for after the lunch dip unless you’ve pre-scheduled an appointment.

Post-lunch, answer rates begin to recover, especially for remote workers or stay-at-home sellers. While not as high as the morning window, afternoons (18-22 percent answer rates) are serviceable if your top leads weren’t reached earlier. Avoid calling right at the start of the hour (common meeting times).

Just before dinner time, one last spike emerges. Many sellers are home from work yet not quite settled into evening routines. Answer rates climb back to 23-26 percent, rivaling late morning numbers, especially on Thursdays.

Best practices:

• Use this “second wind” window for urgent follow-up or missed morning calls

• Be concise, sellers are more willing to answer but may have less patience for long intros

Answer rates nosedive below 10 percent after 6 PM. Most motivated sellers prefer to spend their evenings with family or decompressing. Evening calls risk being seen as intrusive, unless you’ve scheduled the call ahead or the seller specifically asked for that time.

If you must call in the evening:

• Keep it exceptionally brief

• Acknowledge the late hour and offer to follow up the next day

Beyond the Numbers: Understanding Seller Mindsets

Numbers tell a powerful story, but understanding why certain times perform better helps you tailor your approach and improve outcomes.

• Work Schedules: Employed sellers are least available during 9-5; retirees or shift workers have more flexibility.

• Family Commitments: Caregivers are often most receptive when routines are stable, late morning or mid-afternoon.

• Personal Readiness: Sellers in distress (divorce, financial issues) may answer at unusual times, short, empathetic outreach is key.

• Decision Fatigue: By evening, motivated sellers have faced countless choices. Catching them earlier in the day results in clearer thinking and more receptive attitudes.

Human attention peaks and wanes throughout the day in well-studied cycles. Sellers are more likely to say “yes” to an appointment when:

• Their stress is low

• They aren’t feeling rushed or distracted

• They feel the agent “caught them at a good time”

In other words, matching your call to the rhythms of a seller’s day isn’t just considerate, it’s strategic.

Building a Seller-First Calling Schedule: Step-by-Step

Consistency trumps intensity. The most successful agents build habits around their outreach, rather than “blitzing” calls in erratic fashion. Here’s how to integrate the insights above into a strategic, sustainable calling calendar.

Motivated sellers are not a monolith. Group leads based on:

Work status (full-time, retired, remote, unemployed)

• Location and time zone

• Stated contact preferences

• Level of urgency or distress

Organizing leads by these factors lets you match calling windows to individual behaviors.

Don’t let meetings or paperwork encroach on these critical hours. Set recurring calendar events for:

• Mornings: 9:30–11:45 AM, Tuesday–Friday

• Late afternoons: 4:00–6:00 PM, especially Thursday

Batch calls so you can work efficiently and track variations in answer rates.

Tailor your scripts to match the mood and attention of each time window:

• Morning: Highlight solutions and next steps (“Let’s get you on the market before spring...”)

• Afternoon: Be empathic and direct (“I wanted to check in as you consider your options…”)

• Evening (rare): Apologize for timing, offer a concise value statement, and request a callback if needed

After every session, document outcomes: answer rates, call durations, seller engagement. Patterns will emerge, allowing you to further refine your outreach.

Missed calls are inevitable. The key is a well-timed, respectful follow-up attempt. Based on the data:

• Wait at least 90 minutes before a second attempt on the same day

• Follow-up emails or texts should be sent during the next peak window

• Use voicemail only if you can reference unique value or previous contact

Common Myths, and the Truth Behind Them

In real estate, myths abound around seller outreach. Here’s a closer look at persistent beliefs and the data-driven reality.

It’s true that “rise and grind” is a familiar mantra. However, evidence proves pre-9:00 AM calls routinely underperform, except for niche groups. Sticking with later morning or just-before-dinner windows maximizes ROI on your time.

This logic may apply to some consumer sales, but not with motivated sellers. By the evening, most are decompressing, caring for family, or intentionally unplugged. Respecting these boundaries protects your brand and builds trust.

Data is mixed here. Lunchtime serves as a “dead zone” for most, but not all. If you’re struggling to connect, test a few midday calls for leads who may have split schedules (e.g., remote workers).

Weekend calling can work for certain leads, but overall, it’s better reserved for those who have requested it or can’t otherwise be reached, rather than as a broad feature of your strategy.

“Keep calling until they answer” may sound determined, but over-contacting outside of peak windows quickly breeds annoyance, not results. Two to three well-timed attempts vastly outperform a barrage of poorly-timed outreach.

Special Considerations: Generational and Demographic Nuances

While calling windows outlined above apply broadly, different groups exhibit subtle variations. 

Understanding these nuances keeps your approach sharp and culturally aware.

• Most available during the late morning and early afternoon

• Less likely to answer early or after dinner

• Value politeness and non-intrusive timing

• Unlikely to answer during classic 9-5 hours, except during lunch or late afternoon

• Receptive to urgent, value-driven calls in the morning or “wind down” period pre-dinner

• Calls may be answered by someone other than the primary seller

• Early evening calls even less effective, family time dominates

• Confirm preferred time for future conversations as early as possible

• Availability can be sporadic and unpredictable

• Best reached during second-morning or late-afternoon windows

• Approach must be especially empathetic and flexible

Tech Tools to Support Smarter Timing

Leveraging the latest real estate tech can supercharge your ability to hit these optimal calling windows without constant calendar watching.

Modern CRMs allow you to:

• Set reminders for each seller’s preferred time

• Batch contacts for automated dialing during specific windows

• Track response outcomes by time, letting data reinforce best practices

Multi-line dialers, when used respectfully, help you manage high call volumes and identify when sellers are most responsive in real time. Opt for “local presence” features to increase answer rates.

Text and email reminders can be scheduled to complement call attempts, but timing matters just as much as with voice calls. Avoid bombarding sellers outside of preferred hours; instead, use automated follow-ups to reinforce personal outreach.

When Timing Alone Isn’t Enough: Making Every Call Count

Great timing gets your foot in the door. Once a motivated seller picks up, the real work begins. Here are techniques to maximize these valuable minutes.

The first 15 seconds set the tone. Skip pleasantries that delay; instead, focus immediately on how you can save time or solve a problem.

Strong openings:

• “I noticed your property in [Neighborhood] and wanted to share insights that could speed up your sale…”

• “I help homeowners in your position sell quickly and for top value. Would now be a good time for a brief conversation?”

Morning calls: Brisk, energizing, forward-looking

Afternoon/late calls: Warm, reassuring, less rushed

Motivated sellers want to be understood, not hit with a sales pitch.

• Ask questions that reveal underlying motivations (“What’s your biggest concern about selling right now?”)

• Echo their answers and confirm needs

Never end a call ambiguously. Confirm the appointment or set a follow-up time while the seller is engaged. Blurry outcomes often lead to missed opportunities.

If a seller expresses a bad time, don’t push, offer an alternative window and stick to it. Respect signals reliability and professionalism.

Fine-Tuning Your Strategy: The Role of Testing and Learning

Even with the best data, real life has exceptions. Markets shift, technology changes, and seller attitudes evolve. What worked last year may need recalibrating as remote work, shifting school schedules, and digital distractions change daily rhythms.

• Deploy “A/B” calling windows: Alternate between your local market’s top two time slots, track answer and appointment set rates.

• Solicit feedback directly: Ask, “Is there a better time for us to connect?” at the end of every first call.

• Document everything: Use your CRM to tag and categorize successful connection times by lead type.

• Stay attuned to seasonal variances: Vacation times, holidays, and school years change routine availability.

Testing, not just “activity”, is what sharpens your edge over time.

10 High-Impact Tips for Calling Motivated Sellers

1. Block time for prime calling windows, don’t let paperwork encroach.

2. Batch calls to similar lead types, maximizing momentum and learning.

3. Stack your warmest or most urgent leads into the best time slots.

4. Tailor your script to the time of day, conserving your prospects’ energy.

5. Track response patterns by both day and hour, let your own data refine best practices.

6. Respect boundaries and preferences, even if it means slower “first contact.”

7. Never call more than twice in the same day unless requested.

8. Combine calls with polite, timing-conscious text or email follow-ups.

9. Use CRM reminders to re-engage at the exact right hour.

10. Continuously test, review, and adjust to shifting market and seller behaviors.

Avoid These Classic Calling Pitfalls

Separate yourself from the crowd by sidestepping these common time-related missteps:

• “Blitzing” all sales calls regardless of time: Poorly timed outreach is less effective, period.

• Ignoring time zones: Always verify the seller’s location before scheduling or calling.

• Not adjusting for daylight saving changes: These shifts can dramatically alter peak windows, especially in multi-state territories.

• Letting missed calls stall: Efficient, respectful follow-up at optimal times salvages conversations.

• Overreliance on voicemail: Most seller leads will not return your call unless you leave a clear, personalized reason.

• Neglecting to confirm future appointment times during a live call: “Let’s connect soon” is not a follow-up strategy.

Integrating Time-Driven Outreach into Your Full Prospecting Strategy

Timing your calls for maximum impact is a high-return habit, but should not happen in isolation. Combine smart calling with multi-channel follow-up (email, SMS, direct mail) and nurture. Think of optimized calling hours as the keystone in your bigger prospecting ecosystem.

• Before calling, warm your leads with value-driven emails and neighborhood market updates, so your name is familiar.

• After a missed call, send a timely, context-rich follow-up.

• Coordinate digital outreach (text, social, email) to reinforce voice contact, timed for peak engagement hours.

Top agents synthesize these elements, letting each reinforce the other, so no opportunity slips through.

Conclusion: Make Every Call, And Every Minute, Matter

For agents aiming to consistently land listings with motivated sellers, “timing” is more than just a calendar setting, it’s the foundation of truly effective outreach. By focusing on peak contact hours uncovered in a robust analysis of more than 5,000,000 calls, you set yourself up for more live conversations, more appointments, and a higher close rate.

Implement these findings by:

• Anchoring your call blocks to Thursday mornings and late afternoons

• Tracking your own results to fine-tune timing

• Respecting the unique rhythms of seller households

• Blending timing-savvy calls with a holistic prospecting approach

The difference between a missed call and a relationship-building conversation can be a matter of minutes. Stand apart from “cold call” agents by mastering not only what you say, but when you say it. The right message, at the right moment, will always land.

Set your calendar with precision. Pick up the phone with purpose. And let timing turn more of your calls into closings.