Brandon Mulrenin, a seasoned real estate coach with nearly 20 years of experience, has conducted extensive research to identify the most effective cold call openers.
Through a case study involving 1,000 contacts, Brandon tested various approaches to uncover what works best, offering agents a roadmap to improve their success rates.
His study, which he outlined on his You Tube channel aimed to measure how different opening scripts influenced the outcome of a call. A “contact” was defined as reaching the intended decision-maker, while a “conversation” required the prospect to engage beyond the first question in the script. Brandon tested ten openers, each with 100 contacts, tracking the success rate based on whether he could engage the prospect in meaningful dialogue.
“Most agents struggle to even get past the opening line,” he said. “That’s why I tested these scripts — to find what truly resonates with prospects and reduces resistance.”
Why Permission-Based Openers Work
Traditional openers like “How are you today?” ranked the lowest in Brandon’s study, achieving only a 37.2% success rate. He explains, “These openers are inauthentic and immediately trigger psychological resistance. People know it’s a sales call and are already looking for a way out.”
In contrast, permission-based openers proved far more effective. By giving prospects a sense of control, these openers reduced resistance and encouraged engagement. One of the highest-performing scripts was: “You’re going to hate me. I’m a realtor. Do you want to hang up or give me 30 seconds to tell you why I called?”
This approach had an 88.6% success rate. Why? When you relinquish control to the prospect, compliance skyrockets. “They feel respected, and it opens the door to meaningful conversations.”
The Math of Cold Calling Success
Brandon also emphasises the importance of using effective openers to maximise efficiency. A poor opener with a 30% contact-to-conversation rate might require 1,320 calls to close a single deal. However, with an opener achieving an 80% success rate, agents could close a deal with just 480 calls.
“If you prospect for two hours a day with the right opener, you could close a deal every month,” says Brandon. “That’s the difference between making a liveable income and thriving in this business.”
He also encourages agents to experiment with their scripts: “Track your results and identify what works best for you. If something isn’t working, change it.”
His research underscores that success in cold calling isn’t about luck; it’s about strategy. By adopting permission-based openers and refining their approach, agents can significantly increase their success rates.
“Cold calling doesn’t have to be a grind. With the right tools, it can be a powerful way to build relationships and grow your business,” said Brandon.
Gavin Rubinstein on cold calling and building relationships through consistency
In a recent discussion with Mark McLeod, Gavin Rubinstein, one of Australia’s top real estate agents, emphasised the importance of cold calling in his early career, describing it as the foundation of his success.
Gavin explained that his focus on consistency, rapport-building, and providing value to prospects helped him transition from being a newcomer in the industry to an industry leader.
He adopted a disciplined approach, making 30 cold calls a day, five days a week, and logging conversations to build a database of potential clients. He believed that “frequency builds trust” and applied this principle by regularly checking in with prospects, not to ask for business directly, but to offer useful market updates and information about their assets.
Over time, this approach led to trust and ultimately, long-term client relationships. One standout example was a three-year relationship Gavin nurtured with a client through regular calls and thoughtful gestures, including sending a postcard from a meaningful location during his travels. This connection resulted in a $9 million sale and additional deals worth millions.
Gavin credits his success to staying consistent and treating cold calling not as a chore but as an opportunity to build genuine relationships. “Love the process,” he advised. “It’s not glamorous, but it’s necessary to get where you want to go.”
