Templates · DealWrap

Absentee Owner Script for Wholesalers

The absentee owner script below is for the first thirty seconds of a call to someone who lives somewhere else from the property. It works because it treats them as a landlord with a problem, not a homeowner waiting to be rescued.

Generic "I buy houses in your area" scripts fail here for a specific reason: the person answering owns a property that pays them money, and they have heard that voicemail more times than they can count. What they almost never have is a caller who knows the property is not their home, understands that the distance is the problem, and asks about what actually costs them — tenants, repairs they cannot see, taxes, and the trip over to check on it.

The script

OPENER — say the name, then stop talking
"Hi, is this [first name]? … My name is [your name], I'm an investor here
in [city]. I'm calling about the property on [street] — I noticed it's
[rented out / sitting empty], and I don't think anyone has asked you
about it properly. Do you have sixty seconds, or should I call back?"

FRAME — kill the two fears before they hang up
"I'm not calling to list it, and I'm not going to waste your time with a
lowball number. I buy as-is for cash — I'm just working out whether this
house is even a fit. Can I ask you three quick questions?"

QUESTION 1 — ownership and use
"How long have you had it? … What's it been doing for you lately —
rented, or sitting there empty?"

QUESTION 2 — the distance cost
"How are you handling it from [their city]? Do you have someone local,
or are you managing it from there?"

QUESTION 3 — the numbers
"What's the mortgage on it, roughly? Any liens or back taxes?"
"If you did sell, what would make it worth your while — a number in
your pocket, or a date you're working toward?"

TENANTS AND ACCESS
"Who's living there now, what are they paying, and is there a lease?"
"Would you be open to me driving by the outside this week?"

CLOSE — book the callback, never "send information"
"Here's what I'll do: pull the comps and the repair estimate, and call
you Thursday after work with a real number. Does 6 or 7 work better?"

How to use it

• Say the street address in the first fifteen seconds. It is the only proof you are not a dialer.
• Call at their dinner time, not yours. Check the time zone: an owner in Ohio is not taking your call at 9am Pacific.
• Never ask "are you interested in selling?" It hands them a one-word exit. Ask how the property is being managed instead.
• Write the numbers as they say them — mortgage, rent, tenant status, taxes, drive-by permission. They will not repeat any of it.
• Book a specific callback day and time. "I'll send you something" is how a list of 500 leads produces two conversations.
• Log the call onto the address, not into a notebook. If the owner calls back in six months, the note has to sit on the number that rang — that is what the call log template is for.

This is the script; DealWrap fills it in from your recording while you dial the next number, and drafts the follow-up text from what was said. Free plan, 30 minutes a month, no card.

A filled-in call

Owner: 4127 67th St, Memphis — mailing address in Columbus, OH
Owner: Dale W. · owned since 2006 · paid off in 2019

Situation
- Rented it himself for 14 years, tenant moved out in July
- Drives down twice a year; the last trip found a leak over the kitchen

Numbers
- No mortgage · 2024 taxes of about $2,400 unpaid
- Rented at $1,050 · roof and kitchen need work · no lease now

Objection
- "I don't want a lowball number" — agreed to see comps next to the offer

Next step
- Comps and written offer sent 10/22 · callback Thursday 10/23 at 6:30pm

That call produced a number, a deadline, and permission to walk the property before any offer existed.

Questions

What is an absentee owner in real estate?

Someone who owns a property but lives elsewhere — an inherited house, a rental they moved away from, or a second property. The county keeps their mailing address apart from the property address.

How do you find absentee owners?

Start with the tax roll or a list service, filter for a mailing address that differs from the property address, then check ownership date and occupancy. Old lists are the main failure mode — verify on the appraiser's site first. The wholesaling cold call script covers non-rented properties, and the objection handling scripts cover the "I'm not selling" wall.

Is there a tool that writes these notes for you?

Yes, when the call is recorded. DealWrap turns the recording into the fields above plus a follow-up message. It needs a recording and does not listen live, and it writes the note rather than making the offer. Notes by hand instead? The seller call notes template is the structure to copy.