Motivated seller questions: what to ask, and where each answer goes in the CRM
Most seller-question lists stop at the questions. The part that decides whether a call becomes an offer is what happens to the answer: if it lands in a notes box, the next person starts again, the lead can't be scored, and nobody can report on why sellers sell. This page pairs each question with the CRM field it should fill, why that field matters later, and a plain way to ask it. The questions are the kind a cold caller or an acquisitions rep asks in a first conversation. They're written for a seller who may be having a hard time, so they ask rather than push.
Ask in five groups: situation (why they're selling and by when), property (condition and who lives there), money (what they'd accept and what's owed), people (who owns it and who decides) and process (other offers and how to reach them). Give each answer its own field, a picklist where you'll count it, so leads can be scored, the handoff is complete and the offer is based on facts. Ask for consent to text on the same call, and record it with the date.
How should you ask?
- Listen first. Ask one open question, then let the seller talk. The answers to later questions often come up without asking.
- Don't interrogate. Five or six well-placed questions beat twenty. Record what you learned, not what you asked.
- Be honest about the purpose. You're trying to see whether you can make an offer that works for them. Sellers in hardship notice pressure.
- Write down what they said in the field right away, in their words where it helps ("needs to move before school starts").
Situation: why, and by when
| Question | Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| "What's making you think about selling?" | Reason for selling (picklist, plus a short text) | Drives scoring and the tone of every later message; see lead scoring |
| "When would you want this done by?" | Timeline (picklist: under 30 days, 1 to 3 months, later, no date) | Decides the follow-up cadence and who calls first |
| "What happens if it doesn't sell by then?" | Consequence or deadline (text) | Reveals real urgency: a hearing date, a payment, a move |
| "Have you tried to sell it already?" | Previous attempts (checkbox plus text) | Listed, expired or fell through: tells you what the seller has already heard |
Property: what it is and what shape it's in
| Question | Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| "Can you tell me about the condition?" | Condition (picklist: move-in, light work, heavy work, unknown) plus notes | Needed for your repair estimate and offer |
| "Does anyone live there, or is it vacant or rented?" | Occupancy (picklist) | Affects access, timing and what the seller must do |
| "What repairs or updates have been done, and what's needed?" | Repairs needed (text) | Cross-check against what you see at the appointment |
| "How would we get in to see it?" | Access notes (text) | Saves a failed appointment; see no-shows |
Money: price and what's owed
| Question | Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| "Do you have a price in mind?" | Asking price (currency) | The gap between asking price and your maximum allowable offer tells you whether to continue |
| "Is there a mortgage on it, and roughly what's left?" | Mortgage balance (currency, approximate) | Whether any offer can clear what's owed |
| "Are there back taxes, liens or other debts on it?" | Liens or arrears (checkbox plus text) | Title problems found early are cheaper than found late |
| "Are you behind on payments or facing a foreclosure date?" | Foreclosure status and date | A hard deadline changes the whole plan; handle it with care |
People: who owns it and who decides
| Question | Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| "Whose names are on the title?" | Owners on title (text, plus related contacts) | Everyone on title has to sign |
| "Is anyone else involved in the decision, like a spouse, sibling or attorney?" | Other decision makers (text, and flag) | The most common reason an offer stalls. Get them on the appointment |
| "Is the estate in probate, and who is the personal representative?" | Probate status and representative | Sets the timeline; see probate leads |
Process: other offers and how to reach them
| Question | Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| "Have you had other offers or talked to other buyers?" | Other offers (checkbox plus text) | Tells you how fast to move and what to beat |
| "What's the best way and time to reach you?" | Preferred contact method and time | Drives the follow-up rule and avoids calls at bad times |
| "Is it okay if I text you updates?" | Text consent (checkbox), date and source | Consent must be asked and recorded; see texting and consent |
| "What's the next step you'd be comfortable with?" | Agreed next step and date | The one field every open lead must have |
How do you make them fields in Salesforce?
- Picklists for anything you'll count (reason, timeline, condition, occupancy), with a short list you've defined; see tags, fields or campaigns.
- Currency fields for asking price and mortgage balance, marked as approximate.
- Required fields tied to the stage: not everything on first contact. The handoff needs reason, timeline, condition, price and who decides; see the handoff checklist.
- A screen flow that walks through the questions in order, so the caller fills the fields while talking instead of afterwards.
- Page layout that shows the answered and unanswered fields at a glance, so the next person asks only what's missing.
What should you do with the answers?
- Score the lead from reason, timeline and equity, and call the highest first.
- Route it: a probate or foreclosure lead may go to a specific person.
- Set the follow-up cadence from the timeline and the preferred contact method (cadence builder).
- Fill the offer worksheet from property and money fields, not from memory.
- Report on reasons: which situations produce contracts, and which sources bring those sellers.
Questions
What questions should I ask a motivated seller?
Ask in five groups: why and by when they're selling, what the property is like, what they'd accept and what's owed, who owns it and who decides, and whether there are other offers and how to reach them. Record each answer in its own field, not in notes.
What information do I need before making an offer on a wholesale deal?
Reason and timeline, condition and occupancy, asking price, mortgage balance and any liens, every person on title and other decision makers, and the agreed next step. These are the facts the handoff and the offer worksheet depend on.
How do I qualify a seller lead without sounding pushy?
Ask one open question and listen, ask five or six questions rather than twenty, and explain you're trying to see whether you can make an offer that works for them. Let the answers fill fields afterwards.
Which seller answers should be required fields in a CRM?
Require reason for selling, timeline, condition, price expectation, who else decides and the agreed next step before a lead is handed to acquisitions, and require consent and its date before texting. Don't require all of it on the first touch.
How do I find out who else decides on the sale?
Ask who is on the title and whether anyone else is involved, such as a spouse, sibling, heir or attorney, and invite them to the appointment. It's the most common reason offers stall, so give it its own field.
Where should I record whether a seller agreed to texts?
In a consent checkbox with a date and the source of the consent, separate from notes. Make every tool that texts read it, and copy opt-outs to every duplicate record.
Related guides
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