The Seller’s Yes, The Circle Sheet and The Front Porch — prepared by Edmund Bogen
Every new listing comes with an audience. Neighbors watch the sign go up, look up the price and walk past on open-house day, and some of them are quietly wondering what their own home is worth. Call them nosy if you like; we mean it kindly. They are interested people, and their curiosity is an opening, not a target. A published study found that when nearby homes were listed, the chance that a homeowner listed rose by 11–15%, a relative increase (Irwin & Livy, Journal of Housing Research, Oct 2026). That means “more likely,” never “will,” and it comes from one metro (Baltimore, 2013–2015). This session gives you three systems, in order. The Seller’s Yes: nothing goes to a neighbor until your seller signs off. The Circle Sheet: one row per home, with the channel you may use after a Do Not Call scrub and the words you may say, about the house and never about who lives there. The Front Porch: a neighbors’ hour run safely and fairly, alongside full marketing. Build the first two Dec 16–22. From December 2025 to January 2026, new listings rose 41.1% nationally and 46.5% in Florida (Realtor.com data via FRED). That is a seasonal pattern, not proof that December prospecting works. It is why the neighbors’ hour and its follow-ups belong in January, after the quiet week.
Every new listing comes with an audience. Neighbors watch the sign go up, look up the price and walk past on open-house day, and some of them are quietly wondering what their own home is worth. Call them nosy if you like; we mean it kindly. They are interested people, and their curiosity is an opening, not a target. A published study found that when nearby homes were listed, the chance that a homeowner listed rose by 11–15%, a relative increase (Irwin & Livy, Journal of Housing Research, Oct 2026). That means “more likely,” never “will,” and it comes from one metro (Baltimore, 2013–2015).
We will master 3 systems live, together:
1 · The Seller’s Yes — Nothing goes out until they sign: what you may share, what stays private, and the neighbors’ hour.
2 · The Circle Sheet — Every home, and how you may reach it: the channel after a Do Not Call scrub, the door rules and the approved words.
3 · The Front Porch — A neighbors’ hour, open to everyone: run safely, beside full marketing, with a card that asks permission.
Register for the SessionEvery page of the 52-page course study is on this page, in order — the PDF is the same content, formatted to print. Jump to any section:
Three systems, in order: the seller’s written yes, who you may reach and how, and one neighbors’ hour.
| # | Module | The skill it teaches | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | What the research actually says | Neighbor effects, how sellers choose an agent, the open house, the call data, the coaches, the season | 4–10 |
| 2 | The rules of the street | Phone, door, mailbox, fair housing, Article 16, seller confidentiality, advertising | 11–17 |
| 3 | System 1: The Seller’s Yes | The seller’s written sign-off, the MLS clock, the no-circle option | 18–20 |
| 4 | System 2: The Circle Sheet | One row per home: scrubbed phone, door rules, flags, approved words | 21–24 |
| 5 | Scripts that stay on the house | House, price, market and open times; special doors; AI drafts checked | 25–30 |
| 6 | System 3: The Front Porch | A neighbors’ hour: before, during and after | 31–35 |
| 7 | Your 30 days | Dec 16 to Jan 15, with the quiet week kept | 36–37 |
| ✓ | Assessment and appendices | Answer keys, Circle Sheet card, prompts, door and phone lines, questions, glossary, sources | 38–51 |
Six exercises sit where each skill is taught. All use invented sample data: Coral Vine Lane, Sample Shores, Jordan Lee, Sample Realty Group and every neighbor. Do them on paper, then check Appendix A, which gives the reasoning, not just the answer.
This session works one street around one listing. The farm, the phone table and the mail rules are already in earlier workbooks. Use them.
| When you need… | Use this | From the workbook |
|---|---|---|
| The farm itself: ZIP-code farming, the weekly market report | System 3, The Neighborhood Domination Grid | Prospecting in the AI Age (May 13, 2026) |
| The seller’s choice of public, preview or private, in writing | The Three-Path Map; the Choice Record | Private, Preview, or Public? (Nov 11, 2026) |
| The interest list and the launch calendar the open house fits into | The Launch Flywheel | The Coming-Soon Machine (Aug 19, 2026) |
| The full phone and text table; automated consent; FCC 26-67; Florida line by line; gifts and RESPA | Module 2, Lessons 2.3, 2.4, 2.6, 2.7 and 2.8 | Holiday Networking (Dec 2, 2026) |
| The quiet week and the January message | Dec 23–Jan 1, no outreach; The January Callback, Jan 4–15 | Holiday Networking (Dec 2, 2026) |
| The mailbox rule, and a check for anything you mail | Lesson 2.1; the Module 6 pre-send checklist | Snail Mail in the Age of AI (Dec 9, 2026) |
| A fair-housing check on any AI-written copy | The Fair Housing Firewall | Keeping AI Compliant (Sep 23, 2026) |
| Owners listed with another broker | Article 16 and its “two narrow doors” | The Expired Goldmine (Aug 12, 2026) |
| AI dialers and texters; what AI may do on its own | Module 3 (FCC 26-67); the Autonomy Dial; the Known Number | AI in 2027 (Nov 25, 2026) |
| Artwork for hangers and invitations, with no people in it | The Landmark Library; the Image Engine | Neighborhood Famous (Sep 16, 2026) |
“Circle prospecting” appears nowhere in the library, and neither does blockbusting or the “help choose your neighbor” idea. New here: Florida’s statewide “No Commercial Solicitation” sign (Fla. Stat. 501.062, in force since July 1, 2026); blockbusting, and HUD’s rule that names “uninvited solicitations for listings”; the “help choose your neighbor” line and its safe replacement; the city, HOA and gate rules for the door; Article 16 on the doorstep; the seller’s written yes before any outreach; and a sign-in card that asks permission.
The most direct evidence is one study of one metro. It points the right way. It does not promise a listing.
Nicholas Irwin and Mitchell Livy took every residential parcel in the Baltimore, Maryland metro area from 2013 to 2015, together with every home listed for sale, and ran duration models. Nearby listings at the same time were linked to an 11–15 percent increase in listing likelihood. The result held across several definitions of neighborhood size. The authors describe it as a “positive multiplier effect” of nearby listings on seller motivation.
| What the study found | Study | Read it as |
|---|---|---|
| Novice investors entered after seeing investing within about 0.10 miles (one city block). Each neighbor who began investing raised a household’s chance of investing by 8% within a year, up to 20% over three. | Bayer, Mangum & Roberts, American Economic Review, 2021; magnitudes from NBER WP 22065 (2016); Los Angeles | About investors buying, in the 2000s bubble. Not owners deciding to list. |
| Households were 7% more likely to refinance if a neighbor within 50 meters had recently refinanced. The effect faded with distance. | McCartney & Shah, Philadelphia Fed WP 21-16, 2021 | About refinancing. Shows neighbors talk money at very short range. |
| People whose distant Facebook friends saw bigger price gains were more likely to switch from renting to owning, and paid more. | Bailey, Cao, Kuchler & Stroebel, NBER WP 22258, 2016; J. Political Economy, 2018 | Distant friends, not neighbors. People act on the price stories they hear. |
| A neighboring foreclosure raised the chance of further defaults by 18% among the 13 nearest parcels (Maryland, 2006–2009). | Towe & Lawley, AEJ: Economic Policy, 2013 | Distress. Never in a script. |
The national survey is the strongest reason to be known on the street. Read what it bundles together, and what it cannot tell you.
| How sellers found their agent (Exhibit 7-2) | Share |
|---|---|
| Referred by (or is) a friend, neighbor or relative | 37% |
| Used the agent before | 29% |
| Personal contact by the agent (phone, e-mail, etc.) | 5% |
| Website · referred by another agent | 4% · 4% |
| Visited an open house and met the agent | 3% |
| Direct mail · saw contact information on a For Sale or Open House sign · walk-in | 2% · 2% · 2% |
| Employer or relocation · social page without a connection · advertising specialty · crowdsourcing on social media | 1% each |
| Other | 11% |
| Also from the 2025 Profile | Figure |
|---|---|
| Sellers who contacted one / two / three / four / five or more agents (Exhibit 7-3) | 80% / 12% / 5% / 2% / 1% |
| What mattered most in choosing: reputation · honest and trustworthy · friend or family · knowledge of the neighborhood · caring personality · commission (Exhibit 7-7) | 35% · 22% · 15% · 11% · 5% · 4% |
| Used the same agent to buy and to sell; for sellers within 10 miles of their purchase (Exhibit 7-4) | 51%; 72% |
| Would definitely or probably recommend their agent; already had, at least once (Exhibits 7-9, 7-10) | 87%; 65% |
NAR mailed a 120-question survey in July 2025 to 173,250 recent buyers and received 6,103 responses (adjusted response rate 3.5%, margin ±1.25% at 95% confidence). Seller figures come from buyers who also sold a home. Published November 2025; the full report was read from a member-distributed copy. As of Nov 3, 2026 NAR had not published or announced a 2026 edition, so this book uses the 2025 Profile.
Buyers use open houses. A small share find their home through someone they know. And neighbor-to-neighbor sales tend to skip agents.
| What buyers did (2025 Profile) | Share | Exhibit |
|---|---|---|
| Used open houses as an information source · rated them “very useful” | 48% · 43% | 3-2, 3-4 |
| Used yard signs · rated them “very useful” | 32% · 28% | 3-2, 3-4 |
| Said visiting open houses was their first step | 3% | 3-1 |
| Found the home they bought through a friend, relative or neighbor | 9% | 3-6 |
| Found it on the internet · through an agent | 52% · 27% | 3-6 |
| Found their agent through a friend, neighbor or relative (first-time buyers 49%) | 43% | 4-6 |
| Met their agent at an open house | 5% | 4-6 |
| Interviewed only one agent | 74% | 4-8 |
| How agents marketed the home (Exhibit 7-8) | Share of sellers |
|---|---|
| MLS · yard sign · open house | 85% · 67% · 59% |
| Realtor.com · agent website · third-party aggregators · company website | 50% · 49% · 46% · 42% |
| Social networks · virtual tours · direct mail · virtual open houses | 23% · 20% · 9% · 5% |
In the 2025 Profile, the median seller had owned the home for 11 years, an all-time high (Exhibit 6-17). 91% of sellers used an agent and 5% sold by owner, an all-time low. For 30% of those owner-sellers, the main reason was that they sold to a relative, friend or neighbor. Among sellers who already knew their buyer, 38% sold the home themselves (Chapter 8). Exhibit 3-6 also shows small slices for signs and builders; their values are not printed in the text, so we do not quote them.
There is one academic test of cold calling and one large vendor data set. Neither measures circle prospecting around a listing.
The Baylor test. In November 2011, 50 Keller Williams agents (of 160 recruited, across four U.S. time zones) each called one hour a day for seven days over two weeks. They made 6,264 calls to a random, unqualified list in areas they had not marketed to. 28% of calls were answered, 55% went unanswered and 17% were non-working numbers. Result: 19 appointments, 11 referrals and 132 callback requests, about 330 calls per appointment and 209 per appointment or referral. Calls from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. were 31% of dials but produced 53% of the appointments and referrals. The author said the question may remain unanswered, called the results encouraging, and asked for more research (Lampertz, Keller Center Research Report, Baylor University, Sept 1, 2012).
The vendor data. Vulcan7 reports 76,878,081 dials from normal use of its platform, January 2024 to April 2026. Live connections per attempt: 6.06% overall, about 16.5 dials per conversation; neighborhood search (circle prospecting) 6.2%, 16.2 dials; FSBO 9.0%; expired 5.5%. Best hour 11 a.m. ET, with 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. best overall. Appointments and listings are not tracked, about 30% of attempts carry no outcome code, and no Florida rate is given (Vulcan7, “The State of Real Estate Prospecting in 2026,” data through May 1, 2026). That is a vendor claim with its method described.
Paraphrased, with one direct quote. Read these as experienced advice. None of them reports a measured result.
| Who, where, when | What it teaches (paraphrased) |
|---|---|
| Tom Ferry, tomferry.com, “Real Estate Door Knocking Scripts for Open Houses,” Aug 31, 2026 | Knock 2–5 days before the open house: every home on the listing’s street first, then 3–4 surrounding blocks. Four beats: introduce yourself, name the listing and hand over the invitation; ask whether they know anyone who would like to move into the area; restate the invitation as a chance to see inside; then ask whether they have thought about selling, pause, and if not, thank them and move on. Follow up with attendees within 24–48 hours. |
| Tom Toole on Tom Ferry’s Confidence & Conversion, Ep. 5, Feb 18, 2022 | Use the open house as the reason for a circle call, and ask for a referral first. In his words: “Don’t ask the homeowner themselves. Ask if they know anybody.” |
| The Close, Brittany Wrenn, circle prospecting playbook, updated Jun 26, 2025 | Keep the circle small, about 20–50 homes. Mix letters, calls, texts and knocks, and offer something of value such as a market analysis. Scrub the list against Do Not Call and check local door-knocking rules. Includes a short invitation to a neighbor-only sneak peek before the public open house. |
| The Close, Sophia Doyle, door-knocking guide, Apr 15, 2026 | About 20 doors a day. Some cities require permits or ban door-to-door; HOAs may restrict it; respect “no soliciting” signs; say you are a licensed agent; carry materials with your name and brokerage; put nothing in mailboxes; do not go back after a “no.” |
| Darryl Davis, Inman, Jul 31 and Aug 18, 2026 | Hold a neighbors-only showing in the first week or two after the listing goes live, before the public open house. Invite by hand-delivered note or a short call, and say the owners will not be there. Knock or call 50–100 nearby homes. Follow up within 24 hours with what you promised and a market report for their street. |
| Kyle Crawford, Century 21 New Millennium, Inman, Nov 3, 2026 | A few days before, walk the street and invite neighbors to an early look, without pitching. Warn them about parking. Share a listing page and QR code. Keep neighborhood information about the property, not the people. |
| Mike Ferry, via The Close’s summary (Aug 2024, updated Dec 2024) | Use your recent listings and sales to start conversations in the same area. His exact scripts are a paid product; we did not see them. |
Not found: official Keller Williams or Buffini & Company material on neighbor previews or circle prospecting, and RISMedia articles on these topics from 2024–2026. Do not attribute the neighbor preview to either company.
New listings fall in December and jump in January, in Florida more than nationally. That is a calendar pattern. It is not evidence that December prospecting causes anything.
| New listings (Realtor.com data via FRED, not seasonally adjusted) | December | January | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States, Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 | 235,040 | 331,624 | +41.1% |
| United States, Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 | 237,762 | 327,020 | +37.5% |
| United States, Dec 2023 → Jan 2024 | 235,584 | 295,190 | +25.3% |
| Florida, Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 | 32,612 | 47,764 | +46.5% |
| Florida, Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 | 36,392 | 50,524 | +38.8% |
FRED series NEWLISCOUUS and NEWLISCOUFL (Realtor.com Housing Inventory Core Metrics, via the St. Louis Fed), checked Nov 3, 2026, data through September 2026. The percentages are our arithmetic. Realtor.com’s own January 2026 report text could not be opened, so it was not read.
Nationally, new listings fell 29.0% from November to December 2025, and the 2026 peak so far was April (477,118). Florida is different: January 2026 was its busiest month of 2026 for new listings (47,764, ahead of February’s 46,170 and March’s 46,208). January 2026 was 1.4% above January 2025 nationally and 5.5% below it in Florida.
A second source. The RE/MAX National Housing Report for January 2026, built from RE/MAX’s own 52-metro MLS sample, showed new listings up 61.8% from December and down 3.8% from a year earlier. Miami had the highest months’ supply of the 52 metros (7.0) and the lowest close-to-list price ratio (93.3%). A broker quoted in the report said some sellers had simply taken homes off the market for the holidays, so part of January’s “new” supply was relisted homes. Always name the source with the figure: 61.8% is RE/MAX’s sample; 41.1% is Realtor.com’s national count.
A home on your street that went off the market for the holidays may still be under an exclusive agreement with another broker. On our reading, treat it as “listed with another broker” on your Circle Sheet until you know otherwise (Article 16, page 16). The Expired Goldmine (Aug 12, 2026) covers what changes when an agreement ends.
Holiday calling. Vulcan7 reports that answer rates across the 23-day Christmas and New Year window were 6.29%, 0.21 points above its baseline. That is a vendor claim. This book still keeps Holiday Networking’s quiet week: no outreach Dec 23 to Jan 1.
Every line below is sourced. Each one says who found it and when. Use them at the door, on the phone and with your seller.
| A line you can say | Source |
|---|---|
| “When homes nearby go on the market, neighbors become somewhat more likely to list too.” | Irwin & Livy, “Close Competition,” Journal of Housing Research, published online Oct 22, 2026 (Baltimore, 2013–2015) |
| “Eight in ten recent sellers contacted only one agent before choosing one.” | NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (Nov 2025), Exhibit 7-3 |
| “Two out of three sellers hire someone they were referred to or used before.” | NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (Nov 2025), Exhibit 7-2 (66%) |
| “About half of buyers use open houses to look at homes.” | NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (Nov 2025), Exhibit 3-2 (48%) |
| “The typical seller had owned their home 11 years, a record.” | NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers (Nov 2025), Exhibit 6-17 |
| “Nationally, January brought about 41% more new listings than December last season. In Florida it was about 46%.” | Realtor.com data via FRED, Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 |
Seven lines you might hear in an office meeting this month (sample wording). For each, write Keep, Fix or Drop, and then the version you would say. Use only facts from this module.
Answer key: Appendix A, page 39.
A call or text about your listing is a sales call. Living nearby is not a reason to call a registered number.
On our reading, “I’ve just listed 14 Coral Vine. Know anyone who’d love the street?” encourages the purchase of property and your services, so it is a telephone solicitation. The reasons you may call a registered number differ by list.
| The reason | National registry (47 CFR 64.1200) | Florida’s list (Fla. Stat. 501.059) |
|---|---|---|
| Signed, written permission | Yes: a “signed, written agreement” to be contacted that “includes the telephone number” ((c)(2)(ii)). | Yes: a signed request to be contacted is an “express request of the person called” ((1)(k)1.). The sign-in box is the Florida-safe route (page 33). |
| A past client | Yes: a transaction within the 18 months before the call, not ended by a do-not-call request ((f)(5)). | Yes: “a prior or existing business relationship” ((1)(k)3.). Keep to the federal 18 months as well. |
| An inquiry | Yes, for 3 months after the person asked about your services ((f)(5)). | Only a call “in response to an express request of the person called” ((1)(k)1.). |
| A personal relationship | Yes: “any family member, friend, or acquaintance” ((c)(2)(iii), (f)(17)): on our reading, someone you know personally who would expect your call (Holiday Networking 2.3). A name is not enough. | No. Florida has no family, friend or acquaintance exception. |
In a Florida circle, the Florida column decides. Florida’s list includes every Florida number on the national registry ((3)(d)), so a registered number there needs the signed box, a past-client relationship, or a request you are answering. Not a reason on either list: living nearby, being your seller’s friend, a county record, a vendor’s number for a stranger. A colleague’s past sale through your brokerage: ask your broker (the relationship is with the business you call for; (f)(5)(ii)).
Florida’s real estate carve-out is narrow: it covers a licensee who calls a seller or landlord “in response to a yard sign or other form of advertisement placed by the seller or lessor” (501.059(4)). A circle call answers nothing the neighbor placed, so the Florida list applies, with no licensee exemption. Federally, agents are not exempt either.
The FCC’s safe harbor needs written procedures, trained staff, your own do-not-call list and a registry copy “no more than 31 days prior to the date any call is made,” with records (64.1200(c)(2)(i)). Your broker usually holds the access. Honor do-not-call requests within 10 business days; keep them 5 years. Full table: Holiday Networking, Lesson 2.3.
Once a number is allowed, these rules decide when you call, what you say first, and which tools stay switched off.
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Florida hours and frequency | No commercial solicitation call “before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. local time in the called person’s time zone,” and no more than three calls to a person in 24 hours “on the same subject matter or issue, regardless of the phone number used to make the call.” Licensees are not exempt from this rule. Whether it reaches texts is unsettled; use the same window. | Fla. Stat. 501.616(6); 501.604(25) |
| Federal hours | Not before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., local time at the called party’s location. In Florida, the stricter 8 p.m. applies. | 64.1200(c)(1); 16 CFR 310.4(c) |
| Your name, first | Florida: your “true first and last names and the business on whose behalf” you are calling, “immediately upon making contact.” Federal: the caller’s name, the business, and a phone number or address. | 501.059(2); 64.1200(d)(4) |
| Autodialed, prerecorded or AI voice | Marketing calls using an autodialer or an artificial or prerecorded voice need prior express written consent. AI-generated voices count (FCC 24-17, Feb 2024). Florida requires the same for any “automated system for the selection and dialing of telephone numbers or the playing of a recorded message.” | 64.1200(a)(2), (f)(9); 501.059(8)(a) |
| Ringless voicemail | A ringless voicemail to a cell phone is a call with an artificial or prerecorded voice. Consent is required. | FCC 22-85 (effective Nov 21, 2022) |
| FCC 26-67, effective Nov 25, 2026 | For consent-based robocalls and robotexts, and calls made with signed permission, a revocation in reply to a marketing message revokes consent to all of that caller’s future marketing calls and texts. Honor it within 10 business days. This replaces a delayed date of Jan 31, 2027. A caller that designates an exclusive way to opt out must disclose it clearly in the call or text. | 64.1200(a)(10)–(11), as amended |
| Stops and lawsuits | Florida: actual damages or $500, whichever is greater, up to triple if willful. Before suing over texts, the person must reply STOP, and you have 15 days. Federal: a person who gets more than one violating call in 12 months may recover up to $500 per violation, trebled if willful. | 501.059(10); 47 U.S.C. 227(c)(5) |
Facebook v. Duguid (2021) narrowed what counts as an autodialer under federal law. It did not touch prerecorded or AI voices, Florida’s broader “automated system” test, or the Do Not Call rules. A power dialer that picks and dials numbers for you may fall under Florida’s test; ask your broker before you use one (our reading).
Asking for a listing is commercial. Cities can make you get a permit, limit your hours and enforce “No Solicitation” signs against you.
| Case | What the Supreme Court said |
|---|---|
| Martin v. City of Struthers, 319 U.S. 141 (1943) | Whether visiting is permitted depends “upon the will of the individual master of each household.” A city “can punish those who call at a home in defiance of the previously expressed will of the occupant.” |
| Breard v. City of Alexandria, 341 U.S. 622 (1951) | Upheld a ban on uninvited door-to-door solicitors: “We see no abridgment of the principles of the First Amendment in this ordinance.” |
| Watchtower Bible & Tract Society v. Village of Stratton, 536 U.S. 150 (2002) | Struck down a permit rule for all canvassers, but said a rule limited to “commercial activities and the solicitation of funds” would arguably be tailored to the village’s interests. |
“A person may not engage in commercial solicitation on any dwelling that clearly and prominently displays a sign” at least 8.5 by 11 inches, visible to anyone approaching, with letters at least 1 inch high, reading in substance: “THIS DWELLING IS DESIGNATED PRIVATE PROPERTY. NO COMMERCIAL SOLICITATION IS PERMITTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 501.062, FLORIDA STATUTES.” “Commercial solicitation” means “attempting to sell goods or services … through direct or indirect contact with individuals, including, but not limited to, using words, body gestures, or signs, on behalf of a business or commercial entity.” A first violation is a noncriminal violation; a second or later one is a second-degree misdemeanor. Created by ch. 2026-3, Laws of Florida (CS/CS/CS/SB 290), approved March 23, 2026.
Our reading: a posted 501.062 sign means no knock, no pitch and no hanger left at that door. The statute’s purpose clause speaks of the owner’s right to exclude unauthorized commercial solicitation once noticed (501.062(1)), but whether a hanger counts as “indirect contact” is untested; no court or Attorney General opinion was found. A small sign, or one that just says “No Soliciting,” is not a 501.062 sign; a homemade sign that meets the size, letter-height and wording test is. City codes and Martin still apply to every “No Soliciting” sign. Skip those homes too.
| Before you walk a street | What we found | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A state permit? | Florida’s home-solicitation permit excludes those regulated by chapter 475, which covers real estate licensees. | Fla. Stat. 501.022(1)(b)6. |
| City rules | Example: Lighthouse Point (Broward County) bars solicitation at addresses that have said no, requires every solicitor to carry a city police ID card, allows 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and bars Sundays and holidays without Commission approval. Read from the city’s page, not the code; whether it exempts licensees was not verified. | lighthousepointfl.gov; City Code ch. 62 |
| HOAs and gates | No statewide Florida rule was found. The community’s declaration and rules, the gate and private-property law decide. | Not found |
The mailbox rule is in Snail Mail in the Age of AI. The rest of this page is what a note, a hanger or an invitation must carry.
| What goes on every note, hanger and invitation | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The licensed brokerage name. “All advertising must be in a manner in which reasonable persons would know they are dealing with a real estate licensee. All real estate advertisements must include the licensed name of the brokerage firm.” | If your own name appears, at least your last name as registered. | Fla. Admin. Code R. 61J2-10.025(1)–(2) |
| A QR code or RSVP page | On the internet, the brokerage name goes “adjacent to or immediately above or below the point of contact information.” A QR code that opens an RSVP page puts that page under this rule. | 61J2-10.025(3)(a) |
| A true picture | No advertising that is “fraudulent, false, deceptive, or misleading in form or content.” NAR: present “a true picture,” and show the firm name “in a reasonable and readily apparent manner.” | Fla. Stat. 475.25(1)(c); NAR Article 12, SOP 12-5 |
| “Sold” | “Only REALTORS® who participated in the transaction as the listing broker or cooperating broker (selling broker) may claim to have ‘sold’ the property.” | SOP 12-7 |
| Offers and inducements | Anything offered must come with a “clear, thorough, advance understanding of all the terms and conditions.” | SOP 12-3 |
| No paying neighbors for referrals (Florida) | A licensee may be disciplined for paying “a fee or other compensation to, a person not properly licensed … for the referral of real estate business.” | Fla. Stat. 475.25(1)(h) |
Someone else’s sale is a market fact, not your sale: “A home on Heron Court closed this month (source: MLS).” We did not check MLS rules on printing another brokerage’s sold data on a hanger; ask your MLS. A “$500 if your friend buys” offer to a neighbor is out in Florida. Holiday Networking, Lesson 2.8, covers gifts and RESPA.
HUD’s blockbusting rule names uninvited solicitations for listings, which is what circle prospecting is, as one way blockbusting happens. Keep every word about the house, the price and the market.
It is unlawful “for profit, to induce or attempt to induce any person to sell or rent any dwelling by representations regarding the entry or prospective entry into the neighborhood of a person or persons of a particular race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin” (42 U.S.C. 3604(e)). HUD’s rule lists, among prohibited acts: “Engaging, for profit, in conduct (including uninvited solicitations for listings) which conveys to a person that a neighborhood is undergoing or is about to undergo a change” in those characteristics, and encouraging a sale through claims that such entry “can or will result in undesirable consequences,” such as “a lowering of property values” or “a decline in the quality of schools.” And “it is not necessary that there was in fact profit as long as profit was a factor for engaging in the blockbusting activity” (24 CFR 100.85). Florida says the same in Fla. Stat. 760.23(5).
So: the pitch is one sale and today’s market, never who is moving in, the area “changing,” or values about to fall.
| Rule | What it covers at the door | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Statements and ads | Any “notice, statement, or advertisement” that indicates a preference, limitation or discrimination. HUD applies it to “all written or oral notices or statements,” including flyers and signs. Spoken words on the step count. | 42 U.S.C. 3604(c); 24 CFR 100.75(b); Fla. Stat. 760.23(3) |
| Expressing a preference | Expressing to “prospective sellers … or any other persons a preference for or limitation on any purchaser.” | 100.75(c)(2) |
| Where you advertise | Choosing media or locations that “deny particular segments of the housing market information about housing opportunities” because of a protected class. | 100.75(c)(3) |
| Steering | Telling a buyer they “would not be comfortable or compatible with existing residents” because of a protected class. | 100.70(c)(3) |
| The owner’s exemption ends with you | A single-family owner is exempt only if selling without “the sales or rental services of any real estate broker, agent, or salesman.” | 42 U.S.C. 3603(b)(1) |
| NAR Code (members) | Do not volunteer the “racial, religious or ethnic composition of any neighborhood,” and do not engage in “any activity which may result in panic selling or steering.” The Code adds sexual orientation and gender identity. | Article 10; SOPs 10-1, 10-3 |
We found no HUD, DOJ, NAR or state guidance, and no case, on this line by name. Our reading: it invites neighbors to state a preference for a buyer (100.75(c)(2)), a preference the seller cannot act on once a broker is involved (3603(b)(1)). A neighbors-only look used as the only marketing could also deny others the information (100.75(c)(3)). The replacement: “Know someone who’d love this street? Here’s the listing. It’s open to everyone.”
Schools or crime: HUD’s letter of Apr 24, 2026 covers discussing them “with prospective homebuyers or renters,” given “in an equal and consistent manner.” A neighbor who might sell is not a buyer, and the blockbusting rule names crime and schools (24 CFR 100.85(c)(2)). Give everyone the same sourced pointer, no opinion, never tied to who is moving in. Run every invitation through the Fair Housing Firewall (Keeping AI Compliant, Sep 23, 2026).
Knocking every door is a general canvass. Picking out the house with another broker’s sign is not.
Article 16: “REALTORS® shall not engage in any practice or take any action inconsistent with exclusive representation or exclusive brokerage relationship agreements that other REALTORS® have with clients.” SOP 16-2 allows “general announcements to prospects,” even if some recipients are listed elsewhere: “A general telephone canvass, general mailing or distribution addressed to all prospects in a given geographical area” is general. What is unethical is “telephone or personal solicitations of property owners who have been identified by a real estate sign, multiple listing compilation, or other information service as having exclusively listed their property with another REALTOR®,” and targeted written solicitations of those owners. SOP 16-4: do not solicit a listing that is currently listed exclusively with another broker. SOP 16-13: deal with the client’s broker, not the client, unless that broker consents or the client starts it.
Pull active listings off any targeted list, as The Golden Handcuffs Conversation (Nov 18, 2026, Lesson 7.3) and The Expired Goldmine (Aug 12, 2026) teach. A home withdrawn for the holidays may still be under an exclusive agreement (page 9).
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Florida’s default | “It shall be presumed that all licensees are operating as transaction brokers unless a single agent or no brokerage relationship is established, in writing, with a customer.” | Fla. Stat. 475.278(1)(b) |
| Limited confidentiality | Prevents disclosure “that the seller will accept a price less than the asking or listed price,” “of the motivation of any party for selling,” of other financing terms, “or of any other information requested by a party to remain confidential.” A single agent owes full confidentiality. | 475.278(2)(f); (3)(a)3. |
| NAR | Do not “reveal confidential information of clients” unless they consent after full disclosure. Latent material defects are not confidential. | SOP 1-9 |
| Access to the home | Do not “access or use, or permit or enable others to access or use, property on terms or conditions other than those established by the owner or seller.” | SOP 1-16 |
| Authority to advertise | “REALTORS® shall not offer for sale/lease or advertise property without authority.” | SOP 12-4 |
Education, not legal advice. Your broker’s policy, your MLS and your state’s law come first. Florida rules shown.
| Channel | The rule in one line | Source | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone or text | Scrub (national copy no more than 31 days old, plus Florida’s list). A listed Florida number needs the signed box, a past client, or a request you are answering. 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., three calls in 24 hours at most, name and brokerage first, no robots without signed consent, any stop is final. | 64.1200; 501.059; 501.616(6) | 11 |
| Door | The homeowner decides. A 501.062 sign or a “No Soliciting” sign means skip it. Check the city and the HOA first. | 501.062; Martin; city code | 13 |
| Note or hanger | At the door, never in or on the mailbox. Licensed brokerage name on every piece. | 18 U.S.C. 1725; 61J2-10.025 | 14 |
| Your words | The house, the price, the market and the open times. Never who lives there, who might move in, or a street “changing.” | 3604(c), (e); 24 CFR 100.75, 100.85 | 15 |
| Listed elsewhere | The general invitation only. No targeted call, letter or pitch. | Article 16; SOPs 16-2, 16-4 | 16 |
| Your seller | Only what the seller approved in writing. Never motivation, timing or price flexibility. | 475.278(2)(f); SOP 1-9 | 16 |
| Claims | “Sold” only on your own deals. A source on every number. No paying neighbors for referrals. | SOP 12-7; 475.25(1)(h) | 14 |
Six situations, all sample data. For each, name the rule, then say what you do instead.
Answer key: Appendix A, page 39.
A one-page sign-off, made at the listing appointment, before the first knock. Five parts. The seller signs it; you file it.
| Part | What goes on it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Share | List price, beds and baths, the features the seller wants mentioned, open-house times. | No advertising “without authority” (SOP 12-4). |
| 2 · Private | Why they are selling, when they need to move, whether they would take less, financing terms, and anything else they ask you to keep quiet. | Fla. Stat. 475.278(2)(f), (3)(a)3.; SOP 1-9. |
| 3 · Porch | Yes or no to a neighbors’ hour. If yes: date and hours, who may come, seller present or not, photos, how many inside at once. | Access on the owner’s terms (SOP 1-16); NAR safety tips. |
| 4 · Path | Public, preview or private, with the seller’s signed choice. If not yet live in the MLS: the compliance desk’s written answer before any invitation. | Clear Cooperation; the Choice Record (Nov 11, 2026). |
| 5 · No-circle | “I do not want any neighbor outreach about this listing.” If ticked, nothing about it goes to the street. | The seller’s choice (Nov 11 covers it). |
Under the Clear Cooperation Policy, “the listing broker must submit the listing to the MLS for cooperation with other MLS Participants within one (1) business day of marketing a property to the public.” Public marketing “includes, but is not limited to, flyers displayed in windows, yard signs, digital marketing on public facing websites … digital communications marketing (email blasts)…” while “one-to-one, broker-to-broker communications about listings will not trigger CCP requirements” (NAR FAQ, May 21, 2025). The seller’s signed path choice is the Choice Record in Private, Preview, or Public? (Nov 11, 2026).
NAR’s list does not name open houses or door hangers, and we found no NAR or MLS statement on whether a neighbors-only preview of a home not yet in the MLS counts as public marketing. Our reading: hangers and printed invitations look like flyers, and a street-wide invitation is not one-to-one. Before you announce a preview of a home not yet live, ask your MLS compliance desk, in writing, whether it starts the one-business-day clock. If the home is already live, note the live date on the sheet.
Sample data. One page, five parts, each with a box the seller ticks or leaves blank. The form your broker uses comes first.
| Part | What the seller approved |
|---|---|
| 1 · Share | ☑ Listed at $615,000 ☑ 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, pool ☑ Roof replaced in 2024 ☑ Open-house times ☐ Interior photos on the invitation (seller: no) |
| 2 · Private | ☑ Why we are selling ☑ When we need to move ☑ Whether we would take less ☑ Financing terms ☑ Also private: our new address |
| 3 · Porch | ☑ Yes. Neighbors’ hour Fri, Jan 8, 2027, 5–6 p.m. Anyone who comes is welcome. Seller not present. No photos by visitors. At most 10 people inside at once. A second agent from Sample Realty Group on site. |
| 4 · Path | Public. Live in the MLS and sign up on Mon, Jan 4, 2027. Choice Record signed Dec 17, 2026. Nothing goes to neighbors before Jan 4, so the preview follows the MLS date and no compliance-desk question is needed. Public open house Sat, Jan 9, 1–4 p.m. |
| 5 · No-circle | ☐ “I do not want any neighbor outreach about this listing.” (Not ticked.) |
| Signed | Seller A, Dec 17, 2026 · Jordan Lee, Sample Realty Group |
Seller A, Jordan Lee, Sample Realty Group and Coral Vine Lane are invented for this book.
| AI may | AI may not |
|---|---|
| Draft the five parts from the listing agreement and your appointment notes, with names removed (Prompt 1, page 43). | Decide what the seller agrees to, or tick a box. |
| Move anything about motivation, timing or price out of the share list and into the private list. | Put a reason for selling, a deadline or a price hint in the share list, even if it is in your notes. |
| Mark missing details NOT KNOWN. | Fill a gap with a guess, or give a legal opinion. |
Some sellers want privacy: an illness, a divorce, a job nobody knows about yet, or simply no wish to be talked about. You do not need to know why, and you should not ask twice. When the box is ticked, mark the Circle Sheet “no circle” for this listing and stop: no knocks, calls, notes or invitations about this home. The seller’s path choice comes first (Private, Preview, or Public?, Nov 11, 2026). Your general farm work that never mentions the listing is a separate matter; on our reading, ask the seller whether they are comfortable with your usual mail going out while their home is for sale.
Ten things from a listing appointment, all sample data. Sort each one before you open the answer key.
Your listing is 14 Coral Vine Lane (sample). For each item, write Share (it can go on the share list once the seller ticks it), Private (it stays out of every script), or Ask (the seller must decide, in writing). Give one reason.
Answer key: Appendix A, page 40.
| Test | If yes |
|---|---|
| Would it tell a neighbor why the seller is selling, when, or for how little? | Private. Florida’s limited confidentiality covers motivation and price flexibility (475.278(2)(f)). |
| Is it about who may come into the home, when, or what they may do there? | Ask. Access is on the owner’s terms (SOP 1-16). |
| Is it a fact about the house that the seller wants buyers to know? | Share, once ticked (SOP 12-4). |
| Is it a defect? | Not a door-script item. SOP 1-9 says latent material defects are not confidential; how they are disclosed is a question for your broker. |
| Did the seller say no to all outreach? | No-circle. Stop there. |
Every home around the listing gets a row. The columns decide the channel from rules, not hunches. AI builds and refreshes the sheet. A person makes every call.
| Column | What goes in it | Rule | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home | Address from the county parcel file; first ring, street or next block; owner’s mailing address if it differs. | — | — |
| Phone | The scrub result against the national registry and Florida’s list, with the registry copy’s date. Then the reason you may call: off both lists, signed permission, or a past client within 18 months. In Florida an acquaintance, or an inquiry alone, does not clear a registered number (501.059(1)(k), (4)). Otherwise NO CALL. | 64.1200(c)(2), (f)(5); 501.059(1)(k), (4) | 11 |
| Door | A 501.062 sign or a “No Soliciting” sign? A city permit, ID or hours rule? An HOA or gate rule? Then YES or NO. Signs are checked on the walk; until then, NOT CHECKED. | 501.062; city code; HOA | 13 |
| Note | DOOR ONLY, with the brokerage name; or NONE. Never the mailbox. | 18 U.S.C. 1725; 61J2-10.025 | 14 |
| Flags | LISTED WITH ANOTHER BROKER: general invitation only. DO NOT CONTACT: nothing, by any channel, and on your own do-not-call list the same day. | Article 16, SOP 16-2; 64.1200(d) | 16 |
| Script | DOOR, PHONE, GENERAL INVITATION ONLY or NONE. The approved scripts are in Module 5. | 3604(c), (e); 24 CFR 100.85 | 26 |
| Log | Date and what the person said about the house or their own plans, in their words. Never a guess about who they are. | Our rule | — |
Coaches differ on size. Tom Ferry starts with every home on the listing’s street, then 3–4 surrounding blocks. The Close suggests keeping the circle to about 20–50 homes. Darryl Davis suggests knocking or calling 50–100 nearby homes. All three are practice advice, not measured results. Pick the size you can actually work in the days you have, and work it by geography only. Never choose rows by who lives in them.
Seven steps, in this order. Vendor tools can help with the list. Your own scrub and your own checks decide the columns.
| Step | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pull every address in the circle from the county parcel file, with the owner’s mailing address. | An owner who lives elsewhere gets mail at the mailing address. Same Do Not Call and Article 16 rules. |
| 2 | Search the MLS for active listings in the circle, and homes recently taken off the market. | Flag them LISTED WITH ANOTHER BROKER until you know otherwise. |
| 3 | Add numbers only from a source your broker approves. Ask the vendor where its data comes from and how it handles opt-outs and privacy laws. | Homeowner lists carry legal risk (below). |
| 4 | Scrub every number against the national registry and Florida’s list. Write the registry copy’s date on the sheet. | No more than 31 days old on each call date. A copy dated Dec 15 or later covers calls through Jan 15. |
| 5 | Run your own do-not-call list over the sheet. | Requests are honored within 10 business days and kept 5 years. Do it the same day. |
| 6 | Call the city clerk or police non-emergency line; ask the HOA manager. | Their answers go in the door column. |
| 7 | Walk the street before the first knock and note any 501.062 or “No Soliciting” sign. | Door NO and note NONE for those homes. |
| Tool | What the vendor’s page shows (checked Nov 3, 2026) | Do Not Call handling, as stated |
|---|---|---|
| REDX GeoLeads and Power Dialer | Pin or boundary search; up to 3 phones and e-mail per contact; 2,500 leads a month (7,500 on PLUS). Prices conflict on the page: $60, $69.99 and $129.99 (PLUS) a month; CORE, $199, includes GeoLeads. Data sources not disclosed. | “Cross Checked Against DNC”; dialer advertises “DNC Protection.” |
| Vulcan7 Neighborhood Search | Map targeting; filters include absentee owners, equity, length of ownership and “empty nesters”; a “Likely to List” score, method not shown. No prices shown. | “DNC filtering included.” |
| Landvoice Neighborhood Search | Draw on the map; 3,000 results a month on every tier; owner name, address, up to 3 phones. $87, $127, $177 or $227 a month. | DNC numbers are “clearly indicated”: flagged, not removed. |
| Mojo Dialer | “Neighborhood Lists” (not described further); dialer claims up to 300 calls an hour. No prices shown. | Not described on the pages read. |
Vendor claims, not checked, not recommendations. None of these pages advertises AI that writes neighbor scripts.
Sample data. Jordan Lee’s sheet for 14 Coral Vine Lane. Registry copy dated Dec 17: good through Jan 17.
| Home | Ring | Phone | Door | Note | Flags · script |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Coral Vine | 1st | NO CALL. National registry; no reason. | YES | Door only | Door script |
| 12 Coral Vine | 1st | MAY CALL. Past client, closed June 2026 (runs to Dec 2027). | YES | Door only | Door and phone |
| 16 Coral Vine | 1st | MAY CALL. Off both lists (copy Dec 17). | YES | Door only | Door and phone |
| 18 Coral Vine | 1st | NO CALL. Florida list. | NO. 501.062 sign. | NONE | Skip |
| 11 Coral Vine | 1st | NO CALL. Listed with another broker. | YES | Door only | Listed elsewhere: general invitation only |
| 13 Coral Vine | 1st | NO CALL. Said “don’t contact me,” Oct 2026; on my list. | NO | NONE | DO NOT CONTACT |
| 15 Coral Vine | 1st | MAY CALL only to answer the value question (Nov 30 request). Signed box for more. | YES | Door only | Door; ask for the signed box |
| 17 Coral Vine | 1st | NO CALL until the signed box. Tennis partner, but registered: no Florida acquaintance exception. | NO. Small “No Soliciting” sign. | NONE | Signed box, in person |
| 20 Coral Vine | Street | NOT KNOWN. No number on file. | YES | Door only | Door script |
| 9 Coral Vine | Street | NO CALL. National registry (my scrub). | YES | Door only | Door script |
| 19 Coral Vine | Street | NO CALL. Owner lives out of state; registered. | YES (tenant) | Door; stamped mail to owner | Door script |
| 2 Heron Ct | Next block | MAY CALL. Off both lists (copy Dec 17). | NO. HOA rule (Dec 18). | NONE; stamped mail | Phone only |
Sample city answer (Dec 18): no permit for licensees; knocking 9 a.m.–8 p.m. Yours will differ.
Same listing, same registry copy (dated Dec 17), new homes. All sample data. Decide each column from the rules, not from a hunch.
For each home, fill in Phone (MAY CALL with the reason, or NO CALL), Door (YES or NO), Note (DOOR ONLY or NONE) and any Flag. Assume no sign at the door unless one is mentioned.
Answer key: Appendix A, page 40.
| Phone | Door | Note | Flags | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 | ||||
| 7 |
Every approved script talks about four things and never strays. That keeps you inside fair housing, your seller’s confidentiality and Article 16 at once.
Coaches teach a similar order. Tom Ferry’s open-house knock leads with the invitation and the referral question and asks about the neighbor’s own move last (tomferry.com, Aug 31, 2026, paraphrased). Tom Toole, on Ferry’s show, put the referral-first idea in one line: “Don’t ask the homeowner themselves. Ask if they know anybody.” That is coach advice, not data. We kept the order and changed the referral line to the fair-housing-safe version: you ask who would love the street, never whom they would like next door.
| Talk about | Never talk about |
|---|---|
| The house: beds, baths and the features the seller approved | People: who lives on the street, who is buying, who might move in, who the home is “perfect for” |
| The price: the list price | The seller: why they are selling, when they must move, whether they would take less |
| The market: sales on the street, with the source and the date you checked | Change and fear: the area “changing,” values about to fall, “now or never” |
| The open times: the neighbors’ hour and the public open house | Another broker’s listing: its price, its agent, when it expires |
Sample wording for 14 Coral Vine Lane (invented). Approved facts only. Your broker approves your version before you use it.
| Line | Why it is there | Rule or source |
|---|---|---|
| “Jordan Lee with Sample Realty Group” | First and last name and the business, first. Licensee identified. | 501.059(2); 61J2-10.025(1) |
| “three-bedroom, two-bath … $615,000” | Only what the seller ticked on the Seller’s Yes. | SOP 12-4; 475.278(2)(f) |
| “open to everyone on Saturday” | The neighbors’ hour runs alongside full marketing. | 100.75(c)(3) (our reading) |
| “extra cars on the street” | A courtesy, and Kyle Crawford’s advice (Inman, Nov 3, 2026). | Coach advice |
| “Know someone who’d love this street?” | The referral line, about the street, not about who they want next door. | 100.75(c)(2) (our reading) |
| “if you’d ever like to see what’s sold” | Their own plans come last, as an easy offer. A no ends it. | Coach advice; The Close |
| “leave the details at your door” | No offer to text. A text needs a reason or signed permission. | 64.1200(c)(2), (e) |
The hard moments at the door are predictable. Each has a line that stays on the house.
| When | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The home is listed with another broker | “I see you’re listed with [broker]. I’m only letting neighbors know about the open house.” Hand over the same invitation. Nothing more. | Article 16; SOPs 16-2, 16-4, 16-13 |
| They ask why your sellers are moving | “I’m not able to share their plans, but I’m glad to tell you about the house.” | 475.278(2)(f); SOP 1-9 |
| They ask who is buying, or what kind of people are looking | “I can’t speak to who’s buying. Anyone is welcome to see it.” | 3604(c); 24 CFR 100.75; 100.85 |
| They ask, “What’s mine worth?” | First: “Are you working with an agent on your home right now?” If not: “I’d be glad to pull the recent sales on the street. May I call you about it? If so, would you tick and sign this box?” Log the date. In Florida, a call without the box answers only that question. | SOP 16-13; 501.059(1)(k)1.; 64.1200(f)(5) |
| They say “don’t come back” or “don’t call me” | “Understood. I’ll make a note today.” Mark DO NOT CONTACT on the sheet and your own list that day. Do not go back. | 64.1200(d); The Close (coach advice) |
| They ask about schools or crime | Give everyone the same sourced pointer, and no opinion: “Here’s where I’d look.” | HUD letter, Apr 24, 2026 (buyers); 24 CFR 100.85(c)(2) |
| They ask whether the price will drop | “I can’t speak for my sellers. Here’s what’s sold on the street in the past year (source: MLS).” | 475.278(2)(f); Article 12 |
| They offer to send friends “for a cut,” or you are tempted to offer one | “That’s kind. I can’t pay for referrals, but I’d be grateful for an introduction.” A thank-you note, not money. | Fla. Stat. 475.25(1)(h); Holiday Networking 2.8 |
| There is a 501.062 or “No Soliciting” sign | Say nothing. Leave nothing. Walk on. | 501.062; Martin |
| The street is gated or the HOA bars solicitation | Do not talk your way in. Stamped mail, or wait for a resident’s invitation. | HOA rules; page 13 |
| A tenant answers; the owner lives elsewhere | Give the tenant the general invitation. Reach the owner by stamped mail to the mailing address. | Page 22; Do Not Call still applies |
Sample data. Jordan drafts with Prompt 3, checks with Prompt 4, reads it aloud and sends it to the broker. Four steps, twenty minutes.
Approved facts: 14 Coral Vine Lane; 3 bed, 2 bath, pool; listed at $615,000; roof replaced 2024. Open times: neighbors’ hour Fri, Jan 8, 5–6 p.m.; public open house Sat, Jan 9, 1–4 p.m. Market facts Jordan pulled himself: “Four homes on Coral Vine closed in 2026 (source: MLS, checked Dec 21, 2026).” Name and brokerage: Jordan Lee, Sample Realty Group. Nothing from the private list goes into the prompt at all.
| Check | Result | Jordan’s fix |
|---|---|---|
| Name and brokerage first | PASS | None |
| Anything about people, change or who the home suits | PASS: none | None |
| Seller’s confidences | PASS: none | None |
| Claims and numbers | FLAG: “this year” does not match the approved fact (“in 2026”) and would be wrong in January | Changed to “in 2026”; the handout says “source: MLS, checked Dec 21, 2026” |
| Listed-elsewhere version | PASS | None |
| Fear, urgency, predictions | PASS: none | None |
| Mailbox; automated texts; inducements | PASS: none | None |
| Sounds like Jordan | “Hosting” and “thanks so much” are not how he talks | Changed to “holding” and “thanks for your time” |
Jordan reads it aloud twice: 42 seconds. He runs it through the Fair Housing Firewall (Keeping AI Compliant, Sep 23, 2026) and e-mails it to his broker with the Seller’s Yes attached. The broker approves it on Dec 22 (sample). It goes on the Circle Sheet as the approved door script.
What a general AI tool can produce from “write a persuasive door-knocking script for my new listing, and make it create urgency.” Find the problems before you read the table.
| # | The line | What is wrong | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Hi neighbor! I’m Jordan.” | No last name, no brokerage, no “licensed agent.” Name and brokerage come first. | 12 |
| 2 | “relocating for work, so they’re very motivated” | The seller’s motivation is confidential (475.278(2)(f); SOP 1-9). | 16 |
| 3 | “a waiting list of buyers” | A claim Jordan cannot back up. Not a true picture (Article 12). | 14 |
| 4 | “Lots of young families are looking” | A statement about who the buyers are, tied to familial status (3604(c); 100.75). | 15 |
| 5 | “your help choosing who moves in next door” | Invites a preference for a buyer (100.75(c)(2)), our reading. | 15 |
| 6 | “so many new people coming in … the street is changing fast” | Change in who lives on the street, used to encourage a sale: the blockbusting pattern (3604(e); 24 CFR 100.85). | 15 |
| 7 | “may never be worth more than they are today” | Fear and a prediction with no source. Panic selling (SOP 10-1). | 15 |
| 8 | “JUST SOLD: 9 Heron Court, by our team!” | In this sample, another brokerage sold it. SOP 12-7. | 14 |
| 9 | “I’ll leave a flyer in your mailbox” | 18 U.S.C. 1725; DMM 508.3.1.3. The door only. | 14 |
| 10 | “If it doesn’t sell with them, I’m the one to call” | Soliciting an owner listed with another broker (Article 16; SOP 16-4). | 16 |
| 11 | A “Reply YES” text to every number on the street | In Florida, an automated marketing text needs prior express written consent (501.059(8)(a)). Federally it does too if the tool is an autodialer, which after Duguid depends on the tool, so ask your broker. Texts count as calls ((e)); there was no scrub; and from Nov 25, one “stop” to a consent-based marketing text ends all of that sender’s marketing texts and robocalls (FCC 26-67). | 12 |
Ten lines an agent might say at a door on Coral Vine Lane, all sample wording. The four beats and the four topics decide most of them.
For each line, write Keep, Fix (and your version) or Cut (and why).
Answer key: Appendix A, page 41.
One hour at the listing for the people who live around it, then the public open house. Run safely, fairly and on the seller’s written terms.
What practitioners suggest (coach advice, not data). Darryl Davis (Inman, Jul 31, 2026) recommends a neighbors-only showing in the first week or two after the listing goes live, before the public open house, framed as a courtesy, with the owners away. Kyle Crawford (Inman, Nov 3, 2026) walks the street a few days before, without pitching, and keeps neighborhood information about the property, not the people. The Close (2025) includes a short neighbor-only “sneak peek” invitation. NAR’s own safety guidance suggests telling a neighbor you will host an open house and asking them to keep an eye and ear open. We found no study of how neighbors-only open houses perform.
| Before the hour: the checklist | Source | Done |
|---|---|---|
| The seller ticked “yes” to a neighbors’ hour and wrote its terms: date, hours, who may come, seller present or not, photos, headcount | Seller’s Yes, part 3; SOP 1-16 | |
| If the home is not yet live in the MLS: the compliance desk’s written answer on whether the invitation is public marketing | Clear Cooperation; page 18 | |
| The public open house is scheduled, and the invitation says so | 100.75(c)(3), our reading | |
| The invitation passed Prompt 4 and the Fair Housing Firewall, and your broker approved it | Page 32 | |
| A second person is booked for the whole hour | NAR safety tips | |
| The seller has put away valuables, keys, cards, jewelry and prescription drugs | NAR safety tips | |
| Sign-in cards printed, with the separate, unticked permission box | Page 33 |
Sample wording. The same card goes to every door the Circle Sheet allows, including the home listed with another broker.
You’re invited to a neighbors’ hour at 14 Coral Vine Lane.
Friday, January 8, 2027, 5–6 p.m. · Then open to everyone: Saturday, January 9, 1–4 p.m.
3 bedrooms, 2 baths, pool. Listed at $615,000.
Know someone who’d love this street? Bring them, or pass this on. It’s open to everyone.
There may be extra cars on Coral Vine on Saturday. Thank you for your patience.
Jordan Lee · Sample Realty Group (licensed brokerage name and office contact) · QR code to the listing page, with the brokerage name beside the contact details.
| On the card | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The licensed brokerage name; Jordan’s last name as registered | All real estate advertising | 61J2-10.025(1)–(2) |
| The brokerage name next to the contact details on the QR page | Internet advertising | 61J2-10.025(3)(a) |
| “Then open to everyone,” with the public date | The hour runs alongside full marketing | 100.75(c)(3), our reading |
| “Know someone who’d love this street?” | The referral, about the street | Replaces “help choose your neighbor” |
| No people in the artwork; a photo of the house or the street | Fair housing applies to imagery too | Neighborhood Famous (Sep 16, 2026) |
| No “exclusive,” no “before anyone else” | May read as public marketing, and as the only access | Clear Cooperation; 100.75(c)(3) |
| Delivered to the door, never in or on the mailbox | Unstamped matter | 18 U.S.C. 1725 |
Tom Ferry suggests knocking 2–5 days before the open house (coach advice). In this book’s calendar, that is Mon–Thu, Jan 4–7, after the quiet week. Follow the Circle Sheet row by row: knock where the door column says yes, leave the card at the door where the note column says door only, and skip every NONE. Where the HOA bars knocking, stamped mail is the route. Calls go only to MAY CALL rows, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., using the approved phone script.
NAR’s own safety tips, then a sign-in card whose permission box is separate, optional, unticked, signed and dated.
| NAR safety tip (“56 Weekly Tips for REALTORS®,” dated Mar 7, 2023) | What it means for the hour |
|---|---|
| “Inform a neighbor that you will be hosting an open house, and ask if he or she would keep an eye and ear open for anything out of the ordinary.” | The neighbors’ hour is the same idea, run with a guest list and a second person. |
| “Control your open house traffic by limiting the number of people allowed in the house at any given time. Police have reported groups of criminals that target open houses, showing up en masse near the end of the afternoon.” | Use the seller’s headcount. Ask the second person to hold the door when the house is full. |
| “Upon entering an open house property for the first time, check each room and determine at least two ‘escape’ routes.” | Walk the house before 5 p.m. |
| Have sellers “hide any valuables in a safe place … remove keys, credit cards, jewelry … Also remove prescription drugs.” | On the seller’s checklist the day before. |
| “Don’t assume that everyone has left the premises at the end of an open house. Have a colleague or buddy help you check all of the rooms and the backyard prior to locking the doors.” | Sweep every room and the yard, together, before you lock. |
Neighbors’ hour · 14 Coral Vine Lane · Sample Realty Group
Name ____________________ Street (optional) ____________________
Optional. Jordan Lee, Sample Realty Group, may text or call me at (_____) _____-_______ about homes on this street.
Signature ____________________ Date ___________
Leave this box blank if you’d rather not hear from us. You’re welcome either way.
| Feature of the box | Why |
|---|---|
| Separate, optional and unticked; never required to come in | Florida counts the visitor “checking a box” as a signature (501.059(1)(h)2.). A box you tick for them, or one they must tick to come in, is not their choice. |
| Names Jordan and his brokerage, with the number the visitor writes in | The agreement must state that the consumer agrees to be contacted “by this seller” and include “the telephone number” (64.1200(c)(2)(ii)). |
| Signed and dated | The date starts your record. Keep the card. In Florida this box is the route for a registered number: an express request to be contacted (501.059(1)(k)1.). |
| Covers calls and texts you place yourself | It is not consent to autodialed, prerecorded or AI-voice messages. That needs a separate signed agreement that clearly authorizes them and says signing is not a condition of any purchase (64.1200(f)(9)(i); Fla. Stat. 501.059(1)(g)). |
Sign-in apps exist. Curb Hero, for example, offers digital sign-in that works offline, dynamic QR codes and CRM links, sends the visitor a text with listing details at sign-in, and lists a no-cost plan for solo agents (vendor claims, checked Nov 3, 2026; not a recommendation). An app that texts visitors automatically is sending an automated text, which needs that separate consent. Check it with your broker.
The sign-in card decides who hears from you. The calendar decides when. You place every call and send every text yourself.
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who? | Only visitors whose box is ticked, signed, dated and has a number written in it. Everyone else: no call, no text. Neighbors who did not come keep their Circle Sheet row as it was. | 64.1200(c)(2)(ii); 501.059(1)(h) |
| When? | Coaches suggest within 24–48 hours (Tom Ferry) or 24 hours (Darryl Davis). In this book’s calendar: nothing Dec 23 to Jan 1. January follow-ups belong to Holiday Networking’s January Callback, Jan 4–15. For a Jan 8 hour, that is Jan 9–15. | Coach advice; Holiday Networking (Dec 2, 2026) |
| What? | What you promised, and what they asked about: for example, the sales on their street with the source and date. Davis suggests a street market report and the last three sales (coach advice). Never anything about who they are. | Article 12; our rule |
| How? | A person places each call or sends each text, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. their time, at most three calls in 24 hours, first and last name and brokerage first. Our practice: treat any “stop,” in any words, as a stop on everything, that day. | 501.616(6); 501.059(2); FCC 26-67 |
| Then? | Update the Circle Sheet: new permissions with the card date, DO NOT CONTACT flags, inquiries with their date. Tell your seller how the hour went. | Page 24 |
Sample figures, invented for this example. The opt-out line is our practice, not a quoted requirement.
Six Front Porch situations, all sample data. The checklist on page 31 and the card on page 33 decide most of them.
For each: go ahead, fix it (say how), or stop and check first (say with whom).
Answer key: Appendix A, page 41.
| The seller says | What you do |
|---|---|
| “I want to be there and meet the neighbors.” | It is the seller’s home and the seller’s terms (SOP 1-16). Write it on the Seller’s Yes. Davis’s advice to keep owners away is coach advice, not a rule. |
| “Only invite the people I like.” | Then it is not a neighbors’ hour. Every door the Circle Sheet allows gets the same card, and the public open house follows (100.75(c)(3), our reading). |
| “Can we skip the public open house?” | Then the path has changed. Go back to the Choice Record (Nov 11, 2026) and the MLS clock before anything goes out. |
| “No neighbors’ hour after all.” | Untick part 3, date it, and tell the street nothing about a preview. |
Build in December. Keep the quiet week. Walk, host and follow up in January, when listings jump.
| When | Do this | Done means |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Dec 16 today | Pick the listing: one you have now, or your next one. Draft its Seller’s Yes with Prompt 1. Ask your broker for registry access and the written Do Not Call policy. | A draft, and a date with your seller |
| Thu–Fri, Dec 17–18 | Walk the seller through the Seller’s Yes; they sign. If the home will not be live in the MLS before the neighbors’ hour, ask the compliance desk in writing. Call the city clerk; ask the HOA. | A signed sheet on file; the city’s answer logged |
| Fri–Mon, Dec 18–21 | Build the Circle Sheet with Prompt 2: parcel file, MLS, scrub with the copy date, your own list, reasons to call. Do Exercises 3 and 4. | Every row has phone, door, note and flags |
| Mon–Tue, Dec 21–22 | Draft the scripts (Prompt 3), check them (Prompt 4), draft the Front Porch kit (Prompt 5). Send all of it to your broker. Print the cards. Do Exercises 5 and 6. | Approved scripts; printed cards |
| Wed, Dec 23 – Fri, Jan 1 | Holiday Networking’s quiet week: no knocks, calls or texts. Nothing goes out. | — |
| Mon, Jan 4 | The listing is live (sample). Re-check the MLS for new listings in the circle. Re-scrub if the copy will be more than 31 days old on any call date. | Sheet refreshed |
| Mon–Thu, Jan 4–7 | Walk the street: knock where the sheet says yes, cards at the door, calls only to MAY CALL rows, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Every allowed row reached once |
| Fri, Jan 8 | The neighbors’ hour: second person, headcount, sign-in cards, sweep before you lock. Saturday’s public open house follows. | Cards collected; house locked |
| Sat–Fri, Jan 9–15 | Follow up only with ticked, signed boxes, inside the January Callback. Update the sheet. On Fri, Jan 15, count. | Follow-ups made; sheet updated |
Those are the only targets in this book. There is no conversion target and no listing count, because we found no independent study that gives one. If you want a number of your own, set it and call it a goal, not a forecast.
Every one of these is normal. Each has a fix.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The seller won’t sign before the holidays | Too much at once | Sign parts 1, 2, 4 and 5 now; part 3 in January. Nothing goes out until it is signed. |
| Half the street is NO CALL | Normal. Many numbers are registered. | The door and the card do the work. NO CALL is not “no contact.” |
| The scrub copy is too old by the time you call | Holidays | Re-scrub on Jan 4. Write the new copy date on the sheet. |
| The city clerk doesn’t know | A common answer | Ask the police non-emergency line, and log who said what, and when. |
| The AI draft mentions families, change or the seller’s plans | It was asked to persuade, or saw your notes | Delete the line. Prompt 3 gets approved facts only. |
| A neighbor is annoyed you knocked | Normal | “Understood. I’ll make a note.” DO NOT CONTACT, that day. |
| Nobody ticks the box | Normal | Nothing to fix. They saw the house, and they know your name. |
| You missed the January window | Life | The rows keep. Use the sheet for your next listing on the street. |
NAR’s 2026 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Not published as of Nov 3, 2026. If it is out by the session, replace the 2025 figures. Checked on: ________
The 2027 NAR Code of Ethics, if adopted, was not posted on Nov 3, 2026. Check Article 16, SOPs 1-9, 10-1, 12-7 and 16-2 against it. Checked on: ________
FCC rules. FCC 26-67 took effect Nov 25, 2026; a companion proposal takes reply comments until Dec 28, 2026. No petition was found in the Federal Register through Nov 3 (FCC filings not checked). Checked on: ________
Your registry copy date, your city’s answer, your HOA’s rule and your MLS’s answer. Each is local and can change. Checked on: ________
Vendor features and prices, if you use a tool. Every one here is as displayed on Nov 3, 2026. Checked on: ________
Nobody is marking this but you. Tick only what you could do tomorrow, on a doorstep or in front of your broker, without this book open.
| ✓ | I can… | Module |
|---|---|---|
| Explain what Irwin & Livy found, and say “more likely,” never “will” | 1 | |
| Quote NAR’s 2025 Profile on one agent and on referrals correctly, including what it bundles together | 1 | |
| Say what no study has measured about circle prospecting, and decline to quote a conversion rate | 1 | |
| Decide whether I may call or text a neighbor: the scrub, the copy date and a reason that applies to that list | 2 | |
| Keep Florida’s 8-to-8 window, the three-call limit and my name first, and keep robots off without signed consent | 2 | |
| Recognize a 501.062 sign, and check city, HOA and gate rules before I walk a street | 2 | |
| Leave every note at the door with the brokerage name, and claim “sold” only for my own deals | 2 | |
| Explain blockbusting, and replace “help choose your neighbor” with a line that is open to everyone | 2 | |
| Give a neighbor listed with another broker the general invitation and nothing more | 2 | |
| Get a five-part Seller’s Yes signed before any neighbor hears about the listing | 3 | |
| Build a Circle Sheet in which every cell comes from a rule, with AI organizing and me deciding | 4 | |
| Deliver the four-beat script, and handle the special doors without leaving the house as the subject | 5 | |
| Run a neighbors’ hour with NAR’s safety tips and a valid, separate permission box | 6 | |
| Follow up only with signed boxes, inside Jan 4–15, and keep Dec 23 to Jan 1 quiet | 6–7 |
| Item | My answer |
|---|---|
| The listing for this plan: address, or “my next listing” | |
| The date my seller signed the Seller’s Yes | |
| Circle Sheet: number of rows, and the registry copy date | |
| The city’s and the HOA’s answers: who answered, and when | |
| The date my broker approved the scripts and the card | |
| The neighbors’ hour and the public open house: dates and times | |
| Follow-ups made by Fri, Jan 15, every one to a signed box: number | |
| Who holds me to these dates |
Your wording will differ. Check it for the idea, not the words. This is education, not legal advice.
| # | The rule | What you do instead |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No commercial solicitation on a dwelling that displays the 501.062 sign. On our reading, that includes a hanger; whether a hanger is “indirect contact” is untested. | Skip the home. Door NO, note NONE on the Circle Sheet. |
| 2 | Nothing unstamped in, on or hanging from a mailbox (18 U.S.C. 1725; DMM 508.3.1.3). | Leave it at the door, weighted or tucked in, or hand it over. |
| 3 | The registry copy must be no more than 31 days old on the day of the call (64.1200(c)(2)(i)), and vendors’ methods differ. Florida’s list applies too. | Re-scrub through your broker before Jan 5. Write the copy date on the sheet. |
| 4 | Federally, a personal relationship means a family member, friend or acquaintance of the caller ((f)(17)), and living nearby is not one (our reading). In Florida there is no such exception at all (501.059(1)(k), (4)). | Scrub. If the number is registered, NO CALL. The door and the card do the work. |
| 5 | Automated marketing texts need prior express written consent in Florida (501.059(8)(a)), and federally if the tool is an autodialer. Texts count as calls ((e)). From Nov 25, 2026, one “stop” to a consent-based marketing text ends consent for all of that sender’s marketing calls and texts (FCC 26-67). | Personal calls or texts you place yourself, only to MAY CALL rows. |
| 6 | Motivation and price flexibility are confidential (Fla. Stat. 475.278(2)(f); SOP 1-9). | “I’m not able to share their plans, but I’m glad to tell you about the house.” |
Where more than one answer is defensible, the key says what makes the difference.
| # | Where it goes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Share, once ticked | The list price is a fact the seller wants buyers to know (SOP 12-4). |
| 2 | Private | Motivation and timing (475.278(2)(f)). |
| 3 | Private | Price flexibility and timing. Never in a script. |
| 4 | Share, if ticked | A feature of the house. |
| 5 | Ask | Part 3 of the Seller’s Yes, in writing. |
| 6 | Ask | Access and use of the home are on the owner’s terms (SOP 1-16). |
| 7 | Private | Not about the house. Keep it off the share list unless the seller says otherwise. |
| 8 | Not a door-script item | SOP 1-9 says latent material defects are not confidential. How they are disclosed is a question for your broker, not a talking point on the street. |
| 9 | No-circle | Tick part 5. Nothing about this listing goes to the street (Private, Preview, or Public?, Nov 11, 2026). |
| 10 | Ask | Part 3. Davis’s advice to keep owners away is coach advice; the seller decides. |
| # | Phone | Door | Note | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NO CALL | YES | Door only | The October 2024 closing is more than 18 months before any January 2027 call. The relationship ended in April 2026. Registered, so no call. Knowing them personally does not help in Florida: its list has no acquaintance exception (501.059(1)(k), (4)). |
| 2 | Re-scrub first | YES | Door only | The Dec 17 copy covers calls through Jan 17. Jan 20 needs a fresh scrub; then MAY CALL if still clear. |
| 3 | NO CALL | YES | Door only | LISTED WITH ANOTHER BROKER: general invitation only (Article 16; SOPs 16-2, 16-4). |
| 4 | MAY CALL | YES | Door only | Signed, written permission that names the number (64.1200(c)(2)(ii)); in Florida, an express request ((1)(k)1.). Note the card’s date. |
| 5 | NO CALL | NO | NONE | DO NOT CONTACT, on the sheet and your own list. Do not go back. |
| 6 | NO CALL | YES | Door only | Your seller’s friend is not your acquaintance. Registered, so no call. The seller may tell them personally. |
| 7 | MAY CALL | NO | NONE at the door | Off both lists (copy Dec 17). The HOA bars solicitation, so no knock and no card at the door. Stamped mail if you want to reach them in writing. |
The four topics, the four beats and the Front Porch checklist decide most of these. Your broker’s policy comes first.
| # | Verdict | Why, and the better line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keep | Name, brokerage, the listing. Beat 1. |
| 2 | Cut | Invites a buyer preference (100.75(c)(2), our reading). “Know someone who’d love this street? It’s open to everyone.” |
| 3 | Cut | Fear, a prediction with no source, and the “changing street” pattern (24 CFR 100.85; SOP 10-1). |
| 4 | Cut | The seller’s motivation and price flexibility are confidential (475.278(2)(f)). |
| 5 | Fix | Describe the property, not the buyer: “Three bedrooms, two baths and a pool, listed at $615,000.” (3604(c); 100.75) |
| 6 | Fix | “A home on Heron Court closed last month (source: MLS).” Only the listing or cooperating broker may claim “sold” (SOP 12-7). |
| 7 | Fix | “I’ll leave this at your door.” (18 U.S.C. 1725) |
| 8 | Keep | Beat 3, about the street, open to everyone. |
| 9 | Cut | Critiquing another broker’s listing to its owner (Article 16; SOP 16-4). “I see you’re listed with [broker]. I’m only letting neighbors know about the open house.” |
| 10 | Keep | Beat 4, asked once, last. Never to an owner listed elsewhere. If they say yes, ask for the signed box and log the date. |
| # | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stop | Printed invitations may be public marketing that starts the one-business-day clock. Ask the MLS compliance desk in writing, and get the seller’s signed path choice (Choice Record, Nov 11, 2026). Simplest: hold the hour after the listing is live. |
| 2 | Fix | “Neighbors’ hour Friday, 5–6, then open to everyone Saturday, 1–4.” No “exclusive,” no “before anyone else.” |
| 3 | Fix | A separate, optional, unticked box the visitor ticks, signs and dates, with their own number written in. |
| 4 | Fix | Limit how many are inside at once, as NAR advises; get a colleague there; sweep every room and the yard before you lock. Next time, book the second person for the whole hour. |
| 5 | Stop | Take them out of the drip today. No signed box, no follow-up. Automated marketing texts need prior express written consent in Florida (501.059(8)(a)), and federally if the tool is an autodialer. |
| 6 | Fix | Nothing Dec 23 to Jan 1. Move it to the January Callback, Jan 4–15, and only to ticked boxes. |
The fix is usually one line: say the street instead of the people, the house instead of the seller, the door instead of the mailbox, “open to everyone” instead of “exclusive.” The ones to stop are those that reach people who did not say yes, or that announce a home before the MLS question is answered.
One page for your clipboard. Florida rules shown; your broker, your MLS and your state come first.
1 Name and brokerage, the listing · 2 the invitation, open to everyone · 3 “Know someone who’d love this street?” · 4 last, one easy question about their plans; a no ends it.
Dec 16–22 build · Dec 23–Jan 1 nothing goes out · Jan 4–7 walk · Jan 8 the hour (sample) · Jan 9–15 follow-ups, inside the January Callback.
Then: a person dials · 8 a.m.–8 p.m. their time · 3 calls in 24 hours at most · first and last name and brokerage first · no autodialer, prerecorded or AI voice without signed consent · any “stop” is final, that day.
An AI tool your broker approved, training off, owners’ names and numbers removed. AI drafts and organizes. It never dials, texts or sends, and never invents a fact about a neighbor.
Below are my listing terms and appointment notes, owners' names removed. Your goal is to draft a one-page Seller's Yes for my seller to review and sign before any neighbor outreach. It is not to decide what my seller agrees to, add terms, or give legal advice.
LISTING: [address, price, beds/baths, features the seller wants mentioned]
PATH: [public / preview / private] MLS LIVE DATE: [date or "not yet"]
WHAT THE SELLER SAID ABOUT NEIGHBORS: [their words]
OPEN HOUSE PLAN: [dates and times, or "none yet"]
Draft five parts, each line with a box to tick: 1. SHARE: facts from LISTING and OPEN HOUSE PLAN only. 2. PRIVATE: why they are selling, when they must move, whether they would take less, financing, plus blank lines. 3. PORCH: neighbors' hour yes/no; date, hours, who, seller present, photos, headcount. 4. PATH: the path; if not yet live, "MLS compliance desk asked on ___, answer ___". 5. NO-CIRCLE: "I do not want any neighbor outreach about this listing." End with signature and date lines.
RULES:
- Use only facts I gave you. If a detail is missing, write NOT KNOWN. Never fill in a guess.
- Anything about motivation, timing, price or money goes in part 2, never part 1.
- No legal conclusions; write "ask my broker". One page. Draft only: send, post or schedule nothing.
Then tell me to go through every line with my seller, have them tick, sign and date it, and file it before any neighbor hears about the listing.
Below are the homes around my listing and the results of checks I ran myself. Your goal is a Circle Sheet, one row per home, showing the channel each row allows based only on my results. It is not to look anything up, add homes, guess anything about who lives anywhere, or decide a permission I have not recorded.
HOMES: [row ID, address, ring, owner mailing address same/different]
SCRUB (my broker's tool): [row ID: national Y/N, Florida Y/N; copy date]
MY REASONS: [row ID: past client closed DATE / inquiry DATE / signed permission DATE / acquaintance / none]
DOOR CHECKS: [row ID: sign Y/N/NOT CHECKED; city rule; HOA or gate rule]
FLAGS: [row ID: listed with another broker / do not contact] LAST CALL DATE: [date]
Make a table: row ID, address, PHONE (MAY CALL + reason + copy date, or NO CALL), DOOR (YES/NO + reason), NOTE (DOOR ONLY / NONE), FLAGS, SCRIPT.
RULES:
- Do not contact: NO CALL, door NO, note NONE. Listed elsewhere: NO CALL, GENERAL INVITATION ONLY.
- MAY CALL only if off both lists (copy no more than 31 days old on my last call date), or for signed permission or a past client within 18 months. On the Florida list, an inquiry or acquaintance is not enough: write NO CALL, "ask for the signed box".
- Missing field: write NOT KNOWN in that cell. Never fill in a guess.
- Homes and rules only. Never add or infer names, ages, families, background, religion, health or anything about people.
- A sheet only. Do not dial, text, e-mail or schedule anything.
Then list NOT KNOWN cells and rows whose copy will be too old; tell me to check five rows by hand.
Prompt 3 drafts from approved facts only. Prompt 4 flags problems; it does not decide what is legal.
Your goal is to draft a short door script and a short phone script for the neighbors of my listing, from the approved facts below. It is not to persuade anyone to sell, talk about the people on the street, or add facts.
APPROVED FACTS (SHARE part of my signed Seller's Yes): [paste]
OPEN TIMES: [neighbors' hour and public open house]
MY MARKET FACTS, WITH SOURCE AND DATE: [e.g. "4 homes on this street closed in 2026 (source: MLS, checked DATE)"]
MY FIRST AND LAST NAME AND BROKERAGE: [ ]
Four short beats: (1) "[my name] with [my brokerage]" and the listing; (2) the invitation, open to everyone; (3) "Know someone who'd love this street? It's open to everyone."; (4) last, one easy offer about their own plans; thanks if no. Add a version for a home listed with another broker: beats 1 and 2, then "I see you're listed with [broker]. I'm only letting neighbors know about the open house."
RULES:
- Only the house, the price, my market facts and the open times.
- Never who lives on the street, who is buying, who might move in, neighborhood change, or who the home is "perfect for". Never ask whom they would like as a neighbor.
- Nothing about my seller's reasons, timing or price.
- No facts beyond mine; no "sold" unless I marked a sale as mine. Missing fact: write NOT KNOWN. Never fill in a guess.
- No fear, urgency or predictions. Under 60 seconds. Draft only: send, post or schedule nothing.
Then tell me to read both aloud, run Prompt 4, and get my broker's approval.
Below is a script, note or invitation for the neighbors of my listing. Your goal is to flag anything to fix before my broker reviews it. It is not to rewrite it as a stronger sales message, or to decide what is legal.
THE TEXT: [paste] WHERE: [door / phone / note / invitation / follow-up]
APPROVED FACTS (SHARE part of my Seller's Yes): [paste]
Answer PASS, FLAG or NOT KNOWN for each, quoting the line:
1. First words give my first and last name and brokerage; printed pieces carry the licensed brokerage name.
2. Anything about people: who lives here, who is buying or might move in, neighborhood change, who the home suits. 3. The seller's motivation, timing, price flexibility or financing.
4. Any fact not in my approved facts, any number without source and date, any "sold".
5. Anything aimed at an owner listed elsewhere beyond the general invitation.
6. Fear, urgency or predictions. 7. A mailbox, an automated text, "reply YES", or ringless voicemail. 8. A gift or reward for referrals.
9. "Exclusive", "before anyone else", or anything suggesting the public cannot come.
RULES:
- Quote the exact words for every FLAG. If you cannot tell, write NOT KNOWN. Never fill in a guess.
- No legal conclusions; write "ask my broker". Send, post or schedule nothing.
Then remind me to run it through my Fair Housing Firewall and send it to my broker.
Prompt 5 drafts what you print. Prompt 6 decides nothing on its own: it lists who signed, and drafts words you send yourself.
Your goal is to draft three things for a neighbors' hour at my listing: the invitation card, the sign-in card, and a host checklist. It is not to add facts, make the event sound exclusive, or print, post or send anything.
APPROVED FACTS AND PORCH TERMS (parts 1 and 3 of my signed Seller's Yes): [paste]
PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE: [date and time]
MY NAME AND LICENSED BROKERAGE NAME: [ ]
SAFETY TIPS I WILL FOLLOW: [paste from my broker or NAR]
1. INVITATION: the neighbors' hour, then the public open house; "Know someone who'd love this street? It's open to everyone."; the licensed brokerage name; a line saying it is left at the door.
2. SIGN-IN CARD: name, and an optional street line. Then a separate, unticked, optional box: "You may text or call me at ______ about homes on this street." with signature and date lines, and "Leave this box blank if you'd rather not hear from us."
3. HOST CHECKLIST: the seller's terms, the headcount, the second person, and the safety tips I pasted, in order: before, during, after.
RULES:
- Only facts and terms I gave you. If something is missing, write NOT KNOWN. Never fill in a guess.
- Never use "exclusive", "sneak peek before anyone else", "choose your neighbor", or anything about who the home is for. No people in any image description.
- The permission box is never pre-ticked and never required to sign in.
Then tell me to check that the MLS answer is on file if the home is not yet live, and to send all three to my broker.
Below are the sign-in cards from my neighbors' hour, typed up with names replaced by card numbers. Your goal is to list who I may follow up with and draft a short message for each, about what they asked me. It is not to contact anyone, add people, or guess what anyone wants.
CARDS: [card #; box ticked Y/N; signed Y/N; dated Y/N; number written in the box Y/N; what they asked or said, in their words]
MY NAME AND BROKERAGE: [ ]
MY FOLLOW-UP WINDOW: [e.g. Jan 9-15]
Make a table: card #, MAY FOLLOW UP (Y/N and why), a 2-3 sentence draft that starts with my first and last name and brokerage.
RULES:
- Y only if the box is ticked, signed and dated with a number written in it. Everyone else: N, and no draft.
- Drafts mention only what that person asked or said, and the house or the market. Never anything about who they are. If I did not record what they asked, write NOT KNOWN. Never fill in a guess.
- Nothing dated Dec 23 to Jan 1. Calls 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. their time, at most three in 24 hours.
- If a card or note says stop, in any words, mark it N permanently.
- Do not send, schedule or dial anything.
Then tell me to check every Y row against the paper card, and to place each call or send each text myself.
Generic sample wording, not quotes. Every line is about the house, the market or the open times. Fill each blank only with an approved fact or something that really happened.
| # | The line | When | Fill the blank with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Hi, I’m ___ with ___. I’ve just listed the home at ___.” | Door, phone | Your first and last name, brokerage, the address |
| 2 | “It’s a ___ with ___, listed at ___.” | Door, phone | Approved facts from the Seller’s Yes |
| 3 | “We’re holding a neighbors’ hour on ___ from ___, then it’s open to everyone on ___.” | Door, note | The approved times |
| 4 | “Know someone who’d love this street? Here’s the listing. It’s open to everyone.” | Door, phone, note | Nothing. It stands alone. |
| 5 | “There may be extra cars on the street on ___. Thanks for your patience.” | Door, note | The open-house day |
| 6 | “Here’s what’s sold on ___ in the past 12 months, from the MLS, as of ___.” | Door, follow-up | The street; the date you checked |
| 7 | “If you ever want to see the recent sales on the street, I’m glad to pull them.” | Door, last | Nothing. Ask once. |
| 8 | “This is ___ with ___. I’m calling because I’ve just listed ___ on your street.” | Phone, first line | Name, brokerage, the address |
| 9 | “I can leave the details at your door, if that’s easier.” | Phone | Nothing |
| 10 | “No problem at all. Thanks for your time.” | After a no | Nothing. Then walk on. |
| 11 | “Understood. I’ll make a note today.” | After “don’t call” or “don’t come back” | Nothing. Then log it. |
| 12 | “May I call you about it? If so, would you tick and sign this box?” | When they ask about value | Nothing. Log the date. |
| 13 | “I see you’re listed with ___. I’m only letting neighbors know about the open house.” | Listed elsewhere | Their broker’s name, if they mention it |
| 14 | “I’m not able to share their plans, but I’m glad to tell you about the house.” | Asked why the sellers are moving | Nothing |
Practice the hard doors out loud with a colleague, not by prompt.
| # | The line | When | Fill the blank with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | “I can’t speak to who’s buying. Anyone is welcome to see it.” | Asked who is buying | Nothing |
| 16 | “I can’t speak for my sellers. Here’s what’s sold nearby (source: ___).” | Asked if the price will drop | The source and date |
| 17 | “The neighbors’ hour is the same house you’ll see on ___.” | Door | The public open-house day |
| 18 | “Sorry I missed you. The details are at your door.” | Note | Nothing |
| 19 | “The ___ was replaced in ___.” | Door, phone | An approved feature and year |
| 20 | “Here’s the listing page. My brokerage’s name is on it.” | Door, card | Nothing |
| 21 | “I’ll find out and leave the answer at your door.” | A question you can’t answer | Nothing. Then do it. |
| 22 | “This is ___ with ___, following up on the card you signed on ___.” | Follow-up, first line | Name, brokerage, the date |
| 23 | “You asked about ___ at the open house. Here’s what I found (source: ___).” | Follow-up | Their question; your source |
| 24 | “Thanks for coming by ___ on ___.” | Follow-up | The address and day |
| 25 | “That’s kind. I can’t pay for referrals, but I’d be grateful for an introduction.” | Offered a referral “for a cut” | Nothing |
| The neighbor says | You practice |
|---|---|
| “Who bought the place across the street last year? Are the new ones going to be like them?” | Lines 15 and 4. Bring it back to the house and the open times. |
| “My cousin’s an agent, but what do you think mine is worth?” | First ask whether they’re working with an agent on their home (SOP 16-13). If not, line 12, and log the date. If they’re listed, line 13 instead. |
| “Stop knocking on my door.” | Line 11. DO NOT CONTACT, that day, on the sheet and your own list. |
Several of these have no settled answer we could find. That is the reason to ask. Write down who answered, and when.
| # | Question | Ask | Answer, who, date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who holds our National Do Not Call registry access, for which area codes, and how do I get a scrub with the copy date? | Broker | |
| 2 | How do we scrub against Florida’s quarterly list, and where is our written Do Not Call policy? | Broker | |
| 3 | Where do I log a “don’t call” or “don’t come back” said at the door, so every list honors it? | Broker | |
| 4 | Do door and phone scripts, notes and invitations need your approval before I use them? Who approves? | Broker | |
| 5 | Does a neighbors-only hour, a door hanger or a printed invitation for a home not yet in the MLS count as public marketing under Clear Cooperation? | MLS | |
| 6 | What may I print about another brokerage’s sold data on a handout or hanger? | MLS | |
| 7 | Which form do we use for the Seller’s Yes and the preview terms? | Broker, counsel | |
| 8 | Does leaving a hanger at a door with a 501.062 sign count as commercial solicitation? | Counsel | |
| 9 | Does Fla. Stat. 501.616(6), 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and three calls in 24 hours, apply to texts? | Counsel | |
| 10 | Is our dialer an “automated system for the selection and dialing of telephone numbers” under 501.059(8)(a)? | Broker, counsel | |
| 11 | Our sign-in app texts visitors automatically. Does the permission box cover it? | Broker, counsel | |
| 12 | Where does our list vendor get its data, how does it handle opt-outs and privacy laws, and does it remove Do Not Call numbers or only flag them? | Broker, vendor | |
| 13 | Does a home taken off the market for the holidays remain “listed with another broker” for Article 16? | Broker | |
| 14 | Does [city] require a solicitor permit, ID or hours for licensees? Is there a no-solicitation registry? | City clerk, police | |
| 15 | What is [community]’s rule on solicitation and on notes left at doors? | HOA manager | |
| 16 | (Outside Florida) What are my state’s Do Not Call, calling-hour, solicitation-sign, advertising and confidentiality rules? | Broker, counsel |
Plain definitions for the terms in this book.
Article 16. The NAR Code article that bars actions inconsistent with another REALTOR®’s exclusive agreements. General canvassing is allowed (SOP 16-2); soliciting a listing held by another broker is not (SOP 16-4).
Blockbusting. Inducing a sale, for profit, by talking about people of a protected class moving into a neighborhood. 42 U.S.C. 3604(e); 24 CFR 100.85.
Circle prospecting. Reaching the homes around one listing: by door, note, call or invitation, within the rules.
Circle Sheet. System 2. One row per home: phone, door, note, flags and script, each decided by a rule.
Clear Cooperation. The NAR MLS policy that requires a listing to be submitted to the MLS within one business day of marketing it to the public.
Coach advice. Practice advice from a coach or trade outlet. Experience, not data.
Commercial solicitation. Under Fla. Stat. 501.062, attempting to sell goods or services through direct or indirect contact, on behalf of a business. Barred at a dwelling that displays the statutory sign.
Do Not Call Registry. The national list of numbers whose owners do not want telephone solicitations. Florida keeps its own list.
Established business relationship. Federal: a transaction with you within 18 months, or an inquiry within 3 months, not ended by a stop request. Florida: a prior or existing business relationship; an inquiry covers only a call answering it.
FCC 26-67. The FCC order, effective Nov 25, 2026, under which one revocation in reply to a consent-based marketing call or text ends consent for all of that caller’s marketing calls and texts.
First ring. The eight nearest homes: two on either side, four across the street.
Front Porch. System 3. A neighbors’ hour at the listing, before, during and after, alongside full marketing.
General canvass. A call, mailing or visit to every home in an area, not to owners picked because of their listing (SOP 16-2).
Limited confidentiality. The Florida transaction broker’s duty not to disclose price flexibility, motivation, other financing terms or anything a party asks to keep private (475.278(2)(f)).
Neighbors’ hour. A short open house for the people around the listing, followed by the public open house.
Personal relationship. For the federal Do Not Call list only: a family member, friend or acquaintance of the caller. Florida’s list has no such exception.
Prior express written consent. A signed written agreement that clearly authorizes autodialed, prerecorded or AI-voice marketing to a stated number, and says signing is not a condition of any purchase.
Public marketing. Under Clear Cooperation: flyers in windows, yard signs, public websites, e-mail blasts and similar. One-to-one broker communication is not.
Ringless voicemail. A message dropped into voicemail without the phone ringing. A call that needs consent, per FCC 22-85.
Safe harbor. The FCC’s protection for callers who keep written procedures, training, their own list and a registry copy no more than 31 days old.
Scrub. Checking every number against the national registry, Florida’s list and your own list before calling.
Seller’s Yes. System 1. The seller’s signed sheet: share, private, porch, path, no-circle.
Steering. Restricting a buyer’s choices by word or conduct based on a protected class. 24 CFR 100.70.
Vendor claim. A company’s statement about its own product or data, not independently checked.
Working paper. A research paper posted before, or without, peer review.
Checked Nov 3, 2026, unless noted. “Via” means we read a report of the source, not the source itself. Working papers, vendor claims and coach advice are labelled where they appear.
Rules change. Confirm the current text before relying on any of these. Florida rules are examples; other states differ.
To Your Next Listing,
Edmund Bogen
Because Ignoring the Neighbors is NOT an Option!