Top tips for selling on Facebook Marketplace
Want to earn extra cash and declutter your home at the same time? Check our our ste-by-step guide to selling on Facebook Marketplace.
Most of us have got more stuff than we have space for. Could some of the things you don’t need anymore make you some money on Facebook Marketplace?
There are dozens of ways to buy and sell online, but Facebook Marketplace is one of the easiest places to unload your unwanted stuff in exchange for cash. All you need is something to sell, a camera and a Facebook account. That's it!
Unlike Ebay, you won’t pay any selling fees on Facebook Marketplace. Not only that, but Money Saving Expert found that 70% of the time sellers made more selling on Facebook Marketplace than Ebay.
Follow our 10 tips to turn trash into cash.
Once you're ready, just click create new listing.
Read article
Decide the lowest price you’re prepared to part with the item for and add 20-30% to give yourself wiggle room with hagglers.
Remember, negotiation is a normal part of the process! Here are some helpful negotiation tips.
Read article
Include any great selling points that will make your listing stand out. Is the item unused, or a desirable brand for example?
You’ll need select a category for your item from a pretty straightforward list, which includes:
More is more: brand, model, accurate dimensions... basically anything you would want to know if you were buying.
Be honest about the item’s condition. You’ll need to select whether the item is new, used/like new, used/good and used/fair. If you describe the flaw accurately, you are likely to avoid any unhappy customers.
The same goes for making sure the condition of the item is also clear from the photos (Tip 3). If you promise something brand new, but it's used, it's not likely to end on a happy note.
Posting isn’t always practical (if you're selling a sofa, for example). Often it's a good idea to include in your description ‘buyer collects’ (see tip 9).
Offering local delivery (where you take the time to the buyer yourself) can also get you more interest.
Download the Facebook Messenger app on your phone (get it for iPhone, or Android), so you're always ready to answer messages from potential buyers.
Speed-to-response has been proven to help sales. Basically, the faster your reply, the more likely you are to make a sale.
If you want to really step up your game, you can set up an automatic reply that gets sent to anyone who enquired about a product.
If you have several people interested in your item, it’s up to you who to sell to. Some people go with the first person to message, others whoever can pick up first – it’s your choice.
Read article
It’s never a bad idea to think about safety, so arrange for someone else to be home with you if a buyer is collecting. Swap your unwanted bits for cash on the doorstep where practical.
If you arrange to meet up in a public place, just make sure it’s somewhere safe and well lit. Consider this even more if you’re selling a valuable item (like designer trainers, or a smartphone).
If you're sending the item in the post, make sure that you’ve actually been paid before sending. PayPal is a safe payment method but scammers can sometimes send fake emails or screenshots showing that your account has been credited - so go into your own account and check for yourself.
Free local classified sites Resellers of CDs, DVDs, games, books: (these usually cover postage for you so you can send them your stuff, then they pay you later)
On the highstreet: These will pay you cold, hard cash on the spot.
If you decide that actually you'd rather just get rid of things, or struggle to sell them, check out our guide on how to get rid of things sustainably.
If you’ve still got too much stuff, you could rent a storage space. At Stashbee we have loads of affordable storage spaces all over the country.
There are dozens of ways to buy and sell online, but Facebook Marketplace is one of the easiest places to unload your unwanted stuff in exchange for cash. All you need is something to sell, a camera and a Facebook account. That's it!
Unlike Ebay, you won’t pay any selling fees on Facebook Marketplace. Not only that, but Money Saving Expert found that 70% of the time sellers made more selling on Facebook Marketplace than Ebay.
Follow our 10 tips to turn trash into cash.
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Become a HostTip 1: Check the market
Find similar items for sale on Marketplace (the little shop icon on Facebook).- Check their price and condition.
- Look out for great listings and awful ones, and copy what the best ones are doing.
- Think about what the item would cost new, factor in the condition of what you’re selling and what you would be willing to pay.
- Look at Ebay too and watch similar items to see the final sale price.
Once you're ready, just click create new listing.
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Tip 2: Price it right
You need to set a competitive price - but also be aware that Marketplace buyers often try to knock some money off, so factor that in.Decide the lowest price you’re prepared to part with the item for and add 20-30% to give yourself wiggle room with hagglers.
Remember, negotiation is a normal part of the process! Here are some helpful negotiation tips.
Tip 3: Take great photos
Your photos will draw buyers to look at your advert and should give them a clear idea of what the item is like.- Take high quality photos in natural light, against a neutral background and focus on the item itself.
- You can post up to 10 photos so take pictures from different angles
- Include close ups of any wear or damage.
- Accurate pictures will spare you lots of questions and buyers turning up to collect an item, being disappointed when they see it in real life and not going through with the purchase.
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Tip 4: Compose a great title
People who are browsing Facebook Marketpalce should be clear about what you’re selling just by reading the title of your listing.Include any great selling points that will make your listing stand out. Is the item unused, or a desirable brand for example?
You’ll need select a category for your item from a pretty straightforward list, which includes:
- Deals
- Clothing & Accessories
- Classifieds
- Electronic
- Entertainment
- Family
- Hobbies
- Housing
- Home & Garden
- Vehicles
- Home sales
Tip 5: Write a really useful description
This part is about making sure buyers know exactly what you’re selling, and to save yourself the hassle of answering lots of questions later.More is more: brand, model, accurate dimensions... basically anything you would want to know if you were buying.
Be honest about the item’s condition. You’ll need to select whether the item is new, used/like new, used/good and used/fair. If you describe the flaw accurately, you are likely to avoid any unhappy customers.
The same goes for making sure the condition of the item is also clear from the photos (Tip 3). If you promise something brand new, but it's used, it's not likely to end on a happy note.
Tip 6: Include how they’ll get the item
Some sellers post items to their buyers. There’s no fee for this until the end of 2022 but from 2023 Facebook will charge 2% of the item’s price and postage.Posting isn’t always practical (if you're selling a sofa, for example). Often it's a good idea to include in your description ‘buyer collects’ (see tip 9).
Offering local delivery (where you take the time to the buyer yourself) can also get you more interest.
Tip 7: Answer inquiries promptly
Good items get snapped up quickly on Facebook Marketplace.Download the Facebook Messenger app on your phone (get it for iPhone, or Android), so you're always ready to answer messages from potential buyers.
Speed-to-response has been proven to help sales. Basically, the faster your reply, the more likely you are to make a sale.
If you want to really step up your game, you can set up an automatic reply that gets sent to anyone who enquired about a product.
If you have several people interested in your item, it’s up to you who to sell to. Some people go with the first person to message, others whoever can pick up first – it’s your choice.
Related
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Tip 8: Refresh and add groups
If your item has been listed for a week and you haven’t had a bite, renew the listing.- Go to the item and click the three-dot icon on the listing thumbnail
- Click "renew listing: from the drop-down menu.
- You’ll also get an option to advertise in local Facebook buying and selling groups; add your item to one or more of these so more people see it.
- If you really want to make sure you sell your item, start dropping your price. We suggest doing this a little bit at a time
Tip 9: The handover
Facebook Marketplace is best known for people selling unwanted household items to people in their local area - so often buyers collect from the seller’s home and pay cash.It’s never a bad idea to think about safety, so arrange for someone else to be home with you if a buyer is collecting. Swap your unwanted bits for cash on the doorstep where practical.
If you arrange to meet up in a public place, just make sure it’s somewhere safe and well lit. Consider this even more if you’re selling a valuable item (like designer trainers, or a smartphone).
If you're sending the item in the post, make sure that you’ve actually been paid before sending. PayPal is a safe payment method but scammers can sometimes send fake emails or screenshots showing that your account has been credited - so go into your own account and check for yourself.
Tip 10: If Facebook Marketplace has failed you
If you’ve had no luck selling on Marketplace, there are lots of other options to try:Free local classified sites Resellers of CDs, DVDs, games, books: (these usually cover postage for you so you can send them your stuff, then they pay you later)
On the highstreet: These will pay you cold, hard cash on the spot.
If you decide that actually you'd rather just get rid of things, or struggle to sell them, check out our guide on how to get rid of things sustainably.
If you’ve still got too much stuff, you could rent a storage space. At Stashbee we have loads of affordable storage spaces all over the country.
Become a Host
Join thousands of Stashbee Hosts, start earning now
Become a HostAnthony
Updated 14th Apr 2023
Written 17th Jan 2023
