Writing a listing that finds a buyer

The title

It is what decides whether the listing gets opened. Put in it what someone would type to find the item:

• the exact make and model, not the category;
• the size for clothing, the capacity for a device, the dimensions for furniture;
• the condition, if it is worth mentioning.

“Bugaboo Fox 3 pushchair, complete with carrycot” is better than “pushchair in very good condition”. Nobody searches for the second.

Avoid block capitals, exclamation marks and words like “urgent” or “bargain”: they add nothing and lower trust.

The three lines that count

Open with what the buyer wants to know:

1. What it is, precisely.
2. What condition it is in, without beating about the bush.
3. Why you are selling it. An ordinary reason — a move, a child who has outgrown it, a duplicate — is more reassuring than silence.

What to include, always

• The dimensions or the size.
• The age of the item and how long it has been used.
• What is included and what isn't.
• The flaws, named.
• The handover arrangements: collection on site, floor, lift, whether you can ship.

Stating the flaws

It is the part everyone skips, and it is the one that makes the difference. “Chain and cassette replaced at 4,000 km, tyres need replacing” inspires more confidence than a glowing but vague paragraph.

A flaw you disclose filters out the time-wasters and brings in the people who actually buy. A hidden flaw costs both sides a wasted trip.

The price

Put one in. A listing without a price mostly gets asked “how much is it?”

If you are open to negotiation, leave a slim, visible margin rather than a round, firm price. If you won't negotiate, say so: it saves messages and doesn't scare people off.

What puts people off

• A text entirely in capitals.
• A single photo, and a blurred one.
• “Contact me for more info” — the information is what people came for.
• Handover arrangements missing, then rigid once you are messaging.
• A price far above the market, marked “negotiable”.

After publishing

A listing that goes three weeks without a single message doesn't have a photo problem: it has a price problem. Lower it, or switch to “free” if the item is no longer worth it.

Reply quickly. Most sales between private individuals are made with the first person who responded.