Craigslist is an excellent website. I have just started putting some of my listings on the there. It was interesting to me to see the different strategies for titles. Obviously you want a title that is eye catching and invites people to click and read more. At the same time you do not want a title that looks like a scam or a waste of time. Here is some of what I found just searching short sale:
$350000 Seller’s loss, your gain! Short Sale! (Exclamation points!!!)
$99000 *** Great Short Sale Starter Home in Surprise!!! ( Stars and Exclamation Points)
$1489000 SHORT SALE ( ALL CAPS)
Foreclosures (Simple but No Price)
$135000 SHORT SALE! Outstanding Deal in Phoenix ( CAPS Then a Description)
$105000 Great Phoenix Short Sale Condo with Great Location (Description with No Eye Catchers)
$325000 Short sale w/ stainless steel appl, cherry cabinets and travertine (Too Much Description)
So as I looked at all these short sale listings on Craigslist I found my eye gravitated towards some more than others. I like the listings that aren’t in all caps. I don’t like to be yelled at. ( SCOTTSDALE SHORT SALE HERE) Some explanation points are all right. I like them for emphasis not when there are more of them than the letters in the word. (Phoenix Short Sale! = YES Arizona !!!!! Short !!!!!! Sale !!!!! = No ). I am impartial to people who don’t put price. Obviously I would like to see the price of the short sale before I click but that might drive traffic. But STOP, STOP, STOP putting paragraph descriptions in the title people! Please! Once again, these were some examples from me just searching short sale on Craigslist. These are just some of my thoughts on postings but I am still kind of a newbie.
How do you approach posting an ad on Craigslist?
Are there any tricks that really work?
Can anyone track who views your listing?
Thanks again for reading!
- Jeff Buettner
Real Estate Wiz Kid
Arizona Short Sale Realtor & Negotiator
I need to stop foreclosure in Scottsdale!
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Good post, hadn’t thought about the titles like that before. I like craigslist because of the price… and we put houses up there. My only beef with CL is the interface… I guess you get what you pay for, but the search mechanism is lacking… unlike searching on the MLS, you post on CL and shortly you inch toward the bottom. That lends itself to reposting your listing over and over.
Craiglist is a great website for posting real estate. I use to do a new home of the week and i would get over 100 hit a day from the ad. I need to start doing that again.
Hmmm, I tend to find more success with the titles that tell you what you are looking at.
I have to say, I hate short sales though.
ahahahahaha
I understand J Boyer.
Most people do.
Mike,
I am also getting something like 100 hits a day but very few calls though. I am wondering if I need to switch up my format somehow.
Jeff
I agree wholeheartedly on the ALL CAPS SCREAMING IN YOUR FACE WITH 15 EXPLANATION POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@#!#%!!!!!#%!!%!!%%!!%!@#%!!!!!! It just comes off as unprofessional to me – and potentially a scammer trying to work some sort of con. Of the ones you listed, I personally liked the aesthetic of this one the best: $350000 Seller’s loss, your gain! Short Sale! It was eye catching, without being offensive – and it provided the relevant information that people are going to want to know: price, and short sale.
Craigslist is a great site for high ranking ads which get crawled very quickly byt the search engines, however – we have never had an enquiry directly from one of the adverts that we have placed on craiglist.
Yes, because it is free you don’t mind adding a few listings but it is a pity we do not get more enquiries from it.
Advice for listings on Craiglist? We just put in the location and type of property that it is in the title and maybe a little eye catcher word that describes the property. We always put in the price – maybe we should take it out to see if we actually get someone to enquire, even just for the price of the property!
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Craigslist is a great piggyback website or can take the place if you do not own a site. Updates on a blog are also a great way to drive traffic. I know people who run their entire business on craiglist you just chance having your competition take your site down by complaining. You are right your title must be compelling but it also needs to be a searched term. Nice blog with good authority, good work.
Very nice information. Thanks!
I use Craigslist for all types of transactions buying and selling. You have to be careful about meeting people because there have been cases lately of criminals preying on Craigslist.
I really liked your blog!
I love going back and reading my articles from way back when!