Published
-
Written by
-
Edited by Josiah Wilmoth
-
Reviewed by Bob Thompson
Written by Ryan Shaw
Edited by Josiah Wilmoth
Reviewed by Bob Thompson
Steps to sell a house on Facebook | Should I sell my home on Facebook? | Pros and cons | Create a great listing | Boosting vs. Facebook ads | Safety | Alternatives | FAQ
✍ Key takeaways
- Posting on Facebook Marketplace is free and easy.
- You can pay to boost your listing to reach more buyers.
- Your buyer pool is limited to Facebook users. To reach the most buyers, your home needs to be on the MLS.
- You may be better off with other free FSBO websites, a flat fee MLS service, or a discount broker.
In 2017, Facebook added real estate listings to its Marketplace, making the social media platform another option for people who are selling their house for sale by owner (FSBO).
Listing a house on Facebook is free, easy, and connects you with potential buyers without the help of a real estate agent. But it’s not necessarily the best option when selling FSBO.
How to sell a house on Facebook: Step-by-step guide
Click “Get Started” to see how to post a home on Facebook:
🔍 Don’t have a Facebook account? Set one up using these steps.
Should I use Facebook to sell a house?
✅ Selling FSBO on Facebook may be good for homeowners who:
- Want to save money on real estate agent commissions or other listing fees
- Have a large social network on Facebook
- Have a distressed or unwanted property
- Don’t mind vetting buyers, fielding offers, answering Facebook messages, and doing all the paperwork and legwork that FSBO requires
❌ Selling FSBO on Facebook may not be good for homeowners who:
- Don’t really use Facebook (you’ll want to respond to Facebook messages quickly)
- Don’t want to deal with spam messages and vet buyers
- Are already struggling to sell their FSBO property
- Aren’t familiar with or have the time and energy to sell FSBO
Selling FSBO is a tough process that doesn’t always pay off. On average, FSBO homes sell for 18.2% less than agent-assisted homes, which wipes out any savings on agent commissions.
If you’re considering selling your house on Facebook to avoid paying realtor fees, there are better ways to save. You can save money AND have an expert realtor on your side.
Before posting your house on Facebook, we recommend trying Clever Real Estate. Clever negotiates reduced 1.5% listing fees with top-rated realtors from brands like Keller Williams and RE/MAX. You’ll get full service from your agent (guaranteed) — but pay half the standard rate.
💰 Find a top local realtor and get a 1.5% listing fee now!
Pros and cons of using Facebook to sell your house
| ✅ Pros | ⛔️ Cons |
|---|---|
| It's easy and free to create a listing. | You may have concerns about privacy. |
| Your network can share your listing with others. | You'll get scammers and spam messages. |
| You can add up to 50 photos. | Your buyer pool is limited. |
| You can connect to buyers directly through Messenger. | Paying to advertise or boost your listing could be a waste. |
| You don't pay a seller's agent commission. | You may still pay a buyer's agent commission. |
| You can remove or edit your listing whenever. | You can attract buyers who aren't serious. |
Tips for creating a great Facebook listing
While we don’t recommend Facebook Marketplace as your primary method of advertising your home, it can be effective alongside other advertising techniques. Here’s how you can improve your chances of finding a buyer on Facebook:
Write a good description
Facebook allows lengthy descriptions, but you don’t need to include every detail about your house. Just include the notable aspects, like neighborhood, proximity to schools, architecture style, parking area, and lot size.
» MORE: Tips on how to write a great FSBO listing
Focus on investors
In your description and title, use words like “investment,” “fixer-upper,” “buy and hold,” and “fix and flip.” These phrases attract investors who are looking for these types of properties.
» MORE: How much will an investor pay for my house?
Take good photos
- Take photos on a sunny day, and open all blinds and curtains.
- Clean and declutter your home.
- Hide personal items like family photos.
- Take detailed photos of the kitchen, bathrooms, living room, and master bedroom (these are the areas sellers most want to see).
📸 Note: You can upload more photos using Facebook on your desktop than on the app (50 vs. 20 photos).
Share your listing
Facebook’s social aspect is an advantage over other FSBO sites. You can share your listing to:
- A friend’s profile
- Local groups or pages
- The News Feed of your friends and followers
To share, navigate to your listing. Then click the “Share” button (if you’re on a desktop) or “Share” from the three-dot menu (if you’re on the Facebook app).
Most FSBO sellers sell to someone they already know. Sharing your listing could be a good way to send out feelers to your local community.
» MORE: How to Sell Your House for Sale by Owner
How to boost a post: Step-by-step guide
Click “Get Started” to see how to boost a home listing on Facebook:
Posting a house on Facebook is free, but you can pay to “boost” your Marketplace listing. By boosting your home, it will appear in other users’ Facebook News Feeds as an ad.
You set a budget and a time frame — the minimum is $1 per day — and Facebook will estimate how many people might see it. Boosted posts will show only to adults within a 40-mile radius of your home.
There’s no guarantee that anyone will click your post or that Facebook will show it specifically to home shoppers. And legally, Facebook boosts and ads can’t be targeted because of housing discrimination laws.
Boosting a listing vs. Facebook ads: Is either worth it?
We haven’t found any evidence that boosting a post is better than purchasing Facebook ads. But if we had to choose one, it would be boosting a Marketplace listing.
Facebook ads just aren’t designed for real estate sales. Because of housing discrimination laws, you can’t harness the real power of these ads: targeting specific audiences. Instead, you have to advertise to a large group collectively, which can be ineffective.
| 🚀 Boosting | 🗐 Facebook ads |
|---|---|
| ✅ Simple (finish in a few clicks) | ✅ Customizable (like adding a "Call now" button with your phone number) |
| ✅ Designed for one-off sales | ✅ Option to set radius from 1 to 50 miles |
| ✅ Minimum cost of $1 per day | ✅ Minimum cost of $1 per day |
| ⛔️ Limited customization | ⛔️ More complicated |
| ⛔️ Shows your home only to users within a 40-mile radius | ⛔️ Designed for businesses that need entire ad campaigns |
Facebook has never been a home-shopping destination for home buyers (although investors may use Marketplace more). For most homeowners, there are better ways to sell than paying for a boost or Facebook ad.
One alternative is to use a low commission real estate company like Clever. You’ll pay a listing fee of just 1.5% while getting expert guidance from a local agent. Your agent can help sell your house for its maximum price.
Selling a house safely on Facebook
Prepare for scammers and spammers
When selling a house on Facebook, take these precautions:
- Lock down your privacy settings.
- Never send money to anyone.
- Ignore vague or misspelled messages.
- Meet with buyers during the daytime, and have someone with you when showing the property.
- Don’t click on messages containing links (they could be phishing).
- Don’t accept checks or money orders from someone you haven’t met.
FSBO sellers get spam from listing agents wanting to sell their house, so be prepared for emails, texts, phone calls, or even in-person visits from agents.
Update privacy settings
Your home listing will be public, so anyone can see it. To protect your personal information, change your privacy setting so only your friends can see your personal account.
» MORE: How to change your privacy settings on Facebook
Vet buyers financially
You’ll likely get contacted by buyers who aren’t serious or qualified. Here’s how to vet buyers:
- For cash buyers, ask for proof of funds, a letter from the bank saying they have the cash.
- For traditional buyers, ask for a pre-approval letter.
- In the contract, ask for earnest money. Have an escrow agent or title company hold the money.
Alternatives to selling your home on Facebook
Discount brokers | Zillow | Craigslist | Flat fee MLS services
Discount brokers
A discount broker is a good option if you don’t have the time or energy to sell FSBO — but you still want to save money on agent commission. While you’ll pay an agent fee, you’ll also likely net a higher sales price.
We spent hours researching and comparing discount brokers for every budget.
For most sellers, the best option is Clever Real Estate. Clever matches you with top local realtors and pre-negotiates low 1.5% listing fees. You’ll get full service and support from list through close, all for half the typical rate.
Clever’s matching service is 100% free — and there’s no obligation to work with any of its partner agents. If you think FSBO is still the best option for you, great! You can walk away at any time.
Zillow
Zillow is one of several free FSBO sites where you can post your sell by owner home.
| Pros and cons |
|---|
| ✅ It's free. |
| ✅ More people use it, which means more potential buyers. |
| ✅ Its app creates 3D home tours. |
| ⛔️ FSBO homes are hidden by default from buyers. |
| ⛔️ FSBO sellers often deal with agents calling to earn their business. |
| ⛔️ You have to give an email address or phone number, which increases spam to personal accounts. |
» MORE: Read This BEFORE You List FSBO on Zillow
Craigslist
Craigslist is one of the oldest websites for finding housing. If you have an investment property, it can be a good place to list.
| Pros and cons |
|---|
| ✅ You get an anonymous email proxy. |
| ✅ It's good for selling investment properties. |
| ✅ It's free. |
| ⛔️ It's not great for traditional home sellers. |
| ⛔️ There are lots of scammers. |
| ⛔️ The interface is outdated. |
» MORE: How to Sell Your House on Craigslist
Flat fee MLS services
Flat fee MLS companies get your house on the MLS for a flat rate. They cost about $299–399 on average, and they offer add-ons like lockboxes and professional photography at an additional cost.
| Pros and cons |
|---|
| ✅ You have a big buyer pool. |
| ✅ It's inexpensive. |
| ✅ You get your house on the MLS without a realtor. |
| ⛔ You might have to pay for changes to your listing. |
| ⛔ The cheapest options usually come with listing restrictions, like limited photos. |
| ⛔ Costs for additional services can add up. |
» MORE: Read This BEFORE You Pay for a Flat Fee MLS Service
FAQ about selling a house on Facebook
How do I post a house for sale on Facebook Marketplace?
On desktop, go to Facebook.com and click "Marketplace." Then go to "Create a new listing" and then "Home for Sale or Rent." Fill out all the available information — like price, square footage, number of bedrooms, etc. — then fill out a description. Then hit "Next" and click publish. Want a more detailed explanation? Check out our step-by-step guide.
Does it cost to post a house for sale on Facebook Marketplace?
It's free to post a house for sale on Facebook Marketplace. You can pay to advertise your listing by using Facebook ads or by "boosting." By doing so, you can get more eyes on your property — but there's no evidence this helps single-home FSBO sellers. There are better ways to spend your money when marketing a house, like using a flat fee MLS or discount broker.
Should I list a house on Facebook?
Listing a house on Facebook is free and easy, and it's one way to market a home. If you're familiar with Facebook, the process should be intuitive. You'll still have to find qualified buyers and do all of the other FSBO work yourself. While it doesn't hurt to list a house on Facebook Marketplace, there are other, better options to explore.
Jackie Weller says
Great idea using FB local ads to advertise your FSBO. Step-by-step instructions seem pretty straight forward. Sellers typically pass the commission savings to the buyer. A win for both parties.
J says
Hi, interesting post. I’m working with a builder who wants to sell a high end luxury townhome with a very high price tag and it’s still under construction… we are trying a conversion ad to get leads for an appointment but it’s not going well. So you suggest doing an engagement ad and let it run for a couple weeks and get people to comment on it so that FB picks it up more organically?
Ryan says
Interesting comment. I’ve got an anecdote for you that you may find helpful. A few years back, I was surprised to see how light the competition was for “Luxury homes [insert city name]” was for Google search. I’d actually look there and drive some PPC from Google search to the appointment booking / info page.
In terms of FB, throw it up on the Facebook Marketplace, first and foremost.
If you want to get fancy, I absolutely recommend driving local traffic to the post, and incentivizing the share from there. Run a contest where you give a random “sharer” or tagger a gift card / iPad etc. To make the economics works, require that the post get a certain amount of shares or comments / tags before the contest is over.
Best of luck and thanks for the comment!
Jody Orji says
I am constantly browsing online for ideas that can benefit me. Thanks!