12 Tips For How To Sell Furniture Fast On Facebook Marketplace

Although I may not consider myself to be a “minimalist”, I’m trying to be better at getting rid of items that I no longer need or use. This includes furniture. I have sold quite a few furniture items on Facebook Marketplace and have even managed to make a profit on some of them. I’ve learned quite a few tips and tricks to take into account in order to get your item to sell quickly and for a decent price.

The best way to quickly sell furniture on Facebook Marketplace is to take good photos, write a detailed description, research keywords and price your item competitively. It’s important to take just a little bit of time and research when posting your item on Marketplace if you want it to sell quickly. But doing your due diligence, you will save time in the long run and potentially make a higher profit.

How To Sell Furniture On Facebook Marketplace

Selling furniture on Facebook Marketplace is a great way to make a quick buck. Whether you are trying to get rid of something that you no longer use, or you want to sell something that you found at the thrift store to make a profit, Facebook Marketplace is an excellent way to sell used furniture.

Although I was reluctant to switch my selling and buying from Craigslist to Facebook Marketplace, I have to admit that FB Marketplace is far superior than Craigslist. I even have a post about the best things to sell on Facebook Marketplace. It’s easier to search as a buyer and more streamlined to sell as a seller. I also feel much safer going through FB Marketplace since I can see the profile of the person that will be buying my item. All in all, I’ve had a very positive experience selling furniture through FB Marketplace and I have made hundreds of dollars doing so!

If you want to successfully sell your furniture on FB Marketplace, then there are some key tips and tricks to remember. You can snap a quick photo, post it and be done, but you might not sell your item quickly or for a decent price. By taking just a little bit of time to do your research and prep-work, you can sell your item faster and for a higher price.

1. Take Good Photos

I would argue that the most important aspect to successfully selling your furniture on FB Marketplace is to take great photos. I am so surprised and shocked at the poor quality of photos that people will post with their listing. All it takes is just a few minutes to snap a quality photo on your phone. Make sure to make your photo as light and bright as possible, take photos from every angle and any close up shots of flaws. This will save you time in the long run because it will limit questions from potential buyers.

2. Dimensions

Another way to save yourself time in the end is to take measurements of your furniture item to post on the listing. Even if you are selling something where the size seems obvious or inconsequential, it’s a good rule of thumb to just go ahead and take measurements. More often than not, people will ask for the dimensions if you haven’t listed them. If you go ahead and do this on the front end, it will prevent you from having to track down the tape measure, message back and forth with buyers and update your listing.

3. Offer porch pickup for smaller items

As a frequent buyer on FB Marketplace, I absolutely love it when a seller offers porch pickup for smaller items. It’s more convenient for everyone involved and saves the seller and buyer from having to interact with a stranger or coordinate schedules. If you are selling a small furniture item that is at a lower price point, offering porch pickup could bring in more buyers that aren’t interested in having to coordinate schedules. Porch pickup just means that you set the item out on the porch and the seller picks up at their convenience after paying you through Venmo or Paypal.

4. Research the price

Before posting your listing, it’s important that you take a few minutes to research the price first. I have made the mistake many times in the past of just throwing up a quick posting and selling it quickly, only to find out later that I could have sold the item for a much higher price. If you have a unique or vintage item, it’s possible that similar items are selling for much higher than you would expect. Similarly, you may price something way higher than it is worth in your area. Search for similar items in your area and price your competitively. If you want to price yours higher than other similar ones, be sure to mention on the description why it is worth more.

5. Have a plan for negotiations

I always price my items a little bit higher just to make room for negotiations. Most people will offer a slightly lower price. Being willing to go down in price will make a buyer more eager to purchase the item from you. If you don’t want to go down in price, then be sure to say “firm” in your listing. But in my opinion, rather than saying “firm”, just price it a little bit higher, keeping in mind what your bottom line is.

6. Put your furniture in a spot that is easily accessible when it comes time to sell

This might seem like a no brainer, but it’s an important one. If you are selling something that is in storage and someone wants to purchase it that day, the last thing you want to do is be scrambling to get it out of storage or making a stranger walk through your house to your storage area. I always have my item in the garage so that when someone comes to pick it up, it’s easily accessible and they aren’t having to walk through my home.

7. Be honest and descriptive of any flaws in your posting

I recently tried to purchase a desk from FB Marketplace. I had already paid for it on Venmo, but when I went to pick it up, the desk was damaged. The seller wasn’t honest in their posting and photos. Thankfully they graciously refunded me the money, but I saw it listed again later that afternoon with the same deceiving photos. Save yourself time and hassle by being honest and posting photos of any flaws. Trying to trick your buyers into purchasing something by being dishonest is only going to cause you time and energy in the long run. If you are really concerned, try fixing up any flaws or damaged areas ahead of time before listing it to get a higher price.

8. Use multiple keywords in your posting

It’s important to put different keywords in your furniture posting so that it will pop up within different search results. For example if you are selling a credenza, some people might search for the term “buffet” or “sideboard” instead of credenza (for the differences between those terms, check out this helpful post!). So, put those terms in your title if possible, or at least in your description. You might also want to insert descriptive words like “farmhouse”, “mid century” or “vintage” to draw in more buyers that are searching for a more general style of furniture.

9. If it doesn’t sell, drop price after a week or so

If you don’t get many inquiries after about a week, it’s probably time to drop the price. In my experience, if something is priced right, I will start receiving inquiries within the first few days. If that doesn’t happen, that’s a good indication that I’ve priced it too high. You can also refresh your listing so it shows up higher in the search results.

10. Cross-post in other groups

A great thing about Facebook is that is allows you to cross-post your item in multiple buying/selling groups. While Marketplace usually yields the best results for me, there are also a number of buy/sell groups in my area that I can post my listing to as well. I make sure to always indicate that I have cross-posted it in the listing description just to be fully honest.

11. Respond to inquiries right away

If someone messages you about an item and you wait to respond to them, them many times they will keep searching for that furniture item and purchase another one. This has happened to me many times. Sometimes they go ahead and purchase a different one within a few hours. So, if you able to respond immediately, then your item could potentially sell faster.

12. Take precautions to be safe when interacting with the buyer.

Always be mindful of your surroundings and have a plan when interacting with a buyer. If you are selling during the pandemic, then be sure to wear a mask. Everyone has a different comfort level with interacting with buyers, so do what’s best for you. For example, if someone is coming to your home, then only meet them during the daylight hours and have someone else there with you. I always mention that my husband will be with my in messages back and forth with buyers just so that they are aware that someone else will be with me. If you are uncomfortable with someone coming to your home, then choose a public meeting place. I use often use a Walmart parking lot to meet potential buyers if I am not able to have someone else with me.