Recently, I’ve been on the hunt for a new apartment, which has caused me to be much more active on Buy, Sell, Trade (BST) Pages on Facebook. Many of us are familiar with the pages, as they’re a great online marketplace for sellers and buyers to connect. If there is a need for an item, there is most likely a page dedicated to selling it.
St. Maarten is not very unique, in that many transactions are done via these pages and you can really utilise the space to get rid of old things and make some good money. HOWEVER! As someone who both sells and buys via these pages, it gets annoying dealing with both sets of novice BST users. I’ve compiled a list of ways you can improve your BST etiquette and perhaps make the pages more user-friendly for everyone involved.
- Should you sell?
Yes, right now, everyone is trying to sell their stuff to get a little extra cash, but before you even think about putting these items up for sale, ask yourself, “does someone want to buy this?”, or “what value does this item have that others would gain from buying it?” Get very honest with yourself and ask, “If I’m getting rid of this item, why would someone else want it?” There are some items that don’t need to be up there. While your item may be a niche item and may still sell, things like old, chipped vases don’t need to be posted for sale. Think about upcycling that piece or donating it. We don’t want that.
Also, be realistic with your pricing. We know you paid what you paid for it, but if you’ve had an item for a while, the value depreciates as soon as you open it, and then more the more it’s used. People are not on BST pages because they can’t purchase items online or in stores. Most of the time we’re there to hunt for better prices. If the person is like me, they will go online and check out the price of the item before looking to buy. If it’s the same price as online, I’m not even wasting my time.
- Clean it up!
If I see one more dirty, dingy item posted for sale I’m gonna start to report some of your items! Why would you post a picture of a dirty mattress? And if you’re posting an apartment, please, do yourself a favour and repair your place before thinking about putting it on the market. Scrub, sanitise and thoroughly clean your space before you fix yourself to tell me you want to charge me $700 a month for this dark, sad space. NO! Get real.
Your place doesn’t have to be swanky, but a proper cleaning and a fresh coat of paint will do wonders for your value. Again, if you’re trying to attract someone to your rental property, they need to see themselves in that space – using the bathroom, lounging in the living room etc. – you have to create the visual, and that starts with a clean space. And don’t underestimate the power of scrubbing the grout in a bathroom.
- Get photogenic
Angles are not just for supermodels. Please, take some time to set the stage for your items. Put it out in the light, have a nice, plain background that draws attention to the item. If you’re taking pictures of an apartment, open up those windows, don’t be shy! Get some lamps to illuminate the space. How do you expect people to visualise themselves in your place if they can’t even see the walls? And don’t be stingy, we want multiple shots. Also, if something is not for sale, don’t include it in your posts, or blur it out if you don’t want questions about the ‘other items in the picture.’
- Post honest pictures
Yes, we want well-lit, clear pictures of the items for sale. So don’t find pictures of your items online and post those as if that’s what you’re selling. The one exception to this rule is if the item is brand new, in the wrapping, and you don’t want to ruin the integrity of the item. Outside of that, I don’t want to get catfished by an item. Something similar to this happened to me recently where I wanted to see an apartment and there was only a picture of part of the apartment. Once I saw the entire place I understood why. Fix it!
- Post your prices
Stop the crap! This isn’t Tinder, I’m not trying to jump in your DMs just to find out the price of what you’re offering. This goes for anyone selling anything, everywhere. When you don’t post your set prices, people don’t trust that you’re not marking something up and that will deter them from reaching out. Also, if the price is listed, you avoid numerous messages from people asking for the cost and them not being able or interested to pay it. It is very important that you mention if it’s negotiable as this will let people know whether or not they should waste their time.
- Get techy
This is mainly for those who want to post more often, but is always a great piece of advice. You may lose a sale, since some features on Facebook will block people from being able to message you directly. The messages can be hidden in the “Message Request” section of your inbox. If you’re okay with people connecting with you via WhatsApp, you can post your number, but they may text at odd hours, so be prepared.
If you’re not into sharing your personal number for WhatsApp, then you can allow people to inbox you on Facebook. There’s a way to block future messages from that person once the item is sold.
- Post prices on the images
This is only if you have multiple items for sale in the same post. As someone scrolling through the page, if the prices aren’t listed in the description, it’s annoying to have to ask what costs what. Also, many people don’t take the time to expand the description and will ignore the information just to comment and ask what the price is anyways.
- Schedule pickup for the same day
Again, if you have multiple items for sale, schedule pickups for all items on the same day. It will get everything out at the same time and once you’re done, you can kick back and relax. Of course, you want to schedule specific times to practise social distancing, but it also works to know what goes first and your day ends when the last item is collected.
- Be accessible
If your items are small, and you live in a remote area, or don’t want people in and out of your space, perhaps park in a central location and let your buyers find you somewhere that is easy and centrally located.
- Change your post
Congratulations! You’ve sold your item, please remember that you posted and mark the items as sold or delete the post. Many people scroll very far down the BST rabbit hole and will still contact you if they see your items still listed.
