Craigslist's free classifieds are familiar to everyone from real estate agents to average homeowners trying to sell a home. The site covers 700 cities worldwide and is used by 50 million people per month. More than a billion real estate ads have been posted since the site's founding in 1995.

But do you know how to maximize your Craigslist ad for the best results?

Here are some "best practices" to follow when posting a home for sale on Craigslist. These tips apply to brokers and FSBO sellers alike:

Watch What You Say

Craigslist is policed by visitors to the site. If you post a real estate ad that looks fishy it will be flagged. For example, don't promise a beachfront view for real estate in Kansas. Not only is it fraudulent, but users will flag it and it will be removed.


Use Correct Categories

Founder Craig Newmark recently told Inman News that the real estate section "does seem to get policed fairly well. In New York, I have agents quite frequently sending us e-mail about other agents' inappropriate acts."

A common tactic is for real estate agents to list their homes in the "For Sale by Owner" category. Not cool. These agents have their listings removed.


Who Are You?

For best results agents should disclose who they are and their real estate agency. As in real life most people want to know who they're dealing with and generally respond more favorably if you explain who you are first. Individuals selling a home may choose to omit this information for privacy concerns on the listing but are encouraged to respond with contact information.


Minimize Hype

!!!!FABULOUS DEAL!!!! ~~~One-of-a-kind!!~~~ DREAM HOME!
Your home may be all of these things. But too much marketing hype will be ignored. Skip the +++ keyboard art +++ and DON'T TYPE IT ALL IN CAPS, too. You want to sell, not yell.


Avoid Keyword Spamming

It's old news and it doesn't work.


Don't Post Too Frequently

Many people try to land at the top of the real estate list by posting their listing very frequently. This just serves to annoy potential buyers. Moreover, frequent listing is pointless since the results are updated every fifteen minutes and any "top of list" slot will be lost. Anything more than once every 48 hours is considered too frequent.


Treat People Like You'd Want to Be Treated

It's a simple rule, but the most effective "best practice" when it comes to selling real estate on Craigslist.

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