How to write a listing that actually sells

Two identical items, the same price, the same city — one sells in three days, the other sits for two months. The difference is almost always the listing, not the item. Here is what actually creates that difference.

The title is all a buyer sees in the list

A buyer scrolls past dozens of listings. Out of everything you wrote, at that moment they see only the title and the first photo. The title must say what the item is, not how you feel about it.

• Good: "Samsung Galaxy S22 128GB, warranty to 03/2027, no scratches"
• Bad: "Phone like new, urgent!!!"
• Put the brand, model and the single most important detail in the first few words.
• Capital letters and exclamation marks do not earn more clicks — they cost you trust.

Photos carry most of the decision

• Shoot in daylight, near a window. Flash shifts the colours and hides detail.
• Clear the background. Clutter behind the item lowers its perceived value more than you would expect.
• At least five photos from different angles, plus one full view and one close-up.
• Photograph the damage too. A scratch seen in the listing is not a problem; a scratch discovered in person is a cancelled sale.
• The first photo matters most — it is the one shown in the list, and it decides whether anyone clicks at all.

Do not use photos taken from the internet or a shop website. Buyers recognise them, and the listing reads as a scam even when the item is genuine.

Price: the most common reason a listing stalls

Before setting a price, search the same item in the listings and see what it is being offered for. Not what you would like to get — what it is being offered for. If you are 30% above everyone else, the listing will get no enquiries at all, and you will conclude there is no demand.

• State a concrete price. Listings marked "negotiable" with no figure get noticeably fewer contacts, because buyers skip what they cannot place in their budget.
• If you are open to offers, mark it as negotiable rather than inflating the price in advance.
• When an item sits for two weeks with not a single question, that is information about your price, not about the market.

The description answers questions before they are asked

Every question a buyer has to ask is one more reason not to bother. A good description closes them in advance: how old the item is, why you are selling, what is included, whether there is a receipt or warranty, and exactly what is wrong with it.

• Write in short lines rather than one block of text — on a phone a wall of text is unreadable.
• Give the dimensions, the condition, and what is included in the price.
• Be open about flaws. An honest description brings more serious buyers and far fewer cancellations at the meeting.
• Say which part of town the item can be seen in, and when you are available.

Reply speed

Most buyers message several sellers at once and buy from whoever answers sensibly first. A reply two days later usually arrives after the item has been bought elsewhere.

If it still does not sell

• Change the first photo — the fastest change with the biggest effect.
• Rewrite the title with more concrete words.
• Cut the price by a visible step rather than a token amount.
• Renew the listing so it returns to the top of the list.