Home > Blogs > Max Douge > Max Douge's (mdouge) Blog

Where are my Craigslist buyers? What do I need to do to get them back?

Real Estate Agent with Exit Realty Enterprises

May 05, 2008 03:02 PM

Has anyone else experienced a drop in activity with their posted listings on Craigslist? I haven't received the same number of hits and inquiries as last year with my postings on Craigslist. I'm targeting a different buyer this year with one of my listings - a young single professional seeking a place right outside Washington DC at an affordable price. I thought I would definitely find those potential buyers on CL. But the level of activity has been much lower than I expected.

I even put 2 versions of the listing on CL to see which would be more effective, but the results haven't shown anything.

Here is the first posting:

$165000 For Sale: Must-See Condo in Hyattsville (Hyattsville, MD)

Date: 2008-05-05, 10:44PM EDT

For All Your Real Estate Needs Throughout the Maryland/Washington DC/Northern Virginia Area

3450 Toledo Terrace
Hyattsville, MD 20782

MLS - PG6733752
List Price: $165000

Property Features:

Cherry wood floor in Dining Rm
Ceramic tile floors in Kitchen and Bathroom
New Bathroom with pedestal sink
New lighting fixtures
Warm, comfortable wall colors
Amenities include community pool, tennis courts
Private balcony

The Douge Team of Exit Realty Enterprises Pierre or Max Douge 11120 New Hampshire Ave, Suite 200 Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301-593-4811
Click To Email Me The Douge Team My Profile and Listings

OPEN HOUSE, APRIL 27th (12-4pm).The many upgrades (floors, bath, lighting, cable/internet access, paint) within the past 3 years make this condo enjoyable and comfortable to come home to. Appreciate the lifestyle of the Washington DC metropolitan area (walking distance to the Metro, shopping, restaurants) while living only minutes from the city.Also, take advantage of the close proximity to University of Maryland's College Park campus by taking in a game, attending classes or one of their many cultural events. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Directions to Property:
East-West Highway Towards Prince Georges Plaza, Turn Onto Toledo Terrace And Follow Around To The Seville. Also recommend online directions.

><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><

This is the second:

$165000 Nicest Condo in Building!! (Hyattsville, MD)

Date: 2008-05-05, 9:40AM EDT

View this must-see condo and imagine yourself living in this modern, yet warm and comfortable unit. Appreciate the quality flooring (Cherry wood, ceramic tiles, berber carpet), recessed lighting, and convenient location to the Metro station, shopping and restaurants. Only minutes from Washington DC, in the heart of the Hyattsville redevelopment.

For more information and additional photos, visit The Douge Team or contact:

The Douge Team
Exit Realty Enterprises
http://www.thedougeteam.com/
301-593-4811
info@TheDougeTeam.com

Equal Housing Opportunity

I'm still huge fan of CL, but I think I may be missing something now. Which would you think should attract more attention? What could be done differently? Is it because there's too much inventory on the market that it gets lost among the other listings? Any insight that you can provide would be helpful. Thanks.

Comments (30)
Subscribe to Comments Comment

Show All Comments

Sort:

Sharon Harris

Keller Williams Keystone Realty - Hanover, PA

Realtor

I have had much better luck with postlets .

May 07, 2008 07:03 AM

Max Douge

Exit Realty Enterprises - Frederick, MD

Jennifer - I do repost, but not every 2 days; perhaps every 5-7 days. Still, the numbers of hits are much lower than expected.

Sharon - I haven't yet tried postlets. I may try it soon.

May 07, 2008 08:39 AM

Wendy Smith

Wendy Smith Real Estate - Clearwater, FL

Real Estate Advisor

as a regular craigslist user, I too have noticed less inquiries on my ads. I usually have very good success

and sell most of my own listings.

May 08, 2008 01:18 PM

Max Douge

Exit Realty Enterprises - Frederick, MD

Wendy - What changes, if any, have you implemented to try getting more traffic through CL?

May 09, 2008 01:31 AM

Jennifer Fivelsdal

JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY

Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

Max - It seems like a condition of the market. I also agree that it is important to use many tools to attract buyers and sellers.

May 31, 2008 09:17 AM

Clint Miller

Real Estate Pipeline, Inc. - Missoula, MT

I think the only thing to do to get those buyers back is:

1. lower gas prices
2. increase the ability to get a loan
3. improve the economy

Other than that...Your guess is as good as mine.

May 31, 2008 09:26 AM

Max Douge

Exit Realty Enterprises - Frederick, MD

Clint... Your 3 ideas are all good! Let's initiate a 3-day boycott of the purchase of gas, say Tues-Wed-Thurs sometime next month and rally people from around different parts of the country to join us. Do you think we can get enough people together to have an impact on the oil companies and the existing prices? I'm all for trying.

Jun 03, 2008 04:34 AM

Kerry Lucasse

eXp Realty - Urban Nest Real Estate Group - Atlanta, GA

Your Urban Nest Atlanta Real Estate Consultant

I am so glad that you posted this -- I had an obscene amount of traffic and leads coming from Craigslist over the last two years and just about 4 months ago, it has really tapered off. I still am diligent when it comes to posting my listings, but the calls I get are few and far between.

I will say that when I have a foreclosure, the # of calls /emails dramatically increases, so I guess that the Craigslist viewers are looking for deals and desparation and the typical listing just isn't as interesting to them anymore.

Jun 15, 2008 01:43 PM

Kerry Lucasse

eXp Realty - Urban Nest Real Estate Group - Atlanta, GA

Your Urban Nest Atlanta Real Estate Consultant

Jun 15, 2008 01:43 PM

Kona Home Team (luva llc) Lance Owens (RS)

Kona Home Team (luva llc) - Kailua-Kona, HI

Getting transactions done, when nobody else can!

I meant to bring that up - anytime I put something in Craigslist and I use the - f - word - it just never gets posted. not flagged, not deleted - just sits there. you cant look it up, but it is there in your account showing active. YOu know it is in never-never land, when the photos dont appear when you go to edit it .

Oh Ya - the -F - word - is -- FORECLOSURE - you dirty minded people :)

Anybody else seen this??

Jun 15, 2008 02:51 PM

Barb Hutchinson, Fruitland Idaho - Payette County homes and real estate

Silverhawk Realty - Payette, ID

www.BarbHutchinsonHomes.com

In my area foreclosures, short sales and homes with real bargain prices (read "steal it!") are still getting a response on Craigslist, but the rest are generating no calls at all.

Jun 22, 2008 04:50 PM

Glenn Sanford

eXp Realty & Working The Magic, LLC - Bellingham, WA

My personal opinion is that Trulia has captured many of the same people who would have visited Craigslist so the volume of searchers via Craigslist has dropped. Of course the fact is that overall market volumes have dropped as well so the combination of other viable independent real estate channels (ie Trulia) have dilutted CL results. Also there are probably more agents posting in CL then before so unless overall traffic has went up the same amount the number of leads will be reduced.

Jun 23, 2008 06:41 PM

Anonymous

MR BLAIR JAMES

My name is Mr Blair James. I have been arranging loans for many years. I have helped individuals and companies that have been ripped off by lending them loans and i am willing to arrange better loans for my clients. Working with me will be close and personal. I am available seven days a week to facilitate your loan request.I can arrange your loan at a better interest rate and lower cost than anyone else in town.Contact me at privateloaninvestment1@yahoo.com with your information below:

Full Name..........
Country..........
Amount Needed..........
Purpose of loan ..........

Aug 05, 2008 02:18 AM

#23

Anonymous

David F

Frequency has and always will be an issue on Craigslist. Here is a company that could help with your marketing efforts... www.mycraigslistpost.com

Sep 09, 2008 04:39 PM

#24

Sherry Scales

Austin Texas Homes, LLC - Leander, TX

Realtor, for Austin, TX and surrounding areas

I do tend to have better luck with rentals than for sales. But with every agent putting every new listing on everyday, and redoing the listings every few days... You can put in a listing and within minutes its on page #58796542. No one is going back that far!

Sep 12, 2008 04:13 PM

Max Douge

Exit Realty Enterprises - Frederick, MD

Sherry,

I agree with you. I think the repostings are making things challenging with using Craigslist. I don't mind reposting every week or two, but I don't have the time or resources to dedicate solely to reposting every day or two, so the posts end up not being seen as frequently.

Sep 16, 2008 06:43 AM

Dan Weis

Comey & Shepherd Realtors - Cincinnati, OH

Cincy Real Estate Advisor

Do your headlines stand out from the rest that are on the page?

In my area, most ads look very similar.

You need to get people to want to click on your headline...because they're curious!

Oct 07, 2008 06:30 PM

Dan Weis

Comey & Shepherd Realtors - Cincinnati, OH

Cincy Real Estate Advisor

Do your headlines stand out from the rest that are on the page?

In my area, most ads look very similar.

You need to get people to want to click on your headline...because they're curious!

Oct 07, 2008 06:30 PM

Anonymous

David Fresquez

If you are looking for ways to increase your craigslist presence, www.postandsend.com can help you.

They specialize in classified posting services and twitter services as well.

Apr 22, 2009 02:41 PM

#29

Anonymous

Brandon

I know when it comes to rental properties in Canada, www.iRentCanada.ca is taking the market by storm. You should check it out. It's like CL but so much more advanced!

Sep 11, 2009 12:54 AM

#30

Older Post

Newer Post

Rainer
12,216