Short answer: Open Marketplace, choose Create new listing, then Item for sale. Add clear photos, a plain title, a fair price, and an honest description, and publish. When buyers message, screen them before you share your address, agree on the price and payment in writing, and only count the sale once the money shows in your own app or you've counted the cash.
This is the step-by-step version for people selling what they already own, not flippers. It covers the clicks, and the safety habits most how-to guides skip.
Before your first listing
- Tighten your profile. Buyers can see parts of your Facebook profile before they message you. Hide your hometown, workplace, phone number, and family details.
- Turn off photo location. Phones can save GPS coordinates inside photos. On iPhone: Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, Camera, Never. On Android, turn off location tags in your camera app.
- Decide how you'll take payment. Venmo, Cash App, or exact cash cover almost every local sale. Make your Venmo transactions and friends list private.
How to create a listing
On a computer: select Marketplace in the left menu, choose Create new listing, then Item for sale. In the app: tap the Marketplace icon, tap Sell, then Create listing. Menu names shift between app versions, so follow what your screen shows.
- Add photos. Two to five, in daylight, on a plain background. Include a close-up of every flaw. Keep house numbers, mail, and the street out of the frame.
- Write a plain title. Brand or type, size or key spec, condition, town. For example: "KitchenAid Stand Mixer, 5 Qt, Excellent Condition, Portland."
- Set the price. Search the same item nearby first. Price in $5 or $10 steps, slightly above the lowest number you'd take.
- Write an honest description. Size, age, condition, every flaw, and why you're selling. End with "Price is firm. Pickup in [Town]."
- Choose local pickup and publish. Your listing goes through a quick automated review before it's live.
When buyers message you
- Reply with a question. "Thanks for your interest! It's still available. I'm in [Town]. What day and approximate time would work for you?" Serious buyers answer it.
- Screen while you wait. Look at their rating, how many ratings they have, account age, and whether they asked about the item. Block anyone who offers more than your price, wants to pay by gift card, wire, or check, or asks for a code or your email.
- Confirm in writing. Once they commit to a day and time, send the details in one message: where, the price, and how to pay. Then mark the listing Pending.
The handoff and getting paid
- Pick a handoff you're comfortable with. A meetup in a busy public place, or a contactless porch pickup where the item waits on your covered porch and you stay inside.
- Get paid before the sale counts. Open your own Venmo or Cash App, or count the cash. A screenshot isn't payment.
- Mark it Sold and ask for a rating in your thank-you. Good ratings bring better buyers.
Frequently asked questions
Does Facebook charge a fee to sell on Marketplace?
For local pickup where the buyer pays you directly, there's no Facebook fee. Fees apply to shipped orders that go through Facebook's checkout. Your payment app may charge its own fee, for example Venmo's goods and services fee.
How long does a Marketplace listing take to go live?
New listings go through an automated review first. It usually takes minutes, sometimes up to a day. If a listing is rejected, edit it based on the reason given and resubmit.
Do I have to give buyers my address?
Not until you're ready. Put only your town in the listing. Share your address with one buyer, after they've committed to a day and time and passed a quick screen.
What's the safest way to hand over an item?
Either a meetup in a busy public place, or a contactless porch pickup where the item waits on your porch and you stay inside. Both work. Porch pickup means you never meet the buyer at all.
How do I know if a buyer is legit?
Check their Marketplace rating and how many ratings it's based on, their account age, whether they're local, and whether they asked about the item instead of your address. A 4.5-star rating from at least 5 ratings is a good start.
Setting up the porch side costs less than you might think. My porch pickup gear list covers the sign holder, locked cash box, and motion light I recommend, from a no-cost start to extra security, with what to look for if you'd rather pick your own.
Start with the screen
The free 60-Second Buyer Check is the one-page screen I run on every buyer before they get my address. The full Porch Protocol guide covers the rest: the two-message pickup setup, every script, printable porch signs, and pickups while you're home behind a locked door, plus when an away pickup makes sense.
Related: Facebook Marketplace selling tips · Is Facebook Marketplace safe?