Facebook Marketplace... Brilliant
I got an email from Nick the other day asking me what this OodlePro is and to find out what’s going on with the Facebook Marketplace. Now I consider myself “with it” when it comes to modern technology but some of the coolest things that “everyone seems to know about” can completely blind side me (on a very very rare occasion).
So of course, my first step is to Google it. Some of you may Bing or Yahoo to search things. Personally, I Google.
My first stop was to check out OodlePro (http://www.oodle.com/pro/vertical/?c=housing/rent). I watched their little YouTube Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mjjzf13qYk&feature=player_embedded) and read up on exactly what it had to offer. Okay, so maybe I just scanned their main marketing page but I digress. My main point was this: What does this feature have to offer that justifies paying for it? I assume that is everyone’s #1 question, right? Now our office can have over 30 listings at any one given time so I was strictly looking at their Platinum package. Some people that are just starting out may only have 4 or 5 listings. In that case, Silver package would be your deal. What I discovered is that even with the minimal package, you are paying $49 every month or $468 every year. (Platinum would cost $3,348 every year, ouch!) Having worked in Real Estate Investing, I know that one’s monthly marketing costs can be upwards of $4,000 with direct mail campaigns, sign campaigns, etc., but when it comes to Property Leasing and Rental, your marketing costs are dramatically lower. For me to sit easy with this OoodlePro, I had to research the infamous Facebook Marketplace in all its splendor. So… I Googled it.
Discovering Facebook Marketplace was like discovering MySpace Classifieds, only Facebook is like the hottest new club in LA and MySpace was some Roadhouse Bar in Kentucky (excuse me if that actually exists). I have to be honest, I didn’t even have a bookmark for the Marketplace, my bad. For those that just got lost, bookmarking puts a little link on the left hand side of your Facebook homepage so you can access a part of Facebook with one click. It’s a good idea to do that if you haven’t already. Go ahead.
The Marketplace looks like most other Classified ad websites. It has Jobs, Vehicles, Services, Tickets and… RENTALS. Perfect. Something I found unique about it was the four ads with images going across the top with the heading “Listing in Your Social Circle”. This works if your friends are local so you can see other listings Realtors have in your area. Otherwise you’re going to be looking at a mansion in Huston and 100 year old Victorian in Virginia. A good feature is how easy it is to post your own listings. You can open one of your fellow listings and give it a once over if you’re curious as to what others post, otherwise, wing it like I did. Oh, and for the record, all of this is completely FREE! After posting my listing, I waited about 5 minutes and low and behold, it’s the top listing in Tampa.
My new Facebook Marketplace URL:
Guess the new ones are 1st on the list, which is excellent. (BTW, if your town isn’t too hip to the Marketplace, all of your listings will end up being on top. Nice.) What also rocks is your ability to re-post every 24 hours. Way to trump craiglist.org! Once you post you have the ability to share it (have the listing posted on your wall), others can comment and you can manage it by clicking on the listing details. I have to say one of my favorite parts is the “All Listings from (your name)” tab. It has its own URL so you can use it as a link on your twitter or other personal blog or website so others can see every listing you have. Bonus points for Facebook. All-in-all, this lil’ Marketplace gets an A!
In the end, after looking at OodlePro, Facebook and knowing about other sites like VFlyer and Postlets, I have come to the conclusion that with modern technology and this lovely thing we call the Internet, there are good reasons to pay for services but it’s my opinion that it’s well worth my 15 minutes of research to learn how new technology works so I don’t have to pay for it. To each his own, but I guarantee, if you are one of those who would rather pay for it than learn the skill yourself, and I know you all are out there, you will be paying people like me to do things I can do in my sleep. Ah, but isn’t that the way the world works? Bye for now :)
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