Finding motivated sellers on Facebook without ads

Facebook is where your neighbors talk about moving, inheriting a house, or not being able to keep up with one. You can find sellers there without spending a dollar on ads. You'll spend time instead, and you have to do it in a way that doesn't get you thrown out.

Marketplace: owners selling themselves

Search Marketplace's property listings in your area for houses listed by owner. These sellers chose not to pay an agent, and some would take a fast, as-is offer over months of showings. Send one short, polite message: who you are, that you buy houses, and that you'd be glad to make an offer if they want a quick sale. One message, not five.

Local groups: be a neighbor first

Community groups, neighborhood groups and local buy-sell groups are where people post "we have to move for work" or "anyone know someone who buys houses as-is?"

• Read the rules. Most ban solicitation. A "we buy houses" post gets you removed.
• Join as yourself, not a company page.
• Answer questions about the local market, repairs, or selling, without pitching.
• When someone asks for a buyer, reply or message them. That's the lead.

Your own posts

Your friends and their friends own houses, inherit houses, and know people who need to sell. A plain post once in a while, a house you bought and fixed, a problem you solved for a seller, keeps you top of mind. The calls come months later, as referrals.

What it costs, honestly

Time. A few hours a week, for a handful of conversations a month in most markets. It works best as a supplement: the place you become the local investor people already know, while mail or ads bring the steady volume.

If you move to ads

Facebook puts real estate ads in a special category for housing, which limits targeting by age and zip code. What targeting still works. And whatever you do on Facebook, know which lists actually sell in your county, so you know who you're trying to reach. Read your county free.