How I knew my price was right before listing on the MLS?
You can look at comps. You can scroll Zillow for hours. But until you hear from actual buyers, pricing your home can feel like guesswork.
John wanted more certainty, so before listing on the MLS, he quietly posted it on a few completely free platforms: Facebook Marketplace, LandSearch, and Craigslist.
No staging. No photographer. John cleaned, decluttered, depersonalized, and used the best photos he already had—then listed at a price based on researched comps and gut instinct.
"To price the house, do the research based on past sales to find the likely selling point, then subtract a small amount."
What happened next told him everything he needed to know.
Real Buyer Interest = Real Data
He got a full-price offer from a buyer with an agent almost immediately through Facebook. Unfortunately, The buyer later pulled out for personal reasons just before closing, but that early momentum gave John critical information: His price was in the right zone.
He left the listing up for about a month after that. No other serious offers came through. That quiet stretch confirmed something else: his price was realistic, but not underpriced.
By the time he listed on the MLS, he was confident he'd made the right call.
7 days later, he had 12 showings and another full-price offer.
Why This Worked
John wasn’t guessing. He was listening.
Putting the home out into the world early helped him:
- Validate pricing without leaving a digital footprint in the MLS
- Learn what buyers actually cared about
- Refine his expectations before a big launch
This kind of soft exposure let him treat the final MLS listing like a launch, not an experiment.
Top Tips for Getting Early Buyer Feedback
1. Choose the right platforms
Post on free, high-visibility sites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and LandSearch. These don’t leave a lasting digital footprint like the MLS does, so you can test and adjust pricing without consequences. Search “FSBO + [Your City/State]” to find active local Facebook groups.
2. Use your real photos
Don't overthink the photography, just take good, well-lit photos with the best device you have lying around. The goal is to attract some buyer interest, not close the deal.
3. Turn off comments
People can get real snarky about pricing and you don't want them to stop potential buyers reaching out. If they want to talk, they’ll message you directly.
4. Consider creating a simple listing website
Some buyers may hesitate to message from a personal profile. A basic site with property info and a contact form gives them a low-friction way to reach out. Example: John's simple listing (archived link)
5. Have the right expectations
This isn't about finding the perfect buyer, it's about seeing how the market reacts. If you get zero interest over a few weeks, that’s a useful signal to rethink your pricing or presentation.
Disclaimer: This article was produced by Folkpath and is based on interviews with the seller or publicly available information shared by the seller. Insights are based on the sellers personal experience or recommendations, summarised and edited for clarity.