Facebook Marketplace Messaging: How to Get Sellers to Reply

Caleb Foster

Nov 8, 2025

3 min read

Updated: 4 hours ago

You see a great deal on exactly what you want, fire off “Hello, is this still available?”, and wait. And never hear back.

There’s a better way. On hot deals, what you say matters just as much as how fast you say it.

Think about it. Most cheap listings are cheap because the seller wants it gone fast and without hassle. If you send “Is this available?” and someone else sends “I can come get this now,” you just lost.

Be first when you can

The best deals are won within minutes. Even if it takes a few hours to get marked sold, the person who bought it probably messaged within 5 minutes.

If you can’t sit on your phone refreshing all day, set up alerts. That’s what How to Set Up Deal Alerts is for.

Don’t send “Is this still available?”

That default opener is the #1 reason people don’t get replies. It’s fine as an auto-message, it just doesn’t say you’re serious. Sellers trying to get rid of stuff go with serious buyers.

Make your preview count

Sellers see about a 20–25 character preview of every message. That’s your space to look serious. Skip “Hi” and “Hello,” and definitely skip the sob story. They need to see something like:

“I can come now with cash”
“I have cash and can come…”

Even if they get flooded, yours stands out because it’s exactly the buyer they want.

Don’t negotiate in your first message (if it’s underpriced)

If it’s truly underpriced, they’re going to get dozens of messages in 30 minutes and won’t entertain lower offers. If you want to negotiate a hot listing, do it in person. More in How to Negotiate When Flipping.

Get the address ASAP

The address is the whole game. Once you have it, you’ve basically locked it down. If you can go right away, ask for it in your first message. If you can’t, ask for it anyway and give a clear time window later in the day.

Don’t sound like a hassle

Underpriced means the seller wants it gone with as little effort as possible. If you ask a bunch of questions before committing to come see it, or drag your feet, you’re too much work.

You can always back out, before you go or after you look at it in person. But you can’t lock it down if you don’t start aggressive.

Mention that you can move it

For big furniture or appliances, tell them you have a truck and the help to move it (as long as you actually do). Sellers pick the person who can come quick and handle it themselves.

If you’re first, don’t double-text

If you messaged within 5–10 minutes of it being posted, you were probably first. A lot of sellers respect dibs. The second you send another message, you basically step out of line and get behind everyone who messaged since. Even “my meeting moved, I can come now” isn’t worth going from first to fifteenth.

If you’re late, double-text

If you’re probably not first but caught it within about 30 minutes, you need to get noticed. Send a few in a row:

“I can come now”
“I have cash”
“Can I get the address?”

Don’t be afraid to offer over asking

If you’re really late but it’s underpriced with room you’d be fine paying, say so. Use the same double-text, but end with an offer over asking. Say a patio set is listed free and you’d happily pay $50:

“I can come pick this up now”
“I have a truck”
“I’ll pay $50 and come now with a truck. Can I get the address?”

In a sea of “Is this still available?” previews, “I’ll pay $50 and come…” jumps off the screen.

For normal deals, keep questions short

All of the above is for deals you know will go fast. On regular listings you have more room to ask questions or negotiate in Messenger. Fewer questions is still better, and check the description first so you don’t ask something already answered.

Bonus tips

Set a custom message. In Marketplace, tap your profile, go to settings, and tap “Set a custom message.” Make it something like “I can come now with cash.”
Always be “ready to leave now.” If you’ll be free in an hour, “I can come now, I’m about an hour away. Can I get the address?” usually gets the address and a hold.
Back out politely. If you looked into it and it isn’t worth it, just say you’re sorry, you missed something, and you won’t be coming after all. They’ll move on.

Once you have the address, do your checks before you hand over money. How to Spot a Facebook Marketplace Scam has the red flags.