How to negotiate on Facebook Marketplace

Negotiating on Facebook Marketplace is mostly won before you type a word: by knowing what the thing usually sells for near you, by being early, and by being the buyer the seller would rather deal with than the twelve who messaged "is this available." The actual haggling is the last five percent. Here is what to say first, how much to offer and when, what to do in person, and when to leave.

Know the number before you message

A seller asking $180 for a Herman Miller Aeron is either low, fair or high depending on what Aerons list for in your town this month, and most buyers guess. Look at the last several listings for the same item near you before you message; the ones that sold fast were priced right. Deal Scanner does this for you: once a search has seen a few listings, each new one gets a Deal Score showing how far under the typical asking price near you it sits. "35% below typical" means you are negotiating from strength and should not push hard; "at typical" means there is room.

The first message

Sellers answer the message that sounds like a buyer, not a bot.

• Say what you will do, with a time. "I can pick it up today at 5 with cash, if it's still available." That beats "is this available" from everyone else in the first minute.
• Ask one real question if you have one. "Does the compressor cycle normally?" tells the seller you know the item.
• Do not open with an offer unless the price is far off. Lowballing in the first message gets you ignored, and the seller remembers.
• Be early. The listing that gets a serious buyer in the first ten minutes often stops taking messages. Being early is why alerts exist.

How much to offer, and when

• If the price is already good, pay it. A fair price plus a fast, easy pickup is the deal; squeezing $10 out of it is how you lose it to the next buyer.
• If there is room, offer in the message after they confirm it is available, with a reason that is about the item, not about you: "The tires are from 2017, would you take $X?" Ten to fifteen percent under asking is normal; a third under is an insult unless the listing is weeks old.
• Older listings have more room. A listing up for three weeks has a seller who is tired of it. "Still available? I can take it off your hands today for $X" works.
• Bundle. A seller with three things you want will move on the total.
• Cash in hand, today, is the strongest card there is. Say it.

In person

• Look first, talk second. Test the drill, start the bike, open the fridge. If something is wrong that the listing did not mention, that is the moment to adjust, calmly: "The listing didn't say the chuck wobbles. I can do $X."
• Do not renegotiate a fair price on the driveway. If it is as described and the price was fair, pay it. Buyers who agree to a number and then chip at it in person get a reputation, and sellers talk.
• Have the exact cash. "I only have $150" when you agreed to $160 is a trick everyone has seen.
• Be quick and polite. The seller is deciding whether to sell to you or to wait for the next person. Easy wins.

When to walk

• The price is fair and they will not move: pay it or leave, no hard feelings.
• The item is not as described and they will not adjust: leave.
• Anything from the scams page shows up: leave.
• You are being rushed: leave. There is always another one, which is the whole point of having an alert set.

Why being early is the negotiation

The buyer who sees a listing twelve minutes after it goes up is negotiating with a seller who has one message. The buyer who sees it four hours later is negotiating with a seller who has forty, and a fair offer is now a low one. Deal Scanner watches Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp and Craigslist for your search and buzzes your phone when a listing is posted, with the time we found it on every alert and the Deal Score that tells you whether to offer or just pay. $3.99 a month for three searches, cancel anytime.

FAQ

How much should I offer on Facebook Marketplace?

If the price is already good, the asking price. If there is room, ten to fifteen percent under, with a reason about the item. More than that only on old listings.

Is it rude to negotiate on Facebook Marketplace?

No, it is expected, as long as the offer is reasonable and comes after you confirm the item is available. Opening with a lowball, or chipping at an agreed price in person, is what sellers dislike.

What should I say in the first message?

What you will do and when: "I can pick it up today at 5 with cash." Add one real question about the item if you have one.

How do I know if a Marketplace price is fair?

Compare it with the last several listings for the same item near you. Deal Scanner's Deal Score does that automatically once a search has seen a few listings.

Should I negotiate before or after seeing the item?

Agree on a price before you drive, based on the listing. Adjust in person only if the item is not as described.

Sources checked

Our own buying on Marketplace, OfferUp and Craigslist, and the seller-side threads on r/Flipping about which buyers get answered. Checked October 26, 2026.