Although it may seem simple on the surface, there is a lot that goes into creating a strong private sale listing for your car. If you want to take the easy way out, it can be as quick as snapping a few photos, writing a two-sentence description, throwing it up on craigslist and seeing what kind of interest you get. However, if you’re determined to get the absolute most money possible for your car (which of course you are!), there are some extra steps that you can take. One of them is, of course, to list your car through a site like TRED, and we’ve touched on why that can be an effective way to sell your car in other articles. Regardless of where you decide to list your car though, there are extra steps that you can take to guarantee a higher sale price, so let’s get into them.
Take GOOD photos
Taking good photos of your car is one of the most effective ways to boost your sale price and attract buyers. Just a quick glance through any private listing site will showcase how absurdly rare it is to find a well-photographed car, and when one pops up, it stands out! This is great, because it means that your listing, with all your well-framed, sharp-looking photos will draw in buyer’s eyes and generate more interest from prospective buyers. Below are a few tips to taking good photos.
- Use a decent camera: any new-ish smartphone will do, but if you’re still rocking an iPhone 5C, see if you can borrow a friend’s newer smartphone, or even better, use a real DSLR camera.
- Choose the right time: The best time to take photos is the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset. The light will be the softest and prettiest, and this flattering lighting will make your photos more attractive. Do not take photos in broad daylight, the harsh light can dampen the quality of your photos. And, for the love of all that’s good in the world, do not take pictures at night!
- Choose the right place: It’s best to go to an open area where you can get good shots of the car without anything else cluttering the photo. Empty parking lots are fine. This also allows you to fully circle the car and take pictures from every angle. Also, avoid areas with odd shadows. Don’t take pictures where half the car is shaded by a tree and half isn’t; this makes it more difficult for buyers to see the lines and paint on the car.
- Take well-framed full body photos: Take pictures of the whole car with a level camera. Unless they’re close-ups and you already have a full portfolio of full-body shots, we want to see the whole car in the frame. So, make sure the edges of your photos don’t cut off parts of the car.
- Take a lot of photos: Don’t skimp out, the more photos the better! Buyers will appreciate that you’ve posted lots of pictures as it helps prove that you’re not hiding anything.
Be an active and personable seller
Being a good seller is one of the most important things you can do, and it can help tremendously in boosting buyer confidence, and thus helping you get more money. One important aspect of being a good seller is being responsive: when you’re selling your car, consider it a part-time job until it’s sold. Keep your phone close by, and when someone messages you with interest, respond right away with a thoughtful and personable reply. It can be a bit of a pain answering a bunch of questions from different buyers, but it’s a necessary evil, as eventually one of those inquisitive buyers will show up with cash, and it’ll be because you answered all their questions promptly, properly and politely.
Being a good seller is one of the most important things you can do, and it can help tremendously in boosting buyer confidence, and thus helping you get more money. One important aspect of being a good seller is being responsive: when you’re selling your car, consider it a part-time job until it’s sold. Keep your phone close by, and when someone messages you with interest, respond right away with a thoughtful and personable reply. It can be a bit of a pain answering a bunch of questions from different buyers, but it’s a necessary evil, as eventually one of those inquisitive buyers will show up with cash, and it’ll be because you answered all their questions promptly, properly and politely.
Be transparent
It’s important to be transparent about the car you’re selling for ethical reasons as well as in the interest of getting the most money for your car. As an example, if I were interested in buying a car, and the seller told me it had no problems, and then I test drove it only to find out it had a power steering leak, I would walk away immediately assuming that there are other gremlins they’re probably lying about. However, if I were interested in the car, and the seller told me that it had a power steering leak, I might still pursue the car, with an adjusted budget, because now I know what’s wrong with it and I know that I’m dealing with an honest seller. This transparency goes a long way with buyers, as most of them are on edge with how prevalent dishonesty is in the car-selling world.
Write a detailed description with proper grammar
Another important aspect of selling your car is the description that accompanies the listing. A good description will include a detailed history of your ownership (how long, what maintenance has been done), an in-depth description of the car’s condition, and a complete list of any and all flaws on the vehicle. Additionally, you should always use proper grammar when writing your description. It always surprises me when I see cars listed with a description that reads: “good car, looking 4 quick sell, hmu.” If you were too lazy to write out the word “for,” I’ll also assume that you were too lazy to ever change the oil, and I will not even consider buying your car!
Bonus tip: post a video!
I’ve always considered this my secret weapon when selling a car. My piéce de résistance that helps my listings stand out among the rest: post a video! Virtually none of the private sale listings that I’ve seen include a video of the car, but for a prospective buyer, a video means the world, and it doesn’t have to be much. Post a video of you walking around the car, while it’s running, in the same good lighting conditions in which you photographed it. Show the outside, the inside, and the engine bay. You can even video yourself driving it to show buyers that it works as expected. This will not only stand out tremendously to buyers, but it will show them that the car is in good working order before they even come test drive it. If the site you’re listing on doesn’t allow videos, post a link to a YouTube video, or write in the description “Walk-around and driving video available upon request” and then message them the video when they ask.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, much of what goes into a good private sale listing is a combination of professionalism, honesty, and patience. You have to be willing to take the time to go out after work to get good photos, write up a detailed description, and answer buyer’s questions. It can be a bit of a drag, but it will be worth it when you get top dollar for your car!