Writing a title and description that get replies

Say what the thing is, what condition it is in, and why you are selling it. Those three answers are what a buyer is looking for, and a listing that answers them before being asked gets replies instead of questions.

The title

You have 120 characters. Spend them on the words somebody would actually type into search: the brand, the model, the size, the year. "IKEA Malm 6-drawer dresser, white, 63 inches" is findable. "Great dresser must go!!" is not, and the capital letters and exclamation marks add nothing a buyer can search for.

Search matches the title and the description, so a word that is in neither is a word nobody can find you with.

The description

The minimum is 20 characters. That is a floor, not a target. Work through:

• What it is. Brand, model, size, color, age, what is included and what is not.
• What condition it is in. Be specific about the flaws. A scratch you mention is a detail; the same scratch discovered at the meeting is a renegotiation, or a buyer who walks.
• Why you are selling. One line. "Moving in three weeks", "bought a bigger one", "it does not fit the space". It is the single most reassuring sentence in most listings, because the thing a buyer is quietly wondering is what is wrong with it.
• Measurements and numbers. Dimensions, capacity, mileage, square footage. Buyers filter and compare on numbers.
• How the handover works. Pickup only, will meet locally, can deliver within so many miles.

If you would rather start from something than from nothing, the description field has a Generate a description with AI button. It is free, and it produces a draft you should edit rather than a finished listing.

What to leave out

• Contact details. No phone numbers, email addresses or links to other messaging apps in the listing body. Moving a conversation off Jinu straight away is one of the oldest signals of a scam, and buyers have been told to treat it as one. Use the Jinu inbox.
• Claims you cannot stand behind. Authenticity, provenance, warranty status, income potential. If you cannot prove it, do not print it.
• Urgency theatre. "Today only", "three other people interested". Manufactured pressure is a scam signal, and readers now read it as one.
• Capital letters throughout. They do not rank higher and they read as shouting.

Photographs do more than words

Shoot in daylight, against a background that is not the rest of your house, from several angles, and photograph the flaws you described. You can add up to 10 photos on most listings, 20 on a vehicle and 50 on a property, and most listings would be better for using more of them.