Craigslist scams, deceptive ads scar real estate industry

Realtor Notebook

I ran my last ad on Craigslist last summer, and people — including my clients — are asking me why. Selling homes is tough these days, and sellers want me to use every means of advertising at my disposal, including Craigslist.

For years, I could count on a steady stream of calls and inquiries on my listings through Craigslist.

There isn’t anything wrong with Craigslist, but in my opinion there is something wrong with some of the people who are using it to advertise real estate and the people who respond to the ads.

I believe there are so many scams on Craigslist that it is hard to stay on top of them all — though the site operators have made efforts to combat users’ illegal practices. It used to be a great place to advertise real estate for sale or rent.

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