3 Ways to Sell Your BYUi Housing
Many single BYUi students find themselves needing to sell a housing contract! But what’s the best way to sell it? The stress of paying a lease you won’t be using can be really awful! I understand that, and I have felt it many a’time. I’ll show you 3 places you can sell your contract and tips for increasing your listing views.
1. Facebook Groups & Marketplace
Everyone knows to try selling a contract on Facebook. But I’ll show you how to get get your post to more people, in the right places, and presented at its best.. First, we’ll start by joining relevant Facebook groups.
Facebook Groups
Facebook offers online groups where people are constantly buying and selling contracts locally. In order to post about a contract for sale in the group, request to join. The page owner must accept your request, this may only take a few minutes or more than a week. It depends on how busy the page owner is.
You’ll want to request access to Facebook groups local to Rexburg. Some are specifically for renting, and others are general selling groups. Here are some groups I recommend:
Something You Should Know…
There are sometimes rules for posting in specific groups such as no broken links, irrelevant or promotional info. Each of these groups have moderators that make sure all users follow the rules in their posts.
Now that you’ve joined groups that will give you access to people interested in buying your contract, its time to make a marketplace listing.
Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is super intuitive and easy to use, but check-out this page for a beginner’s step-by-step if needed. Go to Facebook, and click on the Marketplace Icon. At the top of the screen is a button labeled “Sell”. Click on this to get started.
Photographs
You’ll want to post at least 3 pictures of the most important areas of the apartment. The living room, kitchen, and bedroom would be best. The more pictures included, the better!
Here is what your listing looks like when it comes up on a search. As you can see, the first picture should really be one that stands out. You can use professional pictures from your apartment complex’s website or take a few of your own.
Make sure if you take your own photos that the apartment is looking clean and presentable. A good picture means more views for your listing! If the lighting isn’t great, edit the photo to increase the brightness so that the image is clear and eye-catching.
Title
Make sure you keep the title simple, with the most important details in it. For example;
“The Lodge Women’s Winter Contract”
or maybe
“Winter Contract- Women’s.”
This makes your listing clear and helps it come up in the most relevant searches.
Price
Here’s what your listing will look like when you’ve published it. Housing contracts don’t always need to be sold at a discount, but it is a good incentive! It never hurts to post the contract at the price you would have paid and seeing if anyone is interested.
The price can be lowered later, and I would suggest, little by little. Some become impatient when their contract hasn’t been bought and bump the price down substantially. Don’t panic! Keep a level head. You want to make as much money as possible, but make an offer that is enticing.
A good offer to start with might be deposits and application fees paid, or 10% off. A week or two is a good amount of time to reevaluate the price if an offer hasn’t yet been made.
Tip: Search apartments for rent in marketplace to be aware of what prices and offers are being listed by other students and if you have any direct competitors.
Description
Reiterate what has been said in the title and other important info like; the complex name, amenities, benefits of the community, and any special offers you might have.
“Women’s winter semester contract at the Lodge! Great amenities and fun community. $200 lower than regular price!”
This clearly states the difference in price from retail when selling at a discount. Marketplace is full of bargainers that are seeking good deals, so make it clear what they would be saving!
If posting without a discount, try something like:
“Winter semester contract for women. I was happy living here and am so sad to go! The Lodge includes a gym, free laundry in unit and a really fun community. My loss is your gain.”
This emphasizes strengths of the housing complex and it is implied that the seller had a good experience with there, making it more attractive to a potential buyer.
There are a lot of other details that can be filled in such as the square footage of the space, washer & dryer amenities and pet friendliness. They are optional and not as necessary when posting about BYUi approved housing.
Publish
Now that the listing is all ready, click “Next” and check all the groups you would like this to be sent to. From Marketplace, you will be able to post to multiple Facebook groups simultaneously and have one easy place to edit all your posts.
It’s super convenient, and spreads your offer to more people which will increase your chances of finding a buyer!
Congratulations, you’re all good to go! Facebook Marketplace is a hit in Rexburg. It’s the best bet for selling housing contracts to other BYUi students. Make sure to check up on how many views it’s gotten and respond to messages quickly!
2. BYUi Bulletin Board
Oh wait. That exists?
Yes, yes it does. It’s a page that every BYUi student has access to. It’s similar to marketplace but with fewer features. You may wonder who even buys from the Bulletin Board? Honestly, I had the same thought when placing my own listings there, but I had buyers very soon after! It’s BYUi’s best-kept secret.
Log in to your BYUi account.
Scroll down to the 5th box on the left of the page called “Student Services”, and click on “Bulletin Board” right beneath it.
Your name should be in the upper-left corner, and just beneath it is a button that says “My Ads”. Click on this to create a new listing.
Fill out your info and wait for someone to reach out to you!
Just like Facebook groups, there are regulations to follow, which are listed at the bottom of the page. For example, you might see “no all-caps words” or “no exclamation points”.
BYUi Bulletin Board is relatively simple and painless to use. There are often several BYUi approved housing contracts listed on it, but not so many that yours won’t get noticed. It might surprise you how many people shop on Bulletin Board for housing, so make sure to post there!
3. Door to Door
Many students have had quick success selling their contract just by asking their apartment neighbors. A manager of a BYUi approved housing complex said, “One of my residents tried selling his lease just 5 weeks before his move-in day. He went knocking doors around the city, and to my surprise, he had 4 buyers in just a couple days.” Knocking doors might not be your first choice, but it does show results!
Knocking doors may seem daunting to some, but try coming up with a short intro before knocking. Here are some examples:
“Hey! I’m Jane from apartment 209. I’m selling my contract for Winter. Is anybody in your apartment looking for housing?”
Or
“Hi! I’m selling my Winter contract at The Lodge because I can’t be here next semester. Do you or your roommates have a lease for next semester yet?”
Or even
“Hello! Is anybody looking for housing this Winter semester? I’m selling my contract for $200 less than the normal price.”
That seems doable right?? It’s great to sell by word of mouth even just for the referrals of those who are in need of housing. Most students can empathize with someone needing to sell a contract and would like to help!
I wish you the best in your contract selling. Be smart and try selling in several places. When a buyer has been found, contact the apartment complex manager, and they will help to transfer that contract legally. Happy hunting!