A listing that sells: title, photos and description

What should go in your listing title?

The title is the first thing buyers read in the search results, and it carries the most weight in Afër's search: words in the title count for more than words in the description. So write exactly what someone looking for your item would type.

• Brand and model, for example "iPhone 13", "Samsung Galaxy S22" or "IKEA Kallax".
• Size, storage or dimensions when they decide the purchase: 128 GB, size M, 160 × 200 cm.
• The condition when it's a selling point, such as "like new" or "screen scratch".

Skip filler like "amazing", "wow" or "bargain". eBay's seller tips give the same advice: avoid special characters and irrelevant words. Afër's form needs at least 10 characters and holds up to 70. The hint under the field sums it up: "Brand, model and condition is enough."

On Afër, the title comes first. When you post a listing, Afër asks "What are you selling?" and you type the title. From three characters on, Afër looks for words it knows and, if it recognises some, shows up to three suggestions under "Matching categories". If it recognises nothing, or you're offline, you pick the category yourself from the list.

The search links many everyday words in Albanian, English and German. Someone searching for "chair" can find a listing titled with "karrige" or "Stuhl", and a search for the German "Handy" also finds an "iPhone". The vocabulary doesn't cover every word, though, and it only works through the title; words in the description are matched only as you wrote them. A clear, common name is safer than a nickname.

Why do category and type matter?

Buyers who browse without a search term open a category and narrow it down with filters: municipality, price, condition and, in many subcategories, the type. If your listing sits in the wrong category, it won't appear there. Take one of the suggestions when it fits, or tap "Choose another category".

In the "Details" step Afër asks for the condition: "New", "Like new", "Used" or "Heavily used". "Used" is preselected. Change it if it's wrong, because condition is a search filter and also appears on the listing card in the results.

Below that come the "Category details". In many subcategories they include a "Type" field, in the "Living room" subcategory for example chair, table or shelf. If Afër recognises the type in your title, it fills the field in for you as long as you haven't picked one yourself, and you can change it at any time. In the search, type is a filter of its own. Depending on the main category, Afër asks for more: brand, model, storage and colour for electronics, brand, size and colour for fashion, and make, year, mileage and fuel among others for cars. Fill in what you know for sure; the details appear on your listing as a tidy list.

If your title clearly fits a different category than the one you chose, Afër can hold the listing back and tell you: "Your title probably fits … better." You can change the category or submit your choice for review. Until the team has decided, the listing isn't live.

Which photos help you sell?

You can upload up to 8 photos, and at least one is required. The first one is the cover: it appears on the listing card in the search results. eBay's photo tips recommend using your best shot there, with the item centred and fully visible. For the rest:

• Shoot in bright light, without flash and without filters.
• Place the item against a plain, light background and tidy up first.
• Show it from several angles and take close-ups of scratches, stains or wear.
• Include accessories, labels or the rating plate when they're part of the deal.
• Use only photos of your own item, never pictures from the internet.

Afër accepts JPG, PNG, WebP or HEIC photos up to 8 MB. You set the order before publishing: "Cover" makes a photo the first one, and the "Move left" arrow moves it one place forward. Once the photos are uploaded, their order can't be changed, so choose your cover before you tap "Publish listing".

What belongs in the description?

A good description answers the questions buyers would otherwise ask you one by one in the chat. Afër needs at least 30 characters and allows up to 4000. The placeholder in the field already names the essentials: "Describe the condition, reason for selling, what's included…". Run through this list before you continue:

• ✓Condition and flaws, honest and specific: scratches, stains, repairs, anything that no longer works.
• ✓How old the item is and, if you know, when you bought it.
• ✓Whether you still have the original receipt or invoice.
• ✓Accessories: charging cable, case, remote, manual, original box.
• ✓Dimensions, size or technical specs when they matter for the purchase.
• ✓Why you're selling, if you want to say; it's optional.
• ✓Pickup: when you're available, whether the item is taken apart and whether you'll help carry it.

Honesty can save you time: if a buyer already knows about the scratch from the text and photos, there's no reason to reopen the price over it when you meet.

You don't need to put your phone number in the description. Buyers reach you through the in-app chat. If you add a Kosovo or Albania mobile number in your profile under "Phone number (optional)", Afër shows a private seller's number masked; only signed-in users see it in full, after they click "Show number". For business accounts, signed-in users see the full number straight away, and guests never do. A number written in the text, on the other hand, is visible to anyone who opens the listing.

How do you set the price and location?

Before you decide, check the search for what similar items in similar condition cost, and choose a price you can justify with the condition and accessories. Afër doesn't check prices; comparing them is up to you.

In Kosovo you enter the price in euros, in Albania in lek or euros. Afër doesn't convert currencies; buyers who sort or filter by price compare listings in one currency. A price of 0 is only possible in "Free stuff", where it is always 0, and in "Jobs" and "Neighbourhood help", where the price is optional.

If you're open to offers, switch on "Price is negotiable". Your price then shows the label Negotiable, on the listing page and on the listing card in the search results, in both grid and list view. In that case, leave yourself a little room.

In the "Location" step you choose the country and the municipality where the item actually is. If your profile has a municipality, Afër fills it in. Check it anyway when the item is somewhere else, say at your parents' place. Buyers filter by municipality, and a wrong one costs both sides a pointless trip.

Once everything is filled in, the "Preview" shows your listing the way buyers will see it before you publish. Read the title, price and municipality there once more without rushing.

What should you do after publishing?

A quick reply helps. Once enough inquiries have been answered, Afër shows "Replies within" with your typical reply time in hours on your profile and on the detail page of each of your listings, based on at least ten answered inquiries from the last 90 days. Keep arrangements in the Afër chat, where you can look up later what was agreed.

1. Away for a while or already reserved? Open "My listings", tap ⋮ ("More") on the listing and then "Pause". The listing stays out of search until you bring it back with "Resume".
2. Need to change something, like the price or the description? Tap "Edit" in "My listings". The listing is then offline until you put it back with "Publish listing"; chats and saved photos are kept.
3. Sold it? Tap "Mark sold" on the listing and, under "Select buyer", pick the person from your chats. You can only select someone you've replied to in the chat; once the buyer confirms the sale, both of you can leave a review.
4. Sold it somewhere else? Tap "Mark sold" and then "Sold elsewhere" so nobody keeps asking about an item that's gone.
5. No longer available at all? "Delete" under ⋮ removes the listing, and it no longer appears in search.

Afër has no payment service. If a so-called buyer sends you a link where you're supposed to enter card details to "receive" money, it's a scam: the Berlin police describe exactly this trick, which ends with money being charged to the seller's card. Never enter card or bank details through such a link, and report the person through the chat menu; the team reviews reports. More in our safety tips.