Is this a good deal? Ask Sift.

Every Facebook Marketplace listing comes with the same question: is this a good price, and what should you offer? Sift answers it on the listing itself, in the time it takes to read the title.

How it works

1. Open a listing’s Sift details. Click Sift’s details button on any listing in your search, or open the listing and use the Sift panel on its page.
2. Press “Is this a good deal?” Sift reads the ad, the asking price, the price history and how it compares with similar listings near you.
3. Copy the message and send your offer. You get a verdict, the reasons, a fair offer and a message to the seller, ready to paste into Messenger.

What you get

• A verdict in plain words. “Looks like a good deal”, “A fair price”, “Priced high for what it is” or “Be careful with this one”. No scores to decode.
• The reasons, from the ad itself. Two or three short points that quote what the seller wrote, so you see exactly why.
• A fair offer. A number to open with, set against the asking price: “Offer $600, asking $650”.
• A message ready to copy. Polite, specific and in your language. Press Copy message and paste it into the chat.
• A warning when something’s off. When the price is too good or the seller wants money first, the verdict says so before you pay a cent.

The second opinion sits next to everything else Sift already shows you on that listing: price drops on the photo, the fair price badge and scam red flags. One card, one decision.

Second opinions on every plan

Start free with 3 a month. If you’re furnishing a place, flipping or buying a car, Sift Pro and Sift Max keep the answers coming on every listing you’re serious about.

How to tell if a Marketplace listing is a good deal

Sift does this in a click, and it helps to know what a good deal looks like on your own.

Compare like with like. A road bike in your size, from the same tier, in the same condition. A search for “bike” mixes kids’ bikes with carbon road bikes, so search the model. Sift’s Below typical badge does this comparison for every listing in your search.

Check the price history. A listing that dropped from $720 to $650 tells you the seller wants it gone. A listing that was reposted three times at the same price tells you nobody bit. Sift marks both right on the photo.

Price in what’s missing. A missing charger, stand or pedal is a real cost. Take it off your offer and say so in the message.

Watch for prices that are too good. A price far below similar listings, a seller who can’t meet or a request to pay first are the classic signs of a scam. A good deal never needs a deposit.

Open with a fair number and a pickup time. “Would you take $600? I can pick it up Saturday morning.” Sellers say yes to buyers who are ready to show up. For more on the back and forth, read how to negotiate on Facebook Marketplace and what OBO means.

Check it against new. About to buy something new instead? Click Sift on the store’s product page and Find it used shows the same thing used near you, with what you’d save.

An example, start to finish

A Trek Domane in your size is listed at $650 in Leslieville. Sift shows a ↓ 10% drop on the photo and a Below typical badge. You press Is this a good deal? and Sift answers: looks like a good deal. $650 is under the $780 typical for similar bikes near you, and the price already dropped once, so the seller is open to offers. It suggests offering $600 and writes the message: “Hi, is the Trek still available? Would you take $600? I can pick it up this week.” You copy it, send it and you’re first in line.