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How People look for services on Craigslist?

by grey38
3 replies
Using a service like List-Alert to scrape craigslist; I can only come up with people trying to sell their services. How do I find the listings where people are looking for services?

In this case, I'm trying to find leads for a home remodeler. I'm sure with some tweaking I can find people looking for remodeling services.

Anyone with experience doing this?
#craigslist #people #services
  • Profile picture of the author WeavingThoughts
    There are different sections for buyers and seller. Use buyer arbitrage or something.
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  • Profile picture of the author shockwave
    Originally Posted by grey38 View Post

    Using a service like List-Alert to scrape craigslist; I can only come up with people trying to sell their services. How do I find the listings where people are looking for services?

    In this case, I'm trying to find leads for a home remodeler. I'm sure with some tweaking I can find people looking for remodeling services.

    Anyone with experience doing this?
    I should be using this myself, and in fact I probably will, but there's plenty of room for competition so why the heck not

    IMHO, the easiest thing to do is "think" like a homeowner. Most of them will probably NOT actually post an ad on Craigslist looking for someone to do a job. More likely, the homeowner will be responding to the bazillion ads already posted on there - kicking tires, getting quotes..etc.

    But, here's a little way you can find the few homeowners who do post ads.


    Automated Process:
    • Sign up for a free account at https://ifttt.com/ - this is a CL alert app (and it does a ton of other sites as well) and it will send you a text or email when someone posts to CL.
    • Select the section in CL where you think a homeowner is likely to post an ad looking for the service the contractor provides. Then "thinking like a homeowner" you can set up alerts based off certain phrases a homeowner is likely to use.
      • "remodeling my"
      • "need an estimate"
      • "need a quote"
      • "looking for a contractor"
      • "contractor needed"
    blah....blah...blah. Basically, you want to focus on phrases a homeowner would use.

    Something else you might consider is posistioning the contractor for "handyman" services. Homeowners tend to perceive handyman services as a less expensive route and yet, Ive talked to plenty of Handymen who turn a quick-fix, install job for one thing, into a full blown basement remodel, bathroom remodel...etc.

    Once they get in with a small job with a homeowner and build some rapport, that homeowner will trust them to to the bigger gigs too.
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  • Profile picture of the author umc
    On rare occasion, in our local CL, you will find someone posting in the "Gigs" section looking for some sort of home repair. Occasionally you will find them in the "Wanted" section as a subsection of the "For Sale" part of the site. Often they are posting there instead of going through the "Services" section because they have something specific they want and are offering some ridiculously low amount to get it done. Nobody would be very happy with those types of leads. In fact, most people that post looking for specific services, at least in my area, or people that want something for nothing.
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