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Google Search Volume by Language

Love it or hate it, Craigslist is a marketing goldmine, and if you rent in New York City, you know that 8 of every 10 by-owner, no-fee listings probably leads back to less than scrupulous broker, who almost certainly charges a fee. 

And though Craigslist claims to strictly forbid third-party posting in any category, they are quick to circumvent their own philosophy when they can make a quick buck.  Craigslist has an entire "by broker" section, listings for which can be purchased for $10 or less, and New York City brokers purchase them by the thousands.  Many of the ads are open-listings, and are often deceptive or misleading, and make renting in New York City a dangerous experience. 

The guys over at Naked Apartments crunched the numbers, and in a great infographic below, demonstrate how much Craigslist is cashing in on your apartment rental search!

Craigslist is usually thought of as a simple classifieds site – that’s entirely free. What many don’t know, however, is that apartment listings are not free for NYC brokers. It costs up to $10 per post. (In addition to NYC brokered rentals, the site also charges $25-$75 per  job posting in 19 major markets and $10 for “Therapeutic Services”. See Craigslist Pricing.)

So how much money is Craigslist pulling in from the NYC broker community? Based on our data sample of a full week in April, and the current rate of $10 per ad, Craigslist revenues are approximately $287,000 per week, which over a full year comes to about $15 million dollars.