Philadelphia explores use of Internet to sell properties

Don’t be surprised if you find ads from the city of Philadelphia on Craigslist.

The Department of Public Property is using the Internet site Craigslist to help market some vacant homes and properties for sale.

John Herzin is the city’s Deputy Public Property Commissioner. He says using alternative media to advertise the properties has worked out well.

Herzin:
It was an attempt to maybe see what a process would look like if we tried to replicate the private market, and we decided to take a look at about 50 properties of the over 6,000 properties out there that are surplus. And we decided to see what would happen if we marketed these as a private business company would.

Herzin says eight properties are currently available and the city is speaking with council members to open more properties to the bid process.