Facebook's Marketplace is getting an update today in the US, shifting it from peer-to-peer transactions to a service which connects professionals to clients.
To give a brief summary of Marketplace, it is a section of the Facebook app that facilitates transactions between users. For instance, a Facebook user could open marketplace and buy a used laptop, or decide to sell a vehicle or some old clothes. More importantly for the purpose of this article, it was a user-to-user affair, and only exchanged goods, not services.
Today, Facebook is taking its first step to redefining Marketplace as a space where users can connect with professional contractors for personal projects.
The firm is starting this slow change with the introduction of "home services", allowing users to contact professionals like plumbers, cleaners and other contractors via the marketplace interface.
It's a US exclusive feature right now, and Facebook is partnering with three big names in the business; Handy, HomeAdvisor and Porch.
Facebook says that it's integration with these three firms be able to "provide an all-in-one place to complete your next home project" and make it easy to get a quote and close the deal with minimal fuss. You'll be able to appraise professionals by their ratings and reviews, and Facebook will show you credentials and location information to simplify your decision making,
Just like with regular Marketplace purchases, you'll be able to use Messenger to contact the contractor at every stage,
Facebook is rolling out this service from today and plans to make it available all across the U.S. in the coming weeks. No word on global availability has been given at this time.
Source: Facebook
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