Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods, and Penn is surrounded by acres of residential communities—Spruce Hill, Walnut Hill, Cedar Park and Powelton Village, just to name a few.

The Penn Home Sale Forum, created by the Business Services Division (BSD), is a website that connects University faculty, staff, students and Health System employees looking to buy or sell homes in the West Philadelphia area. Launched late last year, the site is exclusively for members of the Penn community and can be accessed with a PennKey. 

“We created it as an additional resource supporting the West Philadelphia Initiative, and as an adjunct to the off-campus housing services provided by Residential Services,” says Douglas Berger, executive director of the BSD. “We don’t really want to compete with realtors or those who make a living doing this.”

To list a home for sale, a person enters the property description, asking price, and his or her contact information.

Photos of the property can also be uploaded to accompany the listing, and contact information for the real estate listing agent can be included as well.

All properties listed for sale on the site must be located in a designated area of West Philly, bounded by Haverford Avenue and Woodland Avenue north to south, and the Schuylkill River and 52nd Street east to west.

Berger says the current goal of the site is to aid homeowners who have properties to sell. But he envisions the forum developing into a robust venue that will assist both buyers and sellers.

For more information about the University’s programs to promote home ownership in neighborhoods near Penn, visit Penn Home Ownership Services.