For new real estate agents in Australia, the property market is more complex than it appears online. While portals such as realestate.com.au and Domain dominate the public eye, a significant proportion of transactions occur outside the glare of public listings.
These off‑market sales are increasingly shaping the local property landscape, offering strategic advantages for both sellers and agents – but only if approached with skill and insight.
Will Gosse, Acting CEO at BresicWhitney, explains that off-market sales are essentially industry jargon.
“Off-market is essentially an industry term or industry jargon that basically means something that’s not listed on realestate.com or Domain. A more accurate description is probably off portal,” he says.
For Will, the focus is on creating a controlled sales channel to meet specific seller priorities, whether that’s privacy, speed, or testing the market before committing to a full public campaign.
Instead of relying on broad online exposure, these listings are shared directly with selected buyers, through investor networks, interstate clients, or buyer’s agents.
Why sellers opt for off-market
Sellers often choose off-market because it offers a combination of convenience, discretion, and efficiency.
Will notes that while high-profile or privacy-conscious sellers may gravitate toward off-market, the more common reason is simply a desire to gain insight from serious buyers before going fully public.
“That can be a factor, certainly, if there is a high profile or privacy lens. But the more common reason is people wanting to have a level of confidence or insight from buyers before they go to market,” he explains.
The approach also minimises disruption for homeowners. Families with young children, for example, may find the demands of a full open inspection schedule burdensome.
Will provides a clear example: “You may have a family with young kids, and the idea of doing four weeks of open inspections and having the kids clean their rooms three times a week only for no buyers to walk through is not very appealing. An older couple who were downsizing, with furniture, collectibles and art, might need to repaint after living there for a long time. The off market process can offer an alternative where they don’t have to spend hundreds of thousands preparing the home and can just find a clean exit.”
Beyond convenience, off-market campaigns allow agents to focus on serious buyers rather than casual online enquiries.
Some sellers also use a quiet campaign to gauge interest or test pricing before a full launch, allowing results to be achieved without unnecessary investment while gathering valuable feedback on market appetite.
How off-market sales perform
While off-market sales offer discretion and flexibility, there can be trade-offs in price and exposure.
For BresicWhitney, performance is measured not just by whether a sale occurs, but whether the options presented meet client expectations.
“When you talk about performance, I guess it’s really about whether the outcomes, or the options we’re putting in front of clients, meet their expectations and meet their ambitions. If we can say that in one out of three of our transactions that is the case, then the performance is real and credible enough for our owners to accept that what we’ve presented is worth considering or worth taking.”
The company conducts approximately 30% of transactions through the off-platform channel, one of the highest percentages in Australia, demonstrating that with the right strategy, off-market can deliver credible and effective results.
Finding buyers off-portal
With limited public exposure, agents must be strategic about connecting properties with buyers.
Will highlights BresicWhitney’s advantage: working in a contained area within 10 kilometres of Sydney’s CBD allows the agency to develop a rich pool of first-party buyer data.
“That allows us to have a valuable pool of first-party buyer data, which we use to make sure an owner’s asset is in front of the right people as quickly as possible. It’s a more narrow and targeted approach,” he explains.
The rise of buyer’s agents has added another layer to off-market activity.
By representing buyers exclusively and prioritising access to off-market properties, these agents increase demand and accelerate the sales process.
“The rise of the buyer’s agent has been an interesting dynamic. Their value proposition is that they access off market properties. Therefore, there’s more demand, and we have an instant solution for owners where we can have a number of buyer’s agents through the home before any advertising.”
When off-market makes strategic sense
Off-market sales are strategic rather than inherently better or worse than public campaigns.
Will says they tend to suit high-profile sellers, luxury clients, estates under administration, or anyone under strict time constraints.
Pre-market campaigns can also test demand and pricing before a broader launch, while buyers who prefer to avoid auctions or multiple inspections often benefit.
He emphasises that pricing and seller motivation remain critical.
“If we don’t achieve a desired outcome, we receive feedback from active buyers and can determine if expectations are reasonable,” he explains.
Advice for agents
Off-market sales reward agents who invest in networks, credibility, and understanding of client needs. Will offers clear guidance for those just starting out:
- Build a robust buyer database: Track preferences via CRM systems, segmented email lists, and regular updates.
- Engage buyer’s agents and investors: They often gain first access to off-market stock.
- Ask the right questions of sellers: Understand motivations, timing, and privacy priorities.
- Educate clients with data: Use evidence to explain the potential trade-offs of off-market versus public listings.
- Master hybrid campaigns: Start with a quiet launch and expand to a public campaign if results justify it.
As housing supply tightens and buyers search for alternative opportunities, off-market sales are likely to grow in significance.
For new agents, understanding off-market transactions – how, when, and why they work – is an essential skill that can provide a competitive edge in a challenging market.
