How to find off market properties before they're listed

An off market home is being sold without a public campaign: no portal advertisement, no signboard, no open homes. The owner offers it quietly, usually through their agent, to a small number of buyers. The seller's side is covered in How to sell your home off market in Australia.

For a buyer, that changes two things. You cannot search for these homes, because they are not on a portal. And you are usually found rather than finding: an agent, an owner or a platform has to know what you want before they can think of you. So most of the work is being known, and being ready.

There is no single list. Buyers who find one usually use several routes at once.

• Register with local agents, and stay in touch. Some agents call registered buyers before a home is advertised. Tell agents in your suburbs exactly what you want and your budget, mention any pre-approval, and check in every few weeks. The selling agent works for the seller, not for you.
• Write to owners, politely. Some buyers send a short, honest note to the owners of homes they love: who you are, what you like about the home, how to reach you. Respect "no junk mail" signs, don't knock or follow up uninvited, and expect most notes to go unanswered.
• Use your own network. Friends, neighbours and local tradespeople can hear about a move before any agent does. Say plainly what you want and where.
• Describe what you want on a matching platform. Some platforms match what buyers are looking for against homes owners have added privately, so you are found when a home lines up.

The routes are the same in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or a country town. What changes is how many other buyers are using them.

A buyer's agent is a licensed estate agent who, for a fee, acts for a buyer instead of a seller, as Consumer Affairs Victoria puts it. Much of their reach comes from relationships: some selling agents mention a home to buyer's agents with a suitable client before, or instead of, advertising it. Some also approach owners directly.

You engage one by signing an agreement: a buyer's agency authority in Victoria, a buyers' agency agreement in New South Wales, or the residential agent appointment form (form 6) in Queensland. It sets out their services and fees, which may be fixed or a percentage of the price, and are not set by law, so they can be negotiated. Ask what you pay if they don't find a home you like.

In Victoria, an agent cannot act for both buyer and seller on the same property, and you can check a licence on the public register. In New South Wales, a buyer's agent must declare any conflict of interest and must not accept payment for referring you to a selling agent.

Not reliably. PropTrack's analysis of 2022 sales estimated that houses sold off market went for 4.3% less on average than comparable houses advertised on realestate.com.au, and units 1.2% less.

Read that with care. PropTrack counted any sale not matched to a realestate.com.au advertisement as off market, including homes advertised elsewhere. The figures are averages from one year, when price growth slowed, across very different homes, and say nothing about the home in front of you.

Less competition is one plausible reason for a gap. But an owner selling privately sets their own terms and has no obligation to accept less. Check recent sales of similar homes nearby before you offer.

Off market homes come and go quietly, so readiness counts.

• Finance pre-approval. Also called conditional approval, it shows how much a lender may let you borrow and tells a seller you are ready to proceed. The NSW Government says it lasts 3 to 6 months and is not a guarantee of a loan.
• Know your brief. Write down where you would live, the kind of home, your budget, your must-haves and what you could give up. A clear brief is easier for anyone to match, and easier for you to judge a home against.
• Line up a conveyancer or lawyer. Have someone ready to review the contract and disclosure documents quickly. Consumer Affairs Victoria advises having the vendor's statement (section 32) checked by your own lawyer or conveyancer before you buy.

Off market describes how a home is marketed, not a different kind of sale. Details vary by state.

• Price information. In Victoria, an agent must not advertise or tell a buyer a price below the seller's asking price, the agent's estimated selling price, or a written offer the seller has rejected, so the rule covers private conversations too. In New South Wales, a seller can tell the agent not to disclose a price, and the agent must then give no price information at all.
• Disclosure. In Queensland, since 1 August 2025, the seller must give the buyer a seller disclosure statement and prescribed certificates before the buyer signs. In New South Wales, a contract of sale must be prepared before a home goes on the market.
• Cooling-off. In Victoria it is three clear business days for most private sales, and a buyer who withdraws loses $100 or 0.2% of the price, whichever is greater. In New South Wales it is five business days after exchange, with 0.25% payable, and it can be waived with a 66W certificate. In Queensland it is five business days, with a penalty of up to 0.25%, and buyers can waive or shorten it in writing.

None of this is legal or financial advice; a conveyancer or property lawyer in your state can tell you what applies.

SecretHomes is a consent-based matching platform. Buyers create a buyer brief: where they would like to live, the kind of home, the budget and what matters. SecretHomes matches it against homes owners have added privately, whether or not they are ready to sell, and some homes agents have on their books. A match shows the area, the rooms and the owner's or agent's price expectation, never the full address.

If a home looks right, you can say you're interested. Only then are your details shared, with the licensed agent handling that home. For a home that isn't on the market, that happens only once the owner agrees to be contacted, so it can take time, or not happen at all. You can create more than one brief and pause one at any time. It is free for buyers and homeowners.

SecretHomes matches and introduces. It doesn't act as an estate agent and doesn't give pricing or sale advice. If you want to take a match further, a licensed agent handles it from there.