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Straight Answers · First home
Can I buy a place off market before it's listed?
Bayley Clarke · Mortgage broker on the road · Last checked 1 November 2026 · 3 min read
The short answer
Absolutely, 100%, no brainer if you can help it. You won't have as much competition, you get access to properties that aren't live yet, and as a result you may be able to pick up a bargain just by talking to people in your network.
Get real estate agents on your side, and buyers agents are another good one, because they're the off market kings and queens of the property game. You also skip the rigmarole of trudging through a whole lot of open homes.
The 60 second version, filmed from the driver's seat. The rest of this page is the detail underneath it.
Why off market can work in your favour
When a place is listed, everyone sees it at once. Every buyer in your price range turns up to the same open home, and the price gets pushed by whoever wants it most on the day. Off market, the property hasn't hit the listing sites yet, so the only people who know about it are the ones the agent or the owner has told.
Less competition doesn't guarantee a cheaper price, but it does take some of the heat out of it. You're negotiating with the seller, not bidding against a room full of people, and that can mean you pick up a bit of a bargain.
How you find off market property
It mostly comes down to who you know. Let local agents know exactly what you're after and what you've got approved, so when something comes up before it's listed, you're the person they call. Tell friends, family and people at work you're looking too, because plenty of off market sales start with someone mentioning that a neighbour is thinking of selling.
Buyers agents are the other route. Their whole job is finding property for you, and a lot of what they find never goes public. They charge for that service, so weigh the fee against what it saves you in time and price.
What the process looks like
It's simpler than the open home circuit. You do a private inspection, and if you like it, you make an offer. If it gets accepted, you go through contracts the same as any other purchase, and the place is yours.
From a finance side of things, nothing changes. You still want pre-approval in place before you start making offers, because off market deals can move quickly and the seller wants to know you can actually follow through. Your building and pest inspection and your conveyancer's review of the contract still apply too.
The honest bit: off market isn't automatically cheap
Some sellers go off market to quietly test a high price before they list. Less competition helps, but it doesn't stop you overpaying if you don't know what the place is worth.
Do your homework on recent sales nearby, and don't let the fact it's exclusive rush you into skipping the checks you'd do on any other purchase.
Want to be ready when an off market place comes up?
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Next question
How do I make an offer, and who does the agent work for?The agent works for the seller, not you. How an offer actually goes in: know your range, call the agent, email the terms.
Related answers
The full guide: How to buy your first home Do I need pre-approval before I look? How long does it last? When do I book the building and pest, and can I offer less money if we find problems? Do I need a conveyancer before I make an offer? What's the difference between buying at auction and buying on market?Not your question? Book a call and ask it, or call 0437 189 939.