How to Find Off Market Properties

How do I find off-market properties?

Most off-market homes are found through people, not portals. Get on the buyer lists of the busiest agents in the suburbs you want, register a written brief with an off-market matching service, and tell conveyancers, brokers and property managers what you are looking for. Specific, finance-ready buyers are the ones who get the first call.

1. Pick two or three suburbs, not a region. Agents keep off-market buyer lists by suburb and price band. "Tugun, 3 bedrooms, settle within six months" gets a call; "somewhere on the Gold Coast" does not.
2. Introduce yourself to the agents who sell the most there and ask to join their off-market and pre-market list. Follow up when your brief or finance changes.
3. Register a written brief with an off-market matching service, so owners who prefer a private sale can be matched to you without a public campaign.
4. Tell the people who hear first: conveyancers, mortgage brokers and property managers often know about a sale before it is advertised.
5. Write to owners in the streets you want. It is slow, but it reaches sellers who have not called an agent yet.

How do I buy an off-market property?

Buying off-market follows the same legal process as any private sale. Get finance pre-approval, check the price against recent comparable sales or an independent valuation, make a written offer, then sign a standard contract with your solicitor or conveyancer reviewing it. In Queensland and NSW you still get a 5 business day cooling-off period.

• Queensland: the cooling-off period is 5 business days, starting the day you receive a copy of the contract signed by both parties. If you cancel, the seller may deduct up to 0.25% of the purchase price from your deposit. Auction sales are exempt. Source: Queensland Government, "Cooling-off period for residential property contracts" (updated 12 May 2022, checked 13 Oct 2026).
• Queensland seller disclosure: for contracts entered into from 1 August 2025, the seller must give you a disclosure statement and prescribed certificates before you sign. If they do not, you can terminate up until settlement. Source: Property Law Act 2023 (Qld), as summarised by HopgoodGanim Lawyers, "Queensland's new seller disclosure rules" (checked 13 Oct 2026).
• NSW: a home cannot be put on the market until a contract of sale is prepared, so ask for it early. The cooling-off period is 5 business days from exchange, ending 5pm on the fifth business day; withdrawing costs 0.25% of the price. It does not apply to auction purchases. Source: NSW Government, "Contracts and deposits when buying property in NSW" (checked 13 Oct 2026).
• Off-market is not a discount by default. A private sale removes the competition of a public campaign, not the need for a valuation, building and pest inspection and title search.

For buyers in the Broadbeach-to-Cabarita corridor, see how our private procurement works.

Can I find off-market properties for free?

Yes. Joining agents’ buyer lists, registering with matching services, writing to owners and telling your network all cost nothing. What costs money is paying someone to search and negotiate for you. With Off Market Properties, sending a buying brief is free; a 2% procurement fee applies only if you successfully buy through the service.

• Free: agent buyer lists, off-market matching registrations, letters to owners, your own network.
• Paid: a buyer's agent who searches, assesses and negotiates for you. Ask for the fee in writing before you sign an appointment.
• The real cost of "free": your time. Agents call the buyers who keep in touch.

Do I need an off-market property agent, and what do they actually do?

You do not need one, but it helps if you lack local contacts or time. A buyer’s agent works for you, not the seller: they find suitable properties, including ones that are never advertised, check value and negotiate on your behalf. In Queensland they must hold a real estate licence, which you can check on the public register.

• A buyer's agent can find suitable properties, run background checks, negotiate with the seller and bid at auction for you. In Queensland you appoint one with Form 6 (residential agent appointment). Source: Queensland Government, "Appointing a real estate buyer's agent" (updated 19 July 2024, checked 13 Oct 2026).
• On an off-market sale the seller's agent is still engaged by the seller. If you want someone negotiating for you, appoint your own.