Off-Market Real Estate: A Growing Trend in Luxury Sales

05/08/2025

Industry Insights Tech Cre

In the world of high-end real estate, selling a property “off-market” – i.e., privately without public listings – has become an increasingly popular strategy. Traditionally, off-market deals were the domain of ultra-wealthy owners and celebrities seeking to shield transactions from public eyes (https://blog.pendinghq.com/p/whispers-in-the-market). Now, this approach is going mainstream in luxury markets worldwide. For example, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) estimates that roughly 1 in 5 U.S. luxury homes were sold privately (off-MLS) in 2023. Global demand for discretion is rising as well; top brokerages like Knight Frank report a 25% increase in off-market inquiries by high-net-worth clients over the past five years (https://wallstreettimes.com/category/homes/). Clearly, the private listing model is no longer a niche exception – it’s a growing trend for those selling high-value assets, from upscale residences to five-star hotels.

This shift is driven by the unique benefits that private listings offer to luxury sellers. By keeping a sale under wraps, owners can avoid the spotlight and maintain greater control over the process. In international hubs of wealth, significant shares of prime properties now change hands quietly. In the UK, for instance, fully one-third of £1 million-plus homes were sold off-market in 2023 – the highest proportion since tracking began in 2007 (https://www.hamptons.co.uk/articles/off-market-sales-become-the-norm-for-expensive-homes). At the very top end, off-market has practically become the norm: Over half of homes valued above £2 million (including 54% of £5M+ properties) found buyers without any public advertising in the past year. Sellers of these trophy assets clearly value a discreet approach. Below, we explore why private listings are so appealing in the luxury real estate arena, and how platforms like Brevitas facilitate this confidential deal flow on a global scale.

Why High-Net-Worth Sellers Opt for Private Listings

Preserving Privacy and Discretion

Privacy is often the foremost reason sellers choose an off-market sale. Many high-net-worth (HNW) individuals simply do not want their personal business (or properties) in the headlines. Listing a mansion or penthouse publicly can invite unwanted attention – from nosy neighbors to media speculation – especially if the owner is a prominent figure. By contrast, a private listing keeps the transaction out of the spotlight, revealing details only to vetted buyers. This discretion can be invaluable for those who cherish anonymity (https://www.luxurypresence.com/blogs/off-market-listings/). Celebrities and business moguls routinely buy and sell homes this way to keep their moves low-profile. “Enter the off-market deal, a tactic regularly used by celebrities and other high-profile property owners to buy and sell homes behind the scenes, ensuring details of their activities are kept as secret as possible from the outside world,” one Realtor.com analysis explains.

It’s not just individuals – even corporate sellers see the value of discretion. For example, luxury hotels or resorts often prefer to avoid any public sale announcement. An openly advertised sale of a hotel could unsettle employees, partners, or guests who might interpret it as a sign of distress. By marketing the property off-market, the owner can seek buyers confidentially without causing a public stir. Specialized hospitality brokers note that off-market hotel transactions involve “confidential and discreet” processes that keep sensitive information under wraps (https://www.viladomatgroup.com/off-market-hotels). In short, selling privately lets owners of marquee assets maintain control over information and timing, releasing news on their own terms (often only after a deal is closed).

Control, Selectivity, and Price Strategy

A private listing also gives sellers greater control over the sale process. They can be highly selective about who even knows the property is for sale, ensuring that only serious, qualified buyers get access. Limiting the pool of prospects can prevent the circus of public open houses or unqualified inquiries. For instance, a seller might instruct their broker to quietly approach a handful of known buyers or send information through an exclusive platform – this way, every inquiry comes from a vetted source. Fewer eyes on the listing means the seller can manage showings by appointment and reduce disruptions to their life.

Critically, off-market sellers can test the waters on pricing and buyer interest without the pressure of public market scrutiny. In a private sale, owners often float a price to select buyers and gauge the response in confidence. If feedback suggests the asking price is too high, they can adjust quietly, rather than suffering a very visible price cut on a public listing. Likewise, if a deal doesn’t materialize, there’s no public “days on market” clock tallying how long the property sat unsold. This helps avoid the stigma that can attach to a publicly listed home that lingers for months without selling (https://blog.pendinghq.com/p/whispers-in-the-market). As one luxury market report noted, many sellers go off-market specifically to “test a property’s true worth” and see buyer reception in a slow market, all without publicizing any price reductions or lengthy marketing time. In short, the seller retains flexibility. They can quietly solicit offers and gather market feedback, then decide to either strike a deal privately or pivot to a public listing later on. This controlled, low-risk approach is very attractive in soft markets or whenever an owner isn’t under pressure to sell immediately.

Less Pressure, More Flexibility: Off-market listings let sellers feel out pricing and buyer interest privately, with no running countdown on the market. If a buyer’s offer comes in low, the owner can decline without leaving a public “record” of the rejected bid.
Protecting Value: By avoiding public price cuts and a long visible listing period, sellers protect the perceived value of a property. There’s no online listing history to erode the home’s exclusivity or signal a “problem” to future buyers.
Exclusivity as a Selling Point: Paradoxically, keeping a listing exclusive can make it more desirable. A quiet offering marketed only to a select circle can create a sense of rarity. High-end buyers often appreciate being granted access to an opportunity that isn’t widely known – it feels like insider access. This allure can sometimes lead to a quicker sale at a strong price, as the buyer feels privileged to have a first crack at the deal.

Of course, an off-market strategy isn’t right for every situation (and not every seller prioritizes privacy over maximum exposure). But for those who do value discretion and control – as many luxury sellers do – the benefits above are compelling. By avoiding the glare of public listings, they steer the sale on their own terms while engaging only the most likely buyers.

How Private Real Estate Deals Work

How exactly does an off-market or “private” listing get sold if it’s not advertised publicly? In practice, these deals rely on targeted outreach and confidentiality at each step. Rather than blasting the listing on the open market, the seller and their agent will carefully curate who knows about the opportunity. Here’s how a typical private deal-making process might unfold:

Quiet Marketing: The seller decides to market the property privately. The agent or broker prepares a confidential information package (often a teaser with basic facts but withholding identifying details) instead of a public MLS listing. They line up a confidentiality agreement (NDA) to use with interested parties.
Selective Outreach: The agent reaches out through their network to identify prospective buyers who might be a good fit. This could involve calling trusted clients or brokers representing qualified buyers, or sharing the opportunity on an invite-only marketplace. For instance, a broker might email a brief overview (omitting the exact address or owner name) to a list of known investors who are active in that market segment.
Qualifying Buyers: Potential buyers who respond must typically prove their bona fides before getting more details. The seller may require proof of funds or a background check on the buyer’s seriousness. If the initial conversation goes well, the interested party is asked to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) or Confidentiality Agreement.
NDA and Information Release: Once the NDA is in place, the seller (or platform) will release the full details to that buyer. At this stage, previously hidden information – the property address, financials, detailed photos, etc. – is “unlocked.” The NDA legally binds the buyer not to share or misuse the sensitive info. This process protects both sides: the seller can share necessary documents (leases, income statements, etc.) without fear of them going public, and the buyer gets the information needed to evaluate the deal.
Private Negotiation and Closing: Showings are arranged privately with minimal fanfare (often one-on-one viewings). If the buyer makes an offer, negotiations take place directly between the parties (and their brokers), often in confidentiality. Many off-market deals even use code names or LLC entities to keep identities secret until closing. If a deal is reached, it moves to contract and closing just like any sale – but the world finds out only after the fact (if at all).

This workflow can be labor-intensive for brokers, since it leans heavily on personal networks and manual vetting of buyers. In the past, only those “in the know” would hear about exclusive opportunities. However, the rise of online platforms dedicated to off-market listings has greatly expanded the reach of private deals while keeping the process secure. One such platform – which was a pioneer in this space – is Brevitas.

Brevitas – A Platform Built for Private Listings

Leading the Off-Market Revolution: Brevitas launched in 2015 as one of the first online marketplaces specifically designed for private real estate deals. Whereas most listing sites at the time were focused on publicly marketing properties, Brevitas took a different approach: create a members-only network where sellers could post opportunities confidentially and qualified buyers could find off-market deals in one place. As a result, Brevitas quickly became known as a go-to platform for “quiet” listings. In fact, the company was described as a leading online platform dedicated to off-market properties, offering an exclusive marketplace for investment real estate (https://www.commloan.com/research/commercial-real-estate-software/). By bringing the off-market workflow onto a digital platform, Brevitas enabled greater scale and efficiency for confidential deals – all while preserving the confidentiality that private sellers require.

How Private Listings Work on Brevitas: The Brevitas platform is built with privacy controls at its core. When a user posts a property for sale, they can simply select a “Private” option (instead of “On Market”) to designate it as an off-market listing. What does this do? In a private listing on Brevitas, key details like the exact address, photos, owner info, and documents are hidden from the general membership view. Only a basic teaser – usually the asset type, rough location (city or region), and high-level financials – is visible to users browsing. Everything sensitive is kept confidential until the seller decides to reveal it. Interested buyers on Brevitas can click “Request Info” or similar, which signals their interest to the seller. At that point, the seller can vet the inquiry and require the buyer to sign an electronic Confidentiality Agreement (NDA) through the platform before granting access. Brevitas has this functionality seamlessly integrated: sellers can upload documents to a secure deal room and set them as only accessible “with NDA.” Buyers are prompted to e-sign the confidentiality agreement digitally, after which the previously hidden information unlocks for their eyes. This way, Brevitas reproduces the traditional private-deal sequence (teaser → NDA → full details) in an automated, user-friendly workflow.

Principals-Only and Verification: For added discretion, Brevitas even allows a “Principals Only” setting on private listings. This means the listing will only be shown to principal buyers/investors and not to buyer brokers, reducing the noise of intermediaries. Sellers who want to avoid being inundated by brokers looking for inventory can choose this to ensure they only deal with actual buyers. Additionally, since Brevitas is a membership-based platform, users typically have profiles and some verification. The membership model itself adds a layer of security – the deals aren’t indexed on Google or visible to random web surfers. Only logged-in members can see listings, and even then, private ones reveal minimal info upfront. This combination of member gating and in-platform NDAs means sellers get a very high level of confidentiality by default.

Global Reach, Targeted Exposure: While keeping deals private, Brevitas dramatically expands the reach compared to a lone broker’s Rolodex. The platform has an international network of investors and brokers (with listings spanning over 60 countries) (https://www.reonomy.com/resources/land-for-sale/). A seller in Paris or Dubai can quietly market a luxury property on Brevitas and gain access to buyers worldwide who are actively searching for opportunities – something that would be difficult to achieve through local contacts alone. Importantly, buyers on Brevitas can specifically search for off-market deals. The site allows users to filter results to show both on-market and private listings, or even to browse exclusively the private inventory. Those seeking exclusive, unlisted properties know that Brevitas is a prime destination; many deals found on Brevitas aren’t marketed anywhere else. This creates a win-win: sellers get a broad yet discreet marketing channel, and buyers get access to hidden gems. According to an industry review, by 2024 Brevitas had over 70,000 total listings on its platform, of which more than 1,000 were off-market opportunities – a testament to its scale in the private listing arena (https://www.commloan.com/research/commercial-real-estate-software/).

Discrete Marketing via Brevitas

Marketing an off-market deal doesn’t mean “doing nothing” – it means doing it in a controlled, under-the-radar way. Brevitas excels here by providing built-in digital marketing tools that respect the confidentiality of private listings. For example, Brevitas offers an email campaign feature that lets a seller promote a listing to a targeted list of pre-qualified investors from the Brevitas database. Because the listing is flagged as private, the email can share a teaser or highlight (without disclosing the property’s identity) and invite recipients to log in and request more info. This is similar to how a broker might send a confidential prospectus to select clients, but Brevitas automates and scales it. A broker or owner can literally reach thousands of potential buyers with one curated email blast – yet the outreach still feels exclusive and personal, since only the interested parties will pursue the details. One Brevitas case study noted that users can “create a targeted email campaign to send your deal to thousands of verified investors,” even while keeping the listing confidential. In effect, Brevitas enables discreet mass marketing of private deals: the property isn’t on public websites, but the right buyers still find out about it.

Beyond email, Brevitas provides private deal rooms for each listing, where documents can be shared securely after NDA, and even an integrated chat and offer management system. This means negotiations and due diligence for a private sale can be conducted within a secure online environment, reducing the need for back-and-forth emails or physical data rooms. All of these tools reinforce Brevitas as a comprehensive solution tailored to off-market transactions. Even as the company has expanded to support on-market listings and broader marketing (it partners with listing syndication services and allows public listings too), these privacy-centric features remain a core part of the platform’s DNA. A user can choose the Private setting with a single click when posting a property, and instantly the platform will handle confidentiality controls and limited visibility. On the buy side, investors can likewise toggle their search to discover confidential deals that would never appear on sites like Zillow or LoopNet.

The Bottom Line: Off-market listings have emerged as a vital strategy in today’s luxury and high-end real estate market, offering sellers a level of discretion and control that traditional public listings cannot match. By leveraging private networks and technologies, elite property owners are able to find buyers without tipping off the whole world. Brevitas stands out as a superior solution for these private dealmakers – marrying the old-world need for confidentiality with the efficiencies of a modern online marketplace. For anyone looking to sell a multimillion-dollar property while keeping the process quiet, platforms like Brevitas demonstrate that you can have the best of both worlds: a broad yet qualified buyer reach, and a transaction handled on your own terms, quietly and securely.