off-market

Definition

Properties available for purchase that aren't publicly listed on the MLS or advertised to the general public. These are deals found through networking, direct marketing, or knowing someone who knows someone—real estate's version of insider trading, but legal.

Example Usage

I found this off-market deal by sending letters to out-of-state owners—the guy didn't even know wholesalers existed until I called.

Origin

Real estate investment and brokerage terminology

Fun Fact

Off-market deals typically come with less competition but also less transparency, making them either hidden gems or disasters waiting to happen—often simultaneously.

Source: Real estate investment and brokerage industry terminology

Related Terms

Intermediate

scratch and dent

Industry slang for properties with minor cosmetic issues that scare away typical buyers but are catnip to investors and DIYers. Think ugly carpet and dated wallpaper, not structural disasters—though agents sometimes blur that line.

🏠 Real Estate

Advanced

gift of equity

When a seller (usually a family member) sells a property below market value and treats the difference as a down payment gift. It's nepotism in real estate form, and the IRS has feelings about it.

🏠 Real Estate

Beginner

amortization schedule

A detailed table showing how each mortgage payment is split between principal and interest over the loan's lifetime. It's essentially a financial crystal ball revealing that your first payments are basically just interest donations to your lender.

🏠 Real Estate

Advanced

ground lease

A long-term lease (often 99 years) where the tenant owns the building but rents the land beneath it, common for commercial properties and some condominiums. It's the real estate equivalent of building your castle on someone else's sand.

🏠 Real Estate

Beginner

disclosures

Legal documents where sellers reveal known defects, issues, or stigmas about a property. It's where you learn that 'charming' means 'haunted' and 'original fixtures' means 'nothing works.'

🏠 Real Estate

Beginner

auction

A socially acceptable form of gladiatorial combat where participants wave paddles and bankrupt themselves in public, all for the thrill of outbidding strangers. The highest bidder wins the dubious honor of paying more than everyone else thought something was worth. Popular in real estate, art, and estate sales where dead people's stuff finds new homes.

🏠 Real Estate

Translate This Term

See “off-market” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Beginner

wsibt

when should i be there...