How to Find Off-Market Properties Faster Than Your Competition

When it comes to real estate, some of the best properties aren’t always visible. These are called off-market properties, and these buildings or lots aren’t advertised on Zillow or posted on a Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Instead, they’re sold quietly through personal networks, direct communication with the owner, or investment companies.

These types of properties draw investors because they come with various advantages. The competition is lower, the profit potential is usually higher, and there’s more room for negotiation. Since they aren’t part of any bidding wars, buyers can get discounts, along with convenience and speed.

The catch? You have to see them before anyone else does and take action. Once they end up on the MLS, you may no longer enjoy these advantages. Since 44% of purchases are handled off-market, you must act fast. In this article, you will learn more about how to find off market properties before your competition learns about their existence.

Why Off-Market Deals Are So Valuable

Off-market deals are like those unpolished diamonds that you find at a low cost and turn into something valuable. They offer a profit potential and a mix of flexibility and speed you couldn’t have enjoyed otherwise.

You need to understand both the advantages and drawbacks when choosing this type of property. For starters, here’s why investors try to score these kinds of investments:

• Less Competition: Since these properties aren’t on Zillow, MLS, or anywhere else, most buyers can’t see them. The limited competition leads to fewer bidding wars and more time to perform due diligence.
• Potentially Lower Prices: These homes rarely use agents or other fancy tools to justify a higher price. Plus, many of these sellers have flexible prices, on account of just wanting to get rid of the property.
• Quicker Deal Closure: Since there aren’t as many intermediaries, the potential for delays is lower. You’re skipping open houses and other marketing steps, which means you can close a deal within days instead of weeks.
• Less Emotion from the Seller: The average seller usually has an emotional attachment to the house and is resistant to flexibility. On the other hand, off-market sellers are driven by circumstances (e.g., divorces or inheritance), which leads to smoother negotiations.
• Personalized Approach Possibility: Dealing directly with the seller means that you can personalize the deal. You can offer to cover closing costs or solve a problem they had. This builds trust and makes them more inclined to sell.
• Deal Flexibility: Traditional deals have some strict terms, but off-market ones don’t. You can discuss rent-to-own agreements, seller financing, delayed closing, and more.

Granted, while off market property search brings advantages, you can expect some challenges too. This includes:

• Harder to Find: Since these properties aren’t advertised, you’ll have to look for them yourself. Only around 1.2 million homes are sold off-market every year. This could involve a fair amount of creativity and time, along with the right tools to do so.
• More Risks: Working with listing platforms and real estate agents assures you of a sound investment. With off-market work, you’ll have to do the evaluations yourself. One miscalculation and the whole investment can fall.
• Limited Information: Since they aren’t listed on MLS, you’re working with breadcrumbs of information. You’ll have to be thorough when conducting due diligence to make sure you don’t buy a bad property.
• Difficulty in Negotiations: Many of the sellers may not be familiar with the process, which can lead to unnecessary delays. They could also set unrealistic prices, especially if they’re not working with a real estate agent.
• Legal Nuances: With no brokers or agents for you, there’s no one to double-check the contract. This could lead to costly mistakes if the documents are not correct.

You should weigh both the pros and cons before seeking off-market deals. However, for a novice investor, this could bring plenty of opportunities.

How to Find Off Market Deals Faster

Finding off-market properties that aren’t listed on the MLS can seem quite challenging at first. That said, it’s easier than you may think, provided you follow an action-driven strategy.

Here are a few ways for you to find hidden gems in the neighborhood and beyond.

Drive Around the Neighborhood

This is perhaps one of the oldest yet most effective tactics for finding off-market property. Referred to as “driving for dollars,” you’re physically exploring the areas for signs of home neglect. This can be overgrown grass, peeling paint, broken fences, piled-up mail, or boarded windows.

These are generally signs that no one lives in the house anymore, but it hasn’t been put up for sale yet. Record the property with tools such as Google or Apple Maps and start looking up information on the owner. A simple spreadsheet or notepad could help keep you organized.

Run Direct Mail Campaigns

Sometimes, you get the best results by being direct, and the most professional contact method remains email. Use your county assessor’s website to get information on the owner, but focus on the long-term, absentee ones. If they have equity, you could get better results.

Ensure that you use simple language and avoid corporate tones. Be direct, but not pushy; the ball has to be in their yard. Don’t portray yourself as an investor, but as a buyer who can help them out of a pinch.

Networking and Word of Mouth

Word-of-mouth is for many the best way to find off market properties. Just telling people what you do could open doors for you, because they’ll remember you first when the opportunity comes.

Your next deal could come from anyone, such as a contractor working with distressed homes or a neighbor whose friend is going through a divorce. Join groups and talk to people whenever you can. If you are professional, trustworthy, and always follow up, the word will spread.

Online Databases and Property Search Tools

When you want to expand your searches, you may have to go beyond local strolls through the neighborhood. In this case, online databases and property search tools could help you evaluate potential off-market deals.

Platforms such as REI Lense can help you pull reports with valuable data such as the type of property, equity, and position in the neighborhood.

A quick search of the address will offer projection data such as yearly appreciation rate, potential cash flow, financing breakdown, and more. This way, you can determine for yourself whether it’s worth pursuing or not.

Work with Wholesalers

Wholesalers are specialists when it comes to sourcing off-market properties. They find properties not listed on MLS and then pass them off to investors in exchange for a fee. These properties aren’t always a goldmine, but now and again, you can get access to some nice opportunities.

Find wholesalers by going to local networking events and meetups or reach out via social media. Build trust by being decisive and responding, and close deals when you say that you will. Always be honest when it comes to closing deals, but don’t burn bridges when doing so.

Cold Calling and SMS Campaigns

When you stay within legal guidelines, SMS campaigns and cold calling can sometimes bring results. For example, you can use public records such as property tax rolls or maybe skip tracing services, to create a listing. You can then call them and tell them who you are, expressing your interest in the property.

Remember, leave the ball in their garden, and tell them you’d love to buy if they’re open to selling. Also, make sure to check the TCPA (Telephone Consumer Protection Act); the number should not be on the “Do Not Call” list.

Targeting Distressed and Motivated Sellers

As a real estate investor, you need to learn how to find motivated sellers. These likely won’t be those who lived in the same home for years, without any potential issues. However, it could be someone who just inherited a property, is going through pre-foreclosure, or has unused rental properties.

Bonus Tips to Stay Ahead of Your Competition

At this point, you probably already learned how to find off market properties with potential. Still, here’s the bad news: if you know, then your competition probably knows as well.

As an investor, your goal isn’t just to find a deal; it’s to snatch it before anyone else does. Here are a few tips for you to always stay ahead.

Be Consistent and Track Everything

Finding off-market deals doesn’t just involve randomly finding properties and giving the owner a call. If you want to be successful, then you have to look at this like you would a sales pipeline.

Every lead you make has to be logged, monitored, and followed up on. Tools such as Google Sheets or REI Lense can help you store details like contact dates, responses received, conversation notes, and even follow-up status. Unless you’re consistent and structured, you’re going on a quest without a map.

Analyze Deals Quickly

The real estate market is quite competitive, so you have to be quick on your feet as well. Running those numbers fast can keep you one step ahead of your competition, letting you snatch the properties with the best potential.

Tools such as the REI Lense mortgage rate calculator could tell you within seconds what you can expect, determining whether the property is worth it or not. Compare them with properties on MLS and estimate the potential for long-term rental investments. If you have the right templates or tools ready, you can get things done in minutes, not hours.

Automate What You Can

Living in 2025 brought us yet another valuable resource: automation. By 2033, up to 25% of tasks will likely be automated. Investors use this tool to handle repetitive tasks, which lets them focus on the decisions that really matter.

You can automate direct mail campaigns when you have a scheduled batch, or perhaps you can use automation to follow up on conversations.

If the status of a property changes, you can use automation to get notifications or take action fast. Even if you go through a couple of hours of setting up the process now, it can save you many headaches in the future.

Partner Up or Delegate

Here’s a news flash: you don’t have to do everything on your own. When you partner with someone or delegate the less important tasks, you can use the opportunity to keep your eyes on the prize.

A good idea would be to hire a virtual assistant who could help you pull out the public data or build your lead list.

You could also partner with an investor who takes care of different task sets. For instance, they may be in charge of negotiations and acquisitions, whereas you could handle the due diligence and analysis. Delegating can be particularly helpful if you’re working on more than one lead at the same time.

Make Data-Driven Decisions

Your gut can give you a nudge on whether something’s a good idea or not. However, this won’t replace hard data. If you’re dealing with a five- or six-figure investment, it’s even more of a reason to look at the numbers first.

Before you pull the trigger on a deal, make sure to always validate market trends, rent potential, liquidity, and exit strategy options. The right investment projection calculators can help you consolidate the data so that you always have a clear picture in front of you.

Move Faster with REI Lense!

Learning how to buy off market property is not about being quicker than your competition. It’s about being smarter and using the right tools to achieve success. When you build a system and keep track of your performance, you can find hidden gems before anyone else has the chance to.

Tools such as REI Lens can take care of grunt work (e.g., expenses, rent, cash flow, and comparisons). This way, you can filter out the unprofitable options and zoom in on the truly interesting ones. Try REI Lense right now to improve your strategy and accelerate the process!