Off-Market Sale Calculator
Compare a private off-market offer against selling on the open market once agent fees and months of holding costs are taken into account.
💼 Are you a real estate agent or broker? Send this calculator to your buyers on your own branded listing page — every enquiry comes straight to your WhatsApp. Create free agent page →An off-market offer is almost always below what the open market would produce, and it comes without agent fees and without months of marketing. The comparison is between two net figures, not two prices.
Once the fee saving and the holding costs avoided are counted, the break-even off-market price is frequently a good deal lower than sellers expect.
The comparison
The open market nets the expected price less the agent fee, less the holding costs for the extra months it takes. The off-market offer nets its price less any extra legal cost. The break-even is the off-market price at which the two are equal.
Worked example
Expecting 400,000 on the open market with a 5% fee nets 380,000, less three months of holding at 1,800 — 374,600. An off-market offer of 380,000 with no extra legal cost nets 380,000, so it is 5,400 better despite being 20,000 below the expected price. Any off-market offer above 374,600 beats going to market.
The expected price is a forecast
The open market figure is an estimate that may not be achieved, and the off-market offer is a real number in front of you. Where you are unsure of the valuation, weight that uncertainty toward the certain offer rather than the hoped-for price.
Turn a calculation into an enquiry
Buyers who run these numbers are ready to talk. Give every listing its own page with your photo, phone and WhatsApp on it — leads land straight on your phone.
Create your free property pageFrequently asked questions
Why would anyone sell off market?
Speed, certainty, privacy, and avoiding fees and viewings. It suits sellers with a deadline, tenanted property, or circumstances they would rather not advertise on a portal.
How do I know the off-market offer is fair?
Get an independent valuation before negotiating, from someone with no interest in either outcome. A buyer approaching you directly has every incentive to anchor low, and without a valuation you have nothing to test it against.
Should I still use a lawyer?
Absolutely, and arguably more carefully than usual. Without an agent there is nobody chasing the transaction, so the legal side has to carry more of the process, and unusual buyers sometimes propose unusual terms.