Are Off-Market Sales Drying Up?

Off market sales became popular when Sydney’s property market was white hot.

Off market sales have always existed. But they started to become a standard feature of the Sydney property market in the strong conditions that existed between about 2013 and 2017.

That’s because going off-market has always been a strategy that tends to work very well in tight property markets, especially for high-end properties. With limited supply and enough interest in a property, it can let a seller cut straight to the people most likely to buy without the need to go through a lengthy public market campaign.

Illawarra house prices have continued to fall, but there may be signs that "things are turning around", a leading economist says.

Selling your home will likely be one of the biggest transactions of your life. You can try to do it alone to save money, but hiring an agent has many advantages. Agents can get broader exposure for your property, help you negotiate a better deal, dedicate more time to your sale, and help keep your emotions from sabotaging it. An agent brings expertise, which few home sellers have, to a complex transaction with many financial and legal pitfalls.

The first home buyers' deposit guarantee innovation, unveiled by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, is perfectly pitched at the first home buyer generation.

It will turbo-charge their entry into the property market with a government scheme partnering with private lenders offering finance for approved buyers.

A to Z of real estate terminology.   Don’t know your LMI from your LVR? Can’t quite remember what caveat emptor means but you’re pretty sure Robin Williams banged on about it in Dead Poets Society?  Never fear: help is at hand. Without further ado, here is an A to Z of some of the most baffling real estate terminology.