What are Off-Market Properties? - Are these good bargains, or really bargain properties?

Poste date: Tuesday, January 4, 2022

When searching for properties for rent or sale, you may often see the messages such as "There are off-market properties!", "How to find off-market properties", etc.  However, many people may have questions such as “Is there really a real estate that is not on the market in these days when we can easily find a property on the Internet?” and “How do you look for the properties that you can’t find on the Internet?” 

Here is our explanation of “Off-Market Properties” in question and the details of it by dividing into the following 4 points.

1. What are Off-Market Properties (Unreleased Properties)?
2. How to find Off-Market Properties
3. Advantages and disadvantages of Off-Market Properties
4. Summary

1. What are Off-Market Properties (Unreleased Properties)? 

Off-Market properties are real estate properties that are not on the market, and the reasons why they are not open to the public are mainly as follows:

1) Properties that the sellers or lessors do not want to open to the public

The main reasons are:

The owners don’t want to be known to (for such reasons that the owners don’t want anyone to pry into their personal financial subjects).
The owners don’t want to disclose their real estate values (assets) to many and unspecified people.
The properties are “Jiko Bukken” properties (in which a death or calamity has occurred).
The owners want to recruit new tenants with better conditions for some reason than the conditions of other tenants in the units that are currently leased in the same apartment.

2) Properties that cannot be advertised

Properties whose advertisements are prohibited by law because they are in the state before receiving the building certification.

3) Properties which real estate agents want to prioritize their own customers for buying or leasing

Properties in the case when the real estate companies requested by the sellers or lessors to mediate, have determined that their properties come with excellent or favorable conditions, so can be easily sold or leased to their own customers or the customers who contacted the real estate companies, without advertising to other real estate companies. 

* Some real estate companies handling "Off-Market Properties" define them as the properties that are not listed on the internet search websites that anyone can visit to see, such as At Home and SUUMO, but that are listed on REINS, which is the search website that only real estate companies can see.

2. How to find Off-Market Properties



The best way to find real estate information that is not posted on the search websites is "to contact the real estate company directly". As explained in the point No.1 above, real estate companies may have property information that can be introduced only to their own customers. Then, how do you decide the real estate company to inquire about it, among many real estate companies? Real estate companies usually have their own areas and price ranges that they are good at. So, we recommend that you contact a real estate company that posts many properties in the desired areas and price ranges that you are looking for on the website, or a real estate company located in the area where you want to purchase or rent a property. Sellers and lessors often ask a real estate company which handles many properties similar to their own properties or a real estate company located close to their properties, because sellers and lessors think that such a real estate company can easily find the applicants who have an interest in their properties.

The way of inquiry varies depending on the real estate company such as by phone, email, membership registration, etc. Because your seriousness may increase the probability of your having information of "Off-Market Properties" from a real estate company, we recommend that you tell the real estate company as specifically as possible about you desired conditions, such as your desired area, price, time of your purchase or lease, etc.

3. Advantages and disadvantages of Off-Market Properties

Advantages

Off-Market Properties may include "properties in popular areas" and "properties with low prices" that real estate companies expect immediate conclusion of contract and may include "hard-to-find properties with high rarity value" that are not on the market.

Disadvantages

They may include “Jiko Bukken” properties (in which a death or calamity has occurred) or may include excellent properties but those which are different from your preferences because they are selected by the real estate company’s own judging criteria.

4. Summary

In conclusion, there are many “Off-Market Properties”, but you have to be careful that “Off-Market Properties” are not equal to “Bargain Properties” nor “Excellent Properties”. However, it is true that having information of “Off-Market Properties” definitely increases the possibility that you come across your desired property.  So, we recommend that you first ask a real estate company to introduce “Off-Market Properties”, compare them with other properties on the market and check if the properties are really valuable for you, and then decide your purchase or lease after careful consideration. Please never be so hasty in your decision without thoroughly thinking, that they may be taken by other people!

Exterior of The Towers Daiba
Sale Property tag

"The Towers Daiba", a symbol of luxurious tower apartment living in Odaiba. It is surrounded with greenery and a water front area. Its extensive facilities and services include a fytness gym, a concerge service as well as management staff stationed 24 h.

JPY 123,000,000

Exterior of GLOBAL FRONT TOWER
Sale Property tag

It is a large-scale tower apartment with seismic isolation structure located in the waterfront area in Shibaura. It provides a new lifestyle to live closer to water and greenery. The inside common use facilities are fully equipped including a lounge for Rainbow Bridge view, and a fitness gym. The nearest Tamachi Station, Mita Station, and Hamamatsucho Station are all within a walk access. The rare location on the waterfront and the green area arranged around the building give the sense of openness and peacefulness. Convenience of livings in the neighborhood is excellent including various supermarkets, restaurants, and hospitals around Tamachi and Mita Station. You can enjoy city life with nature close to water and green.  Going through the approach among the arranged trees, a spacious entrance hall welcomes with an open-ceiling of 2 floor levels. A hotel-like concierge service is provided and the inside common use facilities are fully equipped, such as various lounges, a party room, and a fitness gym.

JPY 151,800,000

Exterior of Itopia Azabu
Sale Property tag

Itopia Azabu, 10storied structure, total number of the units 95, was completed in August 1995, developed by ITOCHU Corporation, and built by JDC Corporation. It is located in between “Azabu-Juban” stn. on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, and the Toei Odedo Line, and “Shirokane-Takanawa” stn. on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, and Toei Mita Line, is taking approximately 8-minute on foot. Also you can reach to “Tamachi” stn. on JR lines, approximately 16-minute on foot, providing convenience accessing every spots in central Tokyo. Local stores, supermarkets, cafe, restaurants are dotted in the area, and very convenient for daily life. Building facilities include automatic entrance door, security cameras, elevator, delivery boxes, internet, CATV and more. Pet (up to 2 of cat or dog) is allowed to keep.

JPY 129,800,000

Exterior of City Tower Takanawa
Sale Property tag

CITY TOWER TAKANAWA is a large tower apartment with a total of 365 units that were constructed by Shimizu Corporation in January 2004 and sold formerly by Sumitomo Realty & Development Co., Ltd. It is a 6-min walk from Shirokane-takanawa Station on Nanboku Line and Toei Mita Line, where redevelopment work is under way, and is within easy reach of Azabujuban, Hiroo, Roppoingi, and the Meguro area. The building structure is equipped with vibration control device and is made of ultra-high strength concrete to make a tower residence with excellent earthquake resistance. It offers concierge services, 24-hour manned management, a 24-hour garbage disposal area, and various shared facilities such as a sky lounge and a guest room.

JPY 84,990,000 - 280,000,000

Exterior of SHIROKANE The SKY
Sale Property tag
Brandnew

Large Scale redevelopment project for mixed-use facilities including SHIROKANE The SKY, which is a 45-stories apartment with 1247 total units, launches at the area within a 3min walk of Shirokane-takanawa Station on Metro Nanboku Line and Toei Mita Line. Shirokane-takanawa area is having continuous evolve by the past and on-going multiple redevelopment projects. The area around Shirokane-takanawa Station is a town with various colorful shops including “Shirokane AER City” directly connected to the station. Facing a street lined with trees, there are many stylish flower shops, cafes, and restaurants. There is also a supermarket with a wide selection of imported ingredients close by, and such sophisticated and modern atmosphere brings a variety of pleasures to your everyday life.

JPY 358,000,000