OFF-MARKET SEARCH
Off-Market
Miami Real Estate
Most of what you want to buy is not for sale. That does not mean it is unavailable. Tell me what you are looking for and I will go find out who owns it and whether they would consider selling.
What off-market actually means
The term gets used loosely, so here is how I use it. Three different things sit under the same label.
Never listed. An owner who has not decided to sell and has never spoken to an agent. This is the largest category by far and the one almost nobody works, because reaching these owners takes research and phone calls rather than a database search.
Quietly shopped. A property being shown to a small circle without public marketing. These exist, but access depends on relationships rather than on any list you can subscribe to.
Expired or withdrawn. Something that was listed, did not sell, and came off the market. The owner may still be willing at the right number.
When a buyer tells me they want something off-market, they usually mean the first category. That is the work I do.
How this actually works
We talk first
Before anything else I want to understand what you are actually after and why. A vague brief produces vague results. A specific one gives me something to work with.
We define the target precisely
Building, line, floor range, view, exposure, layout. The narrower the target the better this works. “Something nice on the water” is not a search. “An 05 line at Continuum South Tower above the 30th floor” is.
I research ownership
Public records, building histories, prior transactions, and what I already know about who holds what. This is where most of the time goes.
I make contact
Directly, professionally, and on your behalf. Some owners are open. Most are not. A few were not thinking about selling until someone asked.
I report back honestly
Including when the answer is no. If nothing in your target set is reachable, I will tell you that rather than pivot you toward whatever happens to be listed.
What this is not
I want to be straight about this, because the phrase gets oversold.
I do not have a secret list. No agent does, whatever the marketing says. What I have is willingness to do research and make calls that most agents will not make.
There is no guarantee. Sometimes the owner of the exact unit you want has no interest at any price. That is a real outcome and it happens.
It takes time. This is not a same-week process. If you need to be in something by next month, the listed market is the faster path and I will tell you so.
It works best when the target is narrow. A specific building or a small waterfront pocket is workable. “Anywhere in Miami under $3M” is not an off-market search, it is a listed-market search.
Tell me what you are looking for
There is no cost to ask and no obligation. I read every one of these myself and I will call you to talk it through before I start making any calls on your behalf.
I read every one of these personally. Nothing here is shared with anyone else.
Where I do this most
Off-market works best where inventory is tight and the buildings are known quantities. These are the areas where I run these searches most often, and where I already know a good deal about who owns what.
Common questions
Does this cost anything?
Nothing to ask, and nothing to have the conversation. If a search turns into a purchase we agree representation terms in writing before that point, the same as any buyer engagement.
How long does it take?
Anywhere from a couple of weeks to never. Research and outreach on a defined target usually takes two to four weeks before I have real answers. If you need to be in something quickly, the listed market is the faster route.
What if the owner says no?
Then I tell you, and we either widen the target or stop. I will not pivot you into whatever happens to be listed and call it a result.
Do you do this for relocation clients?
Often. Someone moving to Miami with a specific building in mind is exactly the case this suits. If you are relocating, start with the Miami relocation guide and we can fold an off-market search into that conversation.
About Jack
Jack Mintz is a real estate agent with Compass, based at 1212 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. He works across Miami Beach, Brickell, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Bal Harbour, and Edgewater.
The off-market work is something he does himself rather than delegating. It is research and phone calls, and it is the part of the job most agents skip.