The way to buy in the future as 2025 approaches

We have all enjoyed the wonderful easy access to property portals for some years now. However, buying and selling houses and sharing personal information about our homes is not as popular as it once was. Google has no delete button, therefore financial information remaining permanently online, often with errors, is not always helpful.

If a property is on a property portal and for whatever reason it is unsold/withdrawn or price amended (which could be due to many different circumstances), this can have a negative effect on future marketing as the full history is available to the public giving dates, prices and photographs.

Buying ‘off market’ and finding hidden homes is hard and is based very much on the trust of a buying agent or an estate agent that offers an ‘off-market’ service without relying on portals. During 2024 this has become increasingly popular, as sought after homes changing hands off market offer a form of exclusivity that was rarely seen in previous years.

This method leads to higher success rates, offering a far more discrete, confidential and stylish transaction not only for the buyer but seller too. Knowing the local area and having an encyclopaedic experience and knowledge of the local housing market is paramount. Properties can be premarket, bottom drawer, probate, quietly available (down-sizers thinking about it) but not listed publicly on portals such as Rightmove and Zoopla. Buying agents act for buyers and estate agents act for sellers.

Maybe some of the old ways are returning to important transactions such as buying or selling a home and this method can be a far less stressful than one initially may have thought. As a buying agent, our relationships with agents and homeowners mean we have access to the best off-market properties, enabling our clients to benefit from a quicker process, especially if they are buying with cash and are chain free purchasers.