John Tolisano
John Tolisano
Owner/Broker

Are Off-Market Homes Better Than MLS Listings in Southwest FL?

Buying a new home can be quite a challenging and time-consuming process because of the many factors that will need to be considered and decisions to be made. It all begins with a search for the ideal house and property that meet your needs and match your required criteria. This often includes price range, neighborhood location, and other features. If you are looking for your perfect home and are only searching the typical online real estate websites, you are essentially browsing through the MLS listings in Southwest FL.

What you should also be focusing on are off-market homes. In order to gain access to these homes, you will likely need to rely on the expertise and skills of an experienced real estate professional.

At Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty of Greater Florida, our Southwest Florida real estate team can assist you with all of your home searching needs, including getting access to off-market homes once the MLS listings in Southwest FL have been exhausted. The off-market homes are essential to ensure that you are viewing the whole spectrum of available properties in the area.

Off-Market Homes Defined

First of all, we need to define what off-market homes are so that you have a clear understanding of why they are so critical to your home buying process. Off-market homes are properties (also called pocket listings or off-market listings) that are for sale but have not been publicly advertised on such sites as Zillow, Redfin, or realtor.com.

The home sellers have chosen to keep their listings secret and only allow certain individuals, usually realtors, to actually see the homes. They prioritize their privacy and do not want the general public to simply walk through their homes for the fun of it without actually being interested in buying the home.

Utilizing the benefits of off-market homes is typically done by celebrities and professional athletes to preserve their privacy. You may also find investors in rental properties keeping them off-market to ensure that the current tenants do not attempt to break their lease early or cause damage to the home and reduce the market value (unless extensive repairs are done).

Where Are Off-Market Homes in Southwest FL Located?

Several different avenues of access exist for home buyers like you. They just require a bit more research than simply going to one of the usual real estate websites. Obviously, the easiest way to do this is by contacting an experienced realtor in Southwest Florida such as ours at Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty of Greater Florida. As a general rule, we will always search both off-market and MLS listings to ensure we can find you the best possible home for you and your family.

You may also be able to find off-market properties through:

  • Direct mail marketing
  • Auction websites
  • Property management companies
  • Real estate wholesalers
  • Pocket listing services

When it comes to doing the heavy lifting of finding the right home on the off-market listings, be sure you are working with a realtor like ours. We take our commitment to your customer satisfaction very seriously, and our team is dedicated to discovering the perfect house in Southwest Florida for you.

What Are MLS Listings in Southwest FL?

So, what, then, are MLS listings in Southwest FL? MLS stands for “multiple listing service,” and it is the most typical way for homes to be found by home buyers. These databases track the houses listed for sale, and they are paid for and maintained by realtors. The public can access the information on the MLS listings for free because the brokers have paid for it. Only certain data that would compromise privacy or safety is omitted.

Through the MLS listings, small realty companies can compete on a level playing field with larger brokerage firms to get the attention of home buyers. A majority of home buyers will certainly use MLS listings at some point in their home buying process.

Why Are Off-Market Homes Better Than MLS Listings in Southwest FL?

After learning the definitions of these two selling structures, you may be wondering why anyone would choose the off-market homes route to sell a house. They do not get exposure to all the possible home buyers, and there is very little possibility of a bidding war. However, there are several distinct advantages to off-market homes that MLS listings in Southwest FL cannot offer, including:

  • Home sellers can often save money on sales commissions with the off-market homes since there may or may not be an agent involved. If one is involved, the commission will be lower than selling on the MLS listings in Southwest Florida.
  • There is no need to deal with the hassle of an open house or any home staging. These activities could create stress and waste precious time for the home seller.
  • The general public cannot readily access these listings, so home sellers can prevent nosy individuals who have no intention of buying the house from invading their privacy. 
  • Only the most qualified home buyers will have access so there will not be any concern over delays or financial problems. 
  • More time to negotiate a great deal for both home buyers and sellers.
  • Prevent unexpected surprises with more time to work through contract issues and transaction problems. 

As you can see, these benefits would not be possible with MLS listings in Southwest Florida, and they certainly outweigh any potential drawbacks.

Our Real Estate Team Will Find You Great Off-Market Homes and MLS Listings in Southwest Florida!

Are you thinking of buying a new home and are not sure whether to use MLS listings in Southwest FL or off-market homes? When you work with Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty of Greater Florida, you will not have to decide between them! Our team will scour all of the listings (off-market and MLS) for you to ensure we find the right property for you. Whatever it takes, we want you to have the best possible home buying experience in Southwest Florida.

To get more information about off-market homes and MLS listings in Southwest FL or to start your real estate journey, give our team of real estate professionals a call at 239-880-3563 or fill out the form below with the requested information. We will happily send you a detailed response. If you are ready to begin, we look forward to hearing from you!

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