Despite the devastating Covid-19 pandemic and complete worldwide lockdown, the real estate market grew steadily from $ 9.6 trillion in 2019 to $ 10. 5 trillion in 2020. Off-Market Real Estate is one of the most profiting segments of real estate. It is it has been growing enormously in 2020 and 2021.
Over time, an increasing number of investors tend to prefer off-market investment due to several factors, and the remarkable is its profit margin. The average home value in the US is $ 287184 as of May 2021, and the sellers pay a minimum of 6% commission to the broker. It comes around $ 17200 per deal that remains as profit in off-market real estate investment. Nevertheless, everything has pros and cons, and off-market has abundant opportunities and risks, too. Below are the advantages and disadvantages or risks and opportunities in off-market real estate deals.
How Off-Market Real Estate is a Smart Choice?
- An Off-Market Real Estate deal does not get listed in the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). Therefore, your investment in off-market remains private and confidential. It means that your deal does not have exposure to anyone in the market. You have the convenience of finalizing it without any interruption by any third party. Eventually, it becomes easier for you to settle the deal as per your terms and conditions.
- You need not worry about “days-on-market” in off-market real estate investment. The “days-on-market” is the terminology used in the industry for a property that stays longer in the market. A property indicates some issues when it remains longer in the market. When a property’s “days in the market” are shorter, it sells faster. Since off-market investment is not public, the “days on- market” is not counted as a risk.
- Investment in off-market has no or less competition. The price of the property grows when there are competitors. However, less competition is a con for the seller, whereas it is a pro for the buyer. So, as a buyer in Off-Market Real Estate, you have the advantage of finalizing the deal with great profit.
- You have to act faster if you are investing through MLS or even through a brokerage. Delay leads to more competitors and increasing in price. On the other hand, you need not hurry in off-market investment as it is private and does not have the risk of facing competition.
- You can always save a lot of money in an off-market deal as this does not involve prep work. Secondly, your profit enhances because you need not pay any commission. Thirdly, you may also get a premium offer while selling off-market. Eventually, going for off-market investment is always a smart choice in comparison to on-market real estate investment.
Risks involved in Off-Market Real Estate
- Since Off-Market Real Estate is private it does not get many competitors. This means you have less competition in bidding war leading to less price and less profit while selling the property off-market. Less competition also leads to more time in selling the property. The delay in sale seriously affects if you are dealing with a vacant property as vacancy costs will grow.
- One of the most important issues in off-market investment is the uncertainty about the real value of the property. You never guess or know the exact market value of the property if you are dealing in off-market. Since the property is not listed in the on-market real estate its value is never calculated and known to anybody. Eventually, you do not know how much the property will be sold and what is profit it will generate for you.
- You may come in contact with distressed properties in Off-Market Real Estate even with the possibilities of high return. However, if not a risk, but you will have to face an ethical dilemma as you are going to profit at the cost of the misfortune of someone else.
The off-market investment is popular basically because of two major reasons. They are (1) privacy and (2) easy and faster deal. Most sellers prefer off-market because they need not vacant the tenants. If an apartment owner makes the sales of the apartment public, the tenants will start moving out. When the sales take the time or the property is not sold, then the vacancy cost grows. Similarly, properties are usually sold faster and easily in Off-Market Real Estate than MLS or on-market investment.
- Investing in Off-Market Real Estate-Risk or Smart Choice? - July 7, 2022