Filter all properties near a postcode by features, and automatically send large scale letter campaigns to find willing sellers
Off-market property sourcing has become an increasingly valuable strategy for UK investors seeking competitive advantage. These properties, not publicly listed on traditional portals such as Rightmove or Zoopla, offer an exclusive path to discover hidden opportunities in a crowded market.
In this guide, we’ll explore what off-market property really means, why investors and sellers favour this approach, and the most effective strategies for sourcing these properties—particularly using targeted letter-sending tools. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just beginning your property journey, understanding how to source off-market properties can help you uncover deals that others miss.
An off-market property is a home or investment opportunity not listed on public property platforms. These properties are exchanged through private networks, discreet advertising, or direct-to-vendor approaches, without fanfare or public marketing.
Why do sellers go off-market?
Typically, these properties are purchased by:
There are several reasons property owners might choose an off-market sale over a traditional one.
Off-market deals require initiative, data, and strategy. The following methods offer a comprehensive toolkit for uncovering these hidden opportunities.
One of the most effective methods is sending personalised letters directly to property owners. With the right tools, you can:
PropertyData’s Letter Sending tool allows investors to launch data-driven campaigns with ease—reaching owners likely to sell before they’ve even considered listing.
While estate agents usually work within the public domain, many have access to:
A strong relationship can unlock access to these opportunities.
Timing is crucial when sourcing off-market property. Getting ahead of a public listing gives you negotiating leverage and reduces competition.
Consider these strategies:
Using platforms like PropertyData can significantly reduce these risks by providing robust market insights, ownership records, and comparables.
Off-market transactions are more common than many realise. In fact:
How to find properties off-market in the UK?
Direct mail campaigns, networking, estate agent relationships, and research using tools like PropertyData can help identify off-market opportunities.
What happens if you take your house off the market in the UK?
You can pause or withdraw your listing for personal, strategic, or market-related reasons. Some sellers do so to pursue private sales.
How do I find a house before it goes on the market in the UK?
Stay connected with estate agents, track planning and probate activity, and explore local investor networks.
How to start property sourcing in the UK?
Start by understanding your investment criteria, using data tools to narrow down locations, and testing direct outreach campaigns.
Can I take my house off the market before my contract expires in the UK?
This depends on the agreement with your estate agent. Some contracts have a minimum term or withdrawal penalty.
Sourcing off-market property is a powerful strategy for UK investors aiming to stay ahead of the market. From privacy and speed to cost-effectiveness and negotiation flexibility, off-market deals open a world of opportunity.
With the right data and approach, you can move beyond the crowded listings and gain a genuine edge. PropertyData’s off-market sourcing tool simplifies this process, helping you target owners directly, build rapport, and secure deals before they’re visible to the wider market.
Our off-market sourcing tool allows you to search all known properties in an area by category, and filter according to your criteria. You can then send letters to property owners expressing interest in just a few clicks, inviting them to contact you if they would like to sell.
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Transparent data promise
Where does the raw data come from?
Property listings seen on rightmove.co.uk, zoopla.co.uk and onthemarket.com.
How often is the data updated?
The data is updated in near real-time.
What time period does the data cover?
This is a real-time market snapshot - the data covers currently listed properties. Once properties are removed from the portal, they are soon removed from this tab.
How is the raw data processed?
Duplicates from multiple sources are matched and reconciled as far as possible. Listings with obvious errors, where price or number or bedrooms appear out of range, are discarded.
What are the statistics used?
Averages shown are the interquartile mean, a type of average that is insensitive to outliers while being its own distinct parameter. The 80% range means that 80% of the listed properties fall inside this range.
Where does the raw data come from?
Property listings seen on rightmove.co.uk, zoopla.co.uk and onthemarket.com.
How do you know the square footage of properties?
We use proprietary technology to read the square footage of properties from agent floorplans. Although we cannot determine the square footage for all properties, we can usually get sufficient coverage. Agents are sometimes known to inflate square footage, and this should be borne in mind as a weakness of this data.
How often is the data updated?
The data is updated in near real-time.
What time period does the data cover?
This is a real-time market snapshot - the data covers currently listed properties. Once properties are removed from the portal, they are soon removed from this tab.
How is the raw data processed?
Duplicates from multiple sources are matched and reconciled as far as possible. Listings with obvious errors, where price or number or bedrooms appear out of range, are discarded.
What are the statistics used?
The average shown is the interquartile mean, a type of average that is insensitive to outliers while being its own distinct parameter. The 80% range means that 80% of the listed properties fall inside this range.
Where does the raw data come from?
Property "price paid" data provided by the Land Registry.
How often is the data updated?
Once per month when released by the Land Registry, typically towards the end of each calendar month covering up to the end of the previous calendar month.
What time period does the data cover?
You can customise the time period using the filter at the top of the view. The default time period is up to 9 months back from today's date. The latest data covers the period up to 2025-12-15, although some sales that took place before this date may still be added in the coming months.
How is the raw data processed?
No additional processes are applied to this data.
What are the statistics used?
Averages shown are the interquartile mean, a type of average that is insensitive to outliers while being its own distinct parameter. The 80% range means that 80% of the listed properties fall inside this range.
Where does the raw data come from?
Property "price paid" data provided by the Land Registry, and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) data provided by Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.
How do you know the square footage of properties?
We match the Land Registry data to EPC data provided by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities. Due to the fact that not all properties sold have had an EPC and vagaries of addressing in the UK, we are not able to determine the square footage of all properties, but we can usually get sufficient coverage.
How often is the data updated?
The private paid data is updated once per month when released by the Land Registry, typically towards the end of each calendar month covering up to the end of the previous calendar month. The energy performance certificate database is updated monthly.
What time period does the data cover?
You can customise the time period using the filter at the top of the view. The default time period is up to 9 months back from today's date. The latest data covers the period up to 2025-12-15, although some sales that took place before this date may still be added in the coming months.
How is the raw data processed?
No additional processes are applied to this data.
What are the statistics used?
The average shown is the interquartile mean, a type of average that is insensitive to outliers while being its own distinct parameter. The 80% range means that 80% of the listed properties fall inside this range.
Where does the raw data come from?
Property listings seen on rightmove.co.uk, zoopla.co.uk and onthemarket.com.
How often is the data updated?
The data is updated in near real-time.
What time period does the data cover?
This is a real-time market snapshot - the data covers currently listed properties. Once properties are removed from the portal, they are soon removed from this tab.
How is the raw data processed?
Duplicates from multiple sources are matched and reconciled as far as possible. Listings with obvious errors, where price or number or bedrooms appear out of range, are discarded.
What are the statistics used?
The average shown is the interquartile mean, a type of average that is insensitive to outliers while being its own distinct parameter. The 80% range means that 80% of the listed properties fall inside this range.
Where does the raw data come from?
Room let listings on SpareRoom, the UK's biggest room letting website.
How often is the data updated?
The data is updated in near real-time.
What time period does the data cover?
This is a real-time market snapshot - the data covers currently listed properties. Once properties are removed from SpareRoom, they are soon removed from this tab.
How is the raw data processed?
Listings with obvious errors, where price or number or bedrooms appear out of range, are discarded.
What are the statistics used?
The average shown is the interquartile mean, a type of average that is insensitive to outliers while being its own distinct parameter. The 80% range means that 80% of the listed properties fall inside this range.
Where does the raw data come from?
Property listings seen on rightmove.co.uk, zoopla.co.uk and onthemarket.com.
How often is the data updated?
The data is updated in near real-time.
What time period does the data cover?
This is a real-time market snapshot - the data covers currently listed properties. Once properties are removed from the portal, they are soon removed from this tab.
How is the raw data processed?
Duplicates from multiple sources are matched and reconciled as far as possible. Listings with obvious errors, where price or number or bedrooms appear out of range, are discarded. Yields are calculated by comparing only properties with the same number of bedrooms, e.g. 3-bedroom properties for rent with 3-bedroom properties for sale.
What is the yield calculation used?
The calculation used is (average_weekly_asking_rent * 52 / average_asking_price), expressed as a percentage. It is a top-line gross yield, meaning no expenses are considered.
What are the statistics used?
The average shown is the interquartile mean, a type of average that is insensitive to outliers while being its own distinct parameter. The 80% range means that 80% of the listed properties fall inside this range.
Where does the raw data come from?
Property listings seen on rightmove.co.uk, zoopla.co.uk and onthemarket.com.
How often is the data updated?
The data is updated in near real-time.
What time period does the data cover?
This is a real-time market snapshot - the data covers currently listed properties. Once properties are removed from Zoopla, Rightmove or Spareroom, they are soon removed from this tab.
How is the raw data processed?
Duplicates from multiple sources are matched and reconciled as far as possible. Yields are calculated by comparing only properties with the same number of bedrooms, e.g. 3-bedroom properties for rent with 3-bedroom properties for sale. For the SpareRoom data, hypothetical properties consisting of two to six average double rooms with shared bathrooms are used to derived average rent. For all sources, listings with obvious errors, where price or number or bedrooms appear out of range, are discarded.
What is the yield calculation used?
The calculation used is (average_weekly_asking_rent * 52 / average_asking_price), expressed as a percentage. It is a top-line gross yield, meaning no expenses are considered.
What are the statistics used?
The average shown is the interquartile mean, a type of average that is insensitive to outliers while being its own distinct parameter. The 80% range means that 80% of the listed properties fall inside this range.
Where does the raw data come from?
Property "price paid" data provided by the Land Registry.
How often is the data updated?
Once per month when released by the Land Registry, typically towards the end of each calendar month covering up to the end of the previous calendar month.
Zoopla Zed-index
What time period does the data cover?
The data covers transactions in the last six years
How is the raw data processed?
No additional processes are applied to this data.
What are the statistics used?
The average shown is the interquartile mean, a type of average that is insensitive to outliers while being its own distinct parameter. The 80% range means that 80% of the listed properties fall inside this range.
Where does the raw data come from?
Property listings seen on rightmove.co.uk, zoopla.co.uk and onthemarket.com.
How often is the data updated?
The listings data is updated in near real-time. The Land Registry data is updated once per month when released, typically towards the end of each calendar month covering up to the end of the previous calendar month.
What time period does the data cover?
The price paid data shown goes back to January 2015. The listings data is a real-time market snapshot - the data covers currently listed properties. Once properties are removed from the portal, they are soon removed from this tab.
How is the raw data processed?
Duplicates from multiple sources are matched and reconciled as far as possible. Listings with obvious errors, where price or number or bedrooms appear out of range, are discarded.
What are the calculations used?
Average sales per month are for the last 3 finalised months. Turnover is average sales per month divided by total for sale. Inventory is 100 divided by turnover.
Where does the raw data come from?
Property listings seen on rightmove.co.uk, zoopla.co.uk and onthemarket.com.
How often is the data updated?
The listings data is updated in near real-time. The Land Registry data is updated once per month when released, typically towards the end of each calendar month covering up to the end of the previous calendar month.
What time period does the data cover?
This is a real-time market snapshot - the data covers currently listed properties. Once properties are removed from the portal, they are soon removed from this tab.
How is the raw data processed?
Duplicates from multiple sources are matched and reconciled as far as possible. Listings with obvious errors, where price or number or bedrooms appear out of range, are discarded.
Where does the raw data come from?
We receive data on the extent and corporate ownership of all land titles in England & Wales from the Land Registry.
How often is the data updated?
The data is updated once per month when released, typically in the first few days of each calendar month.
What time period does the data cover?
This is an ownership snapshot - the data represents ownership as recorded by the Land Registry at the last monthly export.
How is the raw data processed?
No additional processes are applied to this data.
Where does the raw data come from?
We source different expert forecasts Savills, Knight Frank, OBR
How often is the data updated?
The data is updated annually when new forecasts are released, typically towards the beginning of the year.
How is the raw data processed?
We calculate a consensus forecast using a simple mean average.