More than one in six homes in England and Wales were sold off-market between 2022 and 2024, according to new data from property analytics firm TwentyEA.
The findings, published in the company’s latest Property & Homemover Report, reveal that 15.8% of residential property sales over the three-year period took place without ever being publicly listed.
Off-market transactions bypass traditional routes such as property portals, estate agent websites, shop windows, and auctions, instead relying on private networks, buying agents, direct approaches, or estate agents matching buyers already on their books.
While off-market deals have long been a feature of the high-end property market, the report suggests their use has been more widespread in recent years – though numbers are now falling.
According to the data:
In 2022, off-market transactions made up 17.8% of all residential sales
In 2023, that figure dipped slightly to 17.2%
In 2024, off-market activity dropped sharply to 11.4%
The decline last year may reflect changing market conditions, greater reliance on traditional marketing strategies in a slower sales environment, or reduced buyer competition.
Katy Billany, executive director of TwentyEA, said: “This year-on-year contraction points to a structural market recalibration. Supply grew by 10% in 2024 compared with 2023, alongside successive interest rate reductions, encouraging more sellers to come forward.
“In a buyers’ market, sellers need a full marketing package, professional photography, portal listings, and active promotion to secure a sale.”
Further analysis showed the £1m price point marked a clear divide in how homes were sold. Below it, only 6.7% of properties change hands off-market but above it, that figure jumps to 20.1%. The contrast underscores two very different markets, one which is public and price-sensitive, the other, discreet and driven by exclusivity.
High-net-worth property transactions prioritise discretion, offering limited viewings, exclusive access, and strong privacy protections.
In contrast, the dynamics are different for properties under £1m because sellers rely on maximum market exposure to attract a larger, more price-sensitive pool of buyers.
Billany continued: “In a market where the average time to go SSTC now stands at 77 days – the longest in the past five years – sellers of homes under £1m should question whether the off-market approach puts them in the best position to secure a sale.”
The residential property market continues to perform slightly above 2024 levels. In the last quarter, the supply of New Instructions rose by 1.7% compared with Q3 2024, while Sales Agreed volumes increased by 3.2% over the same period.
The decline in exchanges seen in Q2, driven by the surge of buyers rushing to complete ahead of the Stamp Duty changes in Q1, has now corrected, bringing activity broadly in line with Q3 2024 levels.
Price reductions remain a defining feature of the market. Year to date, there have been 919,000 price reductions, the highest number on record and 16% higher year-on-year.
In 2025, 38.7% of concluded listings recorded at least one price reduction, affecting all price bands. The trend was most pronounced among £1 million-plus properties, where reduction rates increased by 3.1%.
Regionally, price reduction rates are easing in the North but rising in London and the South. Inner London in particular has seen a 3 percentage point increase, making it the weakest-performing region for price changes.
Read the orginal article: https://propertyindustryeye.com/one-in-six-homes-sold-off-market-new-data-reveals/
