If you are searching for a property to buy, your first thought is probably to look on Rightmove, but did you know it is possible to sell a property without a For Sale board or internet advert – which means your dream home might not appear where you are looking.

Discreet Marketing is an industry phrase that you may not have heard of. It refers to properties that are available to buy, but not advertised in the public domain. In this article, we explain how buyers can go about finding exclusive off-market properties and how you can successfully sell your home without any public advertising.

Why do people want to sell without any public advertising?

The motivation for keeping a property sale private can be for a number of reasons. Here are the most frequently reported reasons for our clients to request a discreet approach to selling their home:

Getting The Price Right

Discreet marketing allows sellers to test the price of a property before releasing it to the open market. The estate agent will selectively arrange viewings with suitable buyers, feedback from which can guide you to the right price to launch on Rightmove before leaving a digital footprint and added-on date.

Stops Neighbourhood Gossip

Many people in small communities prefer to avoid frequent questions and conversations with their neighbours about their reason for moving or they simply want to avoid their personal possessions being displayed online.

Ease Disruption To Children

Sometimes parents will have made the decision to move, but don’t want their children to find out through word of mouth first. Keeping the fact that your house is for sale, private, is a great way to prevent talk of your planned move from entering the playground.

Selling Your Home After A Dispute With A Neighbour

Neighbour disputes or disagreements within families can mean some people prefer to keep their planned move secret until they have found a new home.

Only Interested In Quality Buyers

Some sellers don’t want to waste time with lots of viewings and only want buyers who are in a good position to purchase to view their home.

Not every property we have for sale is advertised publicly

As a buyer how do you find out about these exclusive properties?

Our Discreet Marketing service means that not every property we have for sale or rent is visible on our website, because our clients have requested we keep details of their home away from public advertising.

The only way to find out about our Discreet Marketing properties is to register with us.

REGISTER WITH US

Searching on Curchods.com

When you search for properties on our website you will come across discreet property listings locked to regular users. There is no marker on the map displayed so the only way you can find out more details about such properties is to register with us.

It is only once we have all your search requirements and contact details on file that we can start to selectively make you aware of Discreetly Marketed properties.

The Curchods website restricts the visibility and advertising of discreet properties on our website to those buyers that we have vetted and for which we have a full understanding of their buying position.

REGISTER WITH US

How to sell your home without a For Sale board or Rightmove advert

It is a common misconception that the only way to sell your home is to ask an estate agent to advertise it on Rightmove, but as we have explained there are several reasons behind why you might want to sell without it becoming common knowledge.

Curchods are Surrey’s largest independent estate agent and as such, we speak to thousands of buyers. So when you sell your home discreetly we will cherry-pick the buyers that we think are looking for a property like yours. Such buyers often appreciate the exclusivity of being introduced to off-market properties and in many cases are prepared to pay a premium price rather than risk losing the property to the open market.

If you choose the Discreet Marketing method for your property you still get all of the marketing collateral for your home, including:

• Professional photography and floorplans
• Energy performance assessment and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
• Expertly prepared property details/brochure
• Targeted email marketing to our extensive database of local, London and international buyers
• 100% accompanied viewings conducted by our professional estate agents

This also means that should you decide at a later date that you want to advertise your property so it is visible online, you’re fully prepared and your home can appear on the property websites at a moment’s notice.

Do you need a For Sale sign outside when selling your property?

Our Discreet Marketing service ensures details of your property sale are kept private, – there is no advert on Rightmove and no For Sale sign outside. We still market your property, but only to those buyers that we have registered and which we think would be interested in your property.

Discreet marketing without a For Sale board is very effective and we have arranged many successful sales in this way.

How can Discreet Marketing help you achieve a higher price for your home?

It’s no secret that everyone wants to sell for the highest price and buy low. It’s human nature after all, but how can discreet marketing help you do this?

The moment you advertise your property on Rightmove there’s a digital footprint for your property online as your advert includes an ‘Added On’ date.

The national average for the time it takes to sell a property is 61 days. This is measured from when the property is first listed on Rightmove to it being marked by agents as ‘under offer’ or ‘sold subject to contract’.

Which means that if a property has been on the market for a long time, savvy buyers may be encouraged to submit low offers if they can see it has been advertised on Rightmove for a long time.

If you have time, Discreet Marketing can help you decide on the price to advertise it at

We’ve reported previously that there has been an upward trend in house prices over the last 30 years and whilst we still expect this to be the case long term, the market does go through several short term adjustments depending on current economic and political events. The uncertainty surrounding Brexit is one such example that is causing house prices to fluctuate. In this current climate, it can be difficult to pinpoint precisely what price will attract the right buyer.

If you have time and you aren’t under pressure to sell before a certain date, Discreet Marketing allows you to trial a higher price and gauge the feedback, before you release it on the open market.

The first few viewings generated whilst marketing discreetly, even in the first couple of weeks, will give you good, constructive feedback on the price and presentation of your home which can then be used to refine the marketing of your property for when it is launched onto Rightmove.

At which point you can be confident that the price is right, the presentation is great and you stand a higher chance of finding a good buyer for your home.

It is for this reason that Discreet Marketing is so popular with sellers – it can help you generate interest in your property before leaving a digital footprint on the property portals.

How can Discreet Marketing help if you aren’t attracting buyers?

For very unique properties that haven’t generated the expected interest, some vendors will decide that their property advert is removed from Rightmove. Discreet Marketing allows your estate agent to continue to keep details of your property on file so they can selectively introduce suitable buyers.

Want to know more?

If a discreet sale sounds like the right route for you, please feel free to call your local Curchods branch and discuss this service with us. We can create a bespoke marketing package that is right for your needs. Alternatively you can Book an Appointment online.

Book An Appointment