What are El Segundo Pocket Listings and How Do You Find Them?

In this incredibly competitive market many homes are not even making it to the market.   So how do you find out about these homes in El Segundo and the South Bay?  First it’s important to understand just what we’re talking about.

What does off market or a pocket listing mean?

It can actually mean a few different things but in general, when we refer to homes sold off market or pocket listings these are homes that are never put on the MLS and therefore unknown to most buyers and many realtors.  That means that searching the Redfins and Zillows of the world may mean that you’re not aware of these types of opportunities.

Why would an El Segundo homeseller want to sell the home off market?

In general it’s not a great idea.  Fewer buyers that know about the home usually means less competition and ultimately a lower sales price.  That’s certainly not always the case but usually accurate to some extent.  Sellers have many reasons for not wanting to put their home on the market.  It may be due to privacy reasons such as not wanting the neighbor or even the tenant know that the home is for sale.  It may be that they don’t want to deal with some of the hassles that come along with listing a home…..buyer’s and agents that want to show the home at all hours, open houses on the weekends and more people simply curious with few legitimate buyers.  Whatever the reason it does limit the exposure and again usually limits the price.

That’s why it can be a good opportunity for buyers….less competition, fewer bidding wars which generally leads to a lower sales price.

How do I find out about these homes?

Unlike the MLS listings, off market, upcoming and pocket listings are much more elusive.  The key is to work with an agent that has deep connections in the El Segundo community and market.  Some of the top realtors in certain areas may share information on these hard to find opportunities and the larger or more numerous the seller and agent networks, the more information the agent can obtain.

We are happy to help you find off market homes but this requires a good deal of work, considerable communication with sellers and agents and a readiness to act should the right home come available.  If you would like us to help find off market opportunities please feel free to text us at 310-251-2344 or email us with the details of your home search.

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Pocket Listings in El Segundo

With the extremely tight inventory of homes for sale in the South Bay, many buyers approach me looking for off market, or pocket listings. Pocket listings and exclusive listings are the hot trend at the moment as eager buyers clamor for a chance to purchase a home without all of the competition. In this market knowing about it first may not ultimately make a difference, but it certainly helps. Many agents seem to be trying to keep listings private as well in the hopes that perhaps they can represent both buyer and seller, which is much easier if fewer agents know that the home is for sale. So what do the terms actually mean? A pocket listing can be anything from a realtor simply knowing about a home that a seller might consider selling and not having a listing agreement, to something coming to the market but not yet on the MLS, to the intentional withholding of the listing from the MLS.  Sign up for information on El Segundo pocket listings.

But is it beneficial to the seller? In terms of price, exposure, etc. the answer is generally no. The more exposure the home gets, the more potential buyers see it, and the likelihood that it will sell for a better price and with more favorable terms for the seller. Eliminate that competition and generally speaking the chances of such favorable terms decrease.

There are very legitimate reasons for exclusive or “pocket” listings and for keeping the property off the market…..work being completed, tenant issues, or simply a seller who doesn’t want the world touring their home. Seller’s just need to be sure that the reasons for keeping a home off of the South Bay MLS are beneficial to them….and not just to the listing agents.

Whether keeping a listing from the MLS is good or bad for the seller ultimately depends on the situation and whose best interest is the primary reason, but working with a top local realtor who has the network and knowledge to seek out these possible opportunities is certainly key for the buyer.

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El Segundo Real Estate. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. The agent providing the information contained herein may not have been a buyer’s and/or seller’s agent. This information is based on data pulled from CRMLS