Own Luxury Homes®
Own Luxury Homes® National Luxury Off-Market Transaction Index™
Own Luxury Homes® National Luxury Off-Market Transaction Index™: percentage of luxury transactions that never appear in MLS. Jupiter Island FL $5M+: 40-55% off-market. Palm Beach $3M+: 30-45%. Aspen CO $3M+: 25-35%. Manhattan co-op $5M+: 25-40%. National $2M+ estimate: 15-25% off-market. Off-market benefits: $0 DOM accumulation; seller controls buyer selection; maximum privacy. Access path: requires broker with direct relationships in target market. Own Luxury Homes® 12-Point Agent Integrity Audit™.
Own Luxury Homes® National Luxury Off-Market Transaction Index™
In the $5M+ luxury tier, a significant percentage of transactions never appear in the MLS — they are negotiated directly between buyer’s and seller’s agents before a listing is ever created. For sellers, this means maximum privacy and no days-on-market stigma. For buyers, it means having access to the off-market network is potentially more valuable than any MLS alert. This Index maps off-market transaction rates by price tier and documents what buyers and sellers need to know to participate in this market.
01 — Off-Market Transaction Rates by Market and Tier
| Market / Tier | Est. Off-Market % | Primary Mechanism | Privacy Driver | How Buyers Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jupiter Island / Manalapan, FL ($5M+) | 40-55% | Long-established broker community; ~500 residential properties total; everyone knows everyone | Near-absolute privacy expectation; any MLS listing creates unwanted public attention | Must be a client of a broker with direct relationships in the community; no public access path |
| Palm Beach island ($3M+) | 30-45% | Active broker-to-broker network; private showing rooms; Realtor board relationship culture | Old-money sellers dislike public marketing; preserve the right to choose their buyer | Work with a broker who is active in the PB market and maintains direct agent relationships |
| Aspen, CO ($3M+) | 25-35% | Small tight-knit market; 2,500 properties total; repeat transactions with same agents | Seller privacy; limited inventory means sellers hold leverage; no need for MLS competition | Aspen luxury broker relationships are essential; exclusive brokerages control significant off-market inventory |
| Manhattan co-op ($5M+) | 25-40% | Co-op boards control who can buy; pre-board-approval vetting happens off-market before listing | Board approval requirement makes public marketing premature | Work with experienced co-op specialist who knows which buildings have available pre-approved buyers |
| Nashville, TN ($2M+) | 15-22% | Growing off-market culture as market matures; entertainment/celebrity sellers value privacy | Music and entertainment wealth prefers discretion; growing corporate executive off-market activity | Establish relationship with Nashville luxury specialists; not yet as formalized as FL barrier island markets |
| Dallas Park Cities ($2M+) | 12-20% | Established broker relationships in Highland Park / UP communities; resale within known buyer pool | Estate sales and move-up situations; sellers know their buyer community personally | Park Cities specialist agents have established buyer lists; off-market is growing but not dominant |
| Miami Beach / Star Island ($3M+) | 20-30% | International seller privacy; wealth protection motivation for discretion; Star Island guard gate culture | LATAM buyers and sellers strongly prefer privacy; no public record if possible | FL land trust + off-market negotiation: preferred structure for international Miami transactions |
Brown, Ryan. “Own Luxury Homes® National Luxury Off-Market Transaction Index™.” Own Luxury Homes®. https://www.ownluxuryhomes.com/markets/national/research-indices/national-luxury-off-market-transaction-indexMedia: ownluxuryhomes.com/connect · 407-900-7030
"The introduction Own Luxury Homes® makes is to a specialist with documented closing history in your specific market — not the county, not the metro, the submarket you're actually selling or buying in. That's the standard we verify before your name goes anywhere."
— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes® (FL License BK3626873)