How To Find Off-Market Properties In Delaware: The 5 Best Sources

Are you considering real estate investing on the East Coast? Delaware is an excellent place to start. This State boasts lower-than-average property taxes, steady population growth, and a thriving job market, creating a real estate sector with significant investment returns. While Delaware's favorable conditions make real estate investing profitable, you can potentially increase your opportunities by learning how to find off-market properties in Delaware.

If off-market property investing is an approach you're unfamiliar with, we are ready to guide you toward more deals than you realize are out there. That’s right; you can set yourself up with more opportunities if you learn about all the places people sell their homes. As a result, we've prepared a guide on how to find off-market properties in Delaware to serve as your starting point. It explains what off-market real estate is, plus appropriate lead generation strategies, ensuring you can confidently maximize the unique benefits off-market real estate investing in Delaware offers. Let’s begin with the following:

• What Are Off-Market Properties In Delaware?
• Why Do Some Sellers Not List Their Properties?
• How To Find Off-Market Properties In Delaware
• Alternative Strategies To Find Off-Market Properties In Delaware
• Delaware MLS Listings Vs. Non-MLS Listings
• Pros Of Off-Market Properties DE
• Cons Of Off-Market Properties DE
• Final Thoughts On Finding Off-Market Properties In Delaware

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What Are Off-Market Properties In Delaware?

What is an off-market listing? Off-market properties are homes in Delaware that aren't publicly advertised for sale. These homes are usually sold through private channels, meaning you won't find them on the MLS, Redfin, Zillow, or other similar public databases. Off-market properties also include houses the owner is willing to sell but is yet to put on the market.

Note that in the past, off-market properties could be sold directly between parties without any advertising. However, in 2020, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) introduced the Clear Cooperation Policy, which recommends that property owners and listing agents share an off-market listing on the MLS for at least a day. This policy has significantly changed the off-market landscape, making it more transparent and reducing the chances of discrimination in property sales and dual agency. Now, while a property owner can request their agent not to upload the listing on the MLS, they must at least market their listing to other professionals.

Why Do Some Sellers Not List Their Properties?

Understanding why homeowners go off-market will help you tailor personalized and effective marketing strategies. For instance, some sellers may want to avoid the hassle of public showings, while others may prefer a more discreet sale. Regardless of the reason, knowing these motivations can help you craft a compelling offer and approach the seller in a way that meets their needs.

• Not Available: Since publicly listed houses often require showings, some sellers temporarily keep their properties off-market because they or their homes aren't ready for an open house.
• Seller's Market: Delaware's real estate is subject to demand and supply fluctuations like most real estate markets. Occasionally, demand will exceed housing supply, creating what's known as a seller's market. In such conditions, sellers usually have the upper hand in pricing. As a result, whenever there's a seller's market, some owners will deliberately stay off-market to create a sense of urgency among buyers, leading to more competitive offers.
• Pocket Listing: Sellers might choose not to list their property publicly because they want it to be a pocket listing. A pocket listing is an off-market listing in which a seller and their agent exclusively agree to sell the property discreetly. Sellers who prefer pocket listings often include privacy-conscious homeowners like celebrities, public figures, or high-net-worth individuals who want to avoid public exposure. This type of listing is also popular among luxury property owners as they usually want their homes advertised to high-net-worth buyers only.
• Coming Soon: As mentioned, off-market houses include homes the owner is willing to sell but is not fully committed to listing. Such homeowners often enlist real estate agents to advertise their homes as "coming soon" on the Multiple Listing Service; this allows them to test the market interest and potential offers without formally listing the home.
• Foreclosure With Tenants: Landlords with pre-foreclosed properties often keep their properties off-market to avoid worrying their tenants about management changes.

How To Find Off-Market Properties In Delaware

Real estate software is the most convenient and effective way to find off-market houses for sale in Delaware. Discover how to find off-market properties Delaware homeowners are actively looking to sell using the software options below:

PropStream

PropStream is powerful software with features that help real estate investors find, market to, manage, and even analyze real estate deals. It has a database of 155+ million property records nationwide, including in Delaware. The software aggregates on- and off-market records from MLS data, county recordings, and private data sources.

Off-market property categories include foreclosure & bank owned, tax liens, failed or expired listings, bankruptcy filings, pre-foreclosure filings, public auctions, and zombie properties. This wide variety of off-market listings means that whether you target REOs or expired listings for your off-market investing strategy, you're guaranteed to find leads on PropStream.

Each property record contains ownership information, property details, tax information, and mortgage history. This data, in addition to easing outreach, makes it easier to identify leads worth pursuing from the moment you interact with a property record.

PropStream also offers over 100 property search filters. You can search by state, zip code, assessor parcel number, or the various off-market categories mentioned earlier. You can stack as filters and statuses to generate a list of property leads that perfectly fit your investment criteria, saving even more time as you avoid wasting time on leads that are not ideal for your portfolio.

Quick Lists are a game-changer if you consistently target the same types of off-market property leads. Quick Lists feature a combination of pre-set filters that eliminate manual searches. Even better, they're customizable, meaning you can tailor them with your preferred filters, so you don't have to repeat your search criteria whenever you browse the database. For example, set up a quick list featuring your target zip codes in Delaware and statuses like failed listings, foreclosure, and tax liens. You'll only have to hit search, and PropStream will generate properties matching the pre-set categories.

To save users even more time, PropStream offers a List Automator. It automatically adds properties that meet your Quick List criteria to your marketing list.

For example, when properties meet the criteria target zip codes + failed listing, foreclosure, and tax liens become available on PropStream's database, and List Automator automatically adds them to your saved marketing list. That means leads will be waiting for you on your buyers' list.

The List Automator can also remove properties that no longer meet your requirements. Furthermore, you can set up email alerts to be notified whenever a property is added, allowing you to act while the lead is still hot. You may also upload existing off-market lead lists to PropStream and use List Automator to keep them updated.

PropStream has multiple deal analysis tools, including comps, deal calculators, and, recently, neighborhood demographics! The platform also recently introduced AI predictive analytics that use advanced algorithms to analyze and assign property leads scores based on their investment potential.

In addition to the above, PropStream also offers lead management tools like a CRM and supports a variety of marketing campaigns. It's truly an end-to-end real estate lead generation solution. It is convenient for off-market investing, allowing you to find, contact, and manage off-market property owners in one platform. Plus, they offer a 7-day trial you can utilize to put these features to the test.

Read Also: PropStream Review: Pricing, Features, & Is It Worth It?

DealMachine

Are you planning to drive for dollars in Delaware as your primary lead generation strategy? Consider investing in DealMachine. It's a platform with a mobile app that can help you capture and act on leads more efficiently.

The app's most notable feature is the property information upload function. When you identify a property with off-market investing potential while driving for dollars, you can upload its picture and address directly into the app. It'll then generate crucial information such as physical property details (type, number of bathrooms, and bedrooms), mortgage history, and tax information; this allows you to assess whether that property is ideal for off-market investing on the spot. If it is, DealMachine offers a variety of postcard designs and a built-in direct mail feature that allows you to generate and drop marketing mail to the owner before leaving the location. Plus, you can even use the property picture you captured on the postcard, which increases the likelihood of a response.

DealMachine also tracks driving routes, ensuring you effectively scout an area. It also retains driving data such as driving hours and mileage for later evaluation. The platform also offers batch skip tracing, Comps data, wholesaling, and house-flipping resources. You can even hire drivers for dollars, a helpful feature especially when targeting large areas like Wilmington, which has multiple neighborhoods.

Read Also: DealMachine Review: Is It Worth It?

Foreclosure.com

If you prefer focusing on foreclosures for your off-market property investments, Foreclosure.com is the ideal tool to streamline your efforts. It's a real estate website that, as the name suggests, is specifically designed to offer comprehensive information about foreclosure properties.

At any given time, the website features over 1 million listings across all three foreclosure categories: pre-foreclosure, repossessed, and REO homes. It also includes related listings such as probate, tax liens, and bankruptcy properties.

Each property includes detailed data such as address, sqft, photos, comps, and owner information. The website also features a search function and filters, allowing users to quickly generate preferred foreclosure properties.

Read Also: Foreclosure.com Review: Is It Worth It For Real Estate Investors?

Mashvisor

Mashvisor is an excellent tool for off-market lead generation on a budget. Founded in 2014, Mashvisor is a website that promotes equal access to profitable traditional and Airbnb investment properties for all investors. It offers a range of tools that off-market property investors in Delaware can leverage to enhance their success. These include:

• A Property Marketplace: Mashvisor has a property marketplace primarily designed to help investors find off-market properties for sale. The marketplace contains a massive database of non-MLS listings, including auctioned homes, REOs, and even tenant-occupied rentals catering to the needs of various off-market investors. The website sources data from multiple on- and off-market sources, such as MLS, Zillow, Realtor.com, Auction.com, Roofstock, and Airbnb.
• User-Friendly Search Function & Filters: The Mashvisor website has an intuitive search function where you can type in your area of interest in Delaware to generate investment properties. The platform also offers a range of filters to facilitate targeted lead generation. For instance, if you'd like to search for off-market leads in Delaware by location, Mashvisor offers filters like city, neighborhood, and zip code, allowing you to target properties in the area you have in mind. Other filters include preferred investment property (traditional or Airbnb), property type, price range, for sale by owner, and more.
• Investment Property Calculator: The Mashvisor investment property calculator is a handy tool for deal analysis. After generating a list of potential off-market houses for sale, you can use it to assess the potential profitability of each listing. Simply click on the listing you wish to analyze, and it'll generate essential investment property projections such as one-time startup costs, recurring monthly expenses, cash-on-cash return, cap rate, and potential occupancy rate. Note that you can generate these projections based on whether you plan to use the property as a traditional investment or an Airbnb rental property. If you have a particular property in mind, you can also enter its address and use this tool to generate these estimates. You can also download a PDF report of these analytics to review later or share with your agents.

In addition to the handy features above, Mashvisor offers a heatmap, a CRM (mashboard), comps, insights, and a real estate agent directory. You can also list your off-market homes for sale on the platform. Additionally, the platform features an investment strategy guidance section covering the best markets and properties in different locations. For instance, if you're a beginner unsure of areas to target, the website recommends the best markets in Delaware.

BatchLeads

Batchleads, launched in 2018, is a comprehensive real estate software with features that'll ease off-market property lead generation. It has a database of over 100 million properties, including off-market listings like foreclosures, expired MLS listings, tax liens, cash buyer homes, and probate sales.

The software also offers a search function and over 300 filters, allowing investors like you to conduct targeted searches effortlessly. Additionally, it has a map tool to facilitate visual property searches. Note that each listing you generate has detailed property and ownership data, enabling you to quickly assess off-market investment potential and contact owners.

Other noteworthy Batchleads features for off-market investing in Delaware include lead scoring, a list builder, skip tracing credit, bulk list uploads, dialer, direct mail, and SMS marketing campaigns.

Read Also: Batch Leads Review: Pricing, Features, & Is It Worth It?

*For in-depth training on real estate investing, Real Estate Skills offers extensive courses to get you ready to make your first investment! Attend our FREE training and gain insider knowledge, expert strategies, and essential skills to make the most of every real estate opportunity that comes your way!

Alternative Strategies To Find Off-Market Properties In Delaware

While the above tools greatly ease off-market lead generation, you cannot overlook organic methods. So, in addition to incorporating any of the above software options, ensure you utilize the following organic strategies in your off-market lead generation strategy in Delaware:

• Engaging With Real Estate Agents & Brokers
• Networking With Seasoned Investors
• Local Courthouse & Public Records

Engaging With Real Estate Agents & Brokers

Real estate agents and brokers interact daily with homeowners, investors, contractors, and other real estate professionals. Consequently, they typically boast extensive networks and in-depth knowledge of the Delaware markets, and they can inform you of off-market opportunities as soon as they arise.

Therefore, consider cultivating relationships with them or even formally partnering with agents and brokers to find off-market properties for sale in Delaware.

Networking With Seasoned Investors

You should also collaborate with seasoned wholesalers, house flippers, landlords, and other real estate investors in Delaware for off-market lead generations. Like agents and brokers, seasoned investors are well-established in real estate markets and, as such, are often among the first to learn of off-market opportunities.

By networking with them, they can share off-market opportunities that don't fit their portfolios or invite you to collaborate on off-market property investments.

Local Courthouse & Public Records

To effectively find off-market real estate in Delaware, include local courthouses in your search strategy.

They're the primary venue for legal processes like foreclosure auctions, probate procedures, divorce, bankruptcy, and eviction proceedings, making them an invaluable source of related property leads. Additionally, explore county records, newspapers, and lis pendens lists for more off-market properties in DE.

Delaware MLS Listings Vs. Non-MLS Listings

You should utilize both MLS and non-MLS listings to increase your returns when investing in Delaware. Incorporating the MLS into your investing strategy can prove especially beneficial for your off-market investing strategy. How? Firstly, the MLS serves as Delaware's primary real estate marketing hub, providing endless lead-generation opportunities.

It's a nationally recognized real estate database that attracts many home buyer and seller agents and realtors. Some agents list for wholesalers, house flippers, and even lenders, particularly mortgage brokers. This creates a broad network of agents with whom you can enhance the success of your off-marketing strategy.

For example, by networking with agents listing properties for mortgage brokers, you could gain early access to homes in pre-foreclosure, foreclosure, and REO. They could also share vital insider information, such as foreclosure auction schedules, allowing you to better prepare and act on these opportunities before other investors.

Additionally, the MLS can help you understand current and upcoming market trends, plus overall market health. For example, average property prices can help you determine price trends, allowing you to price your off-market investments appropriately. The amount of inventory available on the platform can also enable you to identify whether it's a buyer's or seller's market. And if you're a house flipper, you can use the MLS to identify property trends, allowing you to make strategic rehabbing projects and attract more buyers.

Simply put, there are various strategies to utilize MLS listings to enhance your off-market strategy in Delaware. Real Estate Skills offers a complimentary MLS course covering these strategies, allowing you to get the most out of the MLS without a license. The course also covers other real estate investing strategies, including wholesaling and house flipping. Sign up today to learn how to fully maximize MLS listings in Delaware.

Read Also: How To Get MLS Access In 6 Ways (Even Without A License)

Pros Of Off-Market Properties DE

Off-market investing in Delaware offers investors the following benefits:

• Reduced Competition: Most real estate investors invest in the market; this reduces the competition off-market investors have to contend with, allowing them to enjoy a smooth real estate career.
• Lower Sale Price: Although some sellers go off-market to take advantage of a seller's market or attract high net-worth buyers, most homeowners who use this strategy do so because they want to sell quickly or avoid the hassle of on-market listing. As a result, most off-market properties in Delaware are usually sold at discounted sale prices, offering investors lucrative profit margins.
• Smoother Negotiations: Homeowners who go off-market usually have clear objectives, leading to smoother negotiations. Reduced competition in off-market investment deals also allows sellers to negotiate more comfortably since there's no urgency, as often seen in active listings; this usually results in more favorable terms.
• Flexible Transaction Timelines: Off-market properties are not bound by the time constraints of active listings in Delaware. Consequently, sellers can accommodate terms that suit the needs of their best buyer, including offering them flexible financing timelines and closing dates.
• Unique Investment Opportunities: As mentioned, some homeowners, including celebrities and public figures, go off-market for privacy reasons. Others do so to target specific luxury property buyers rather than a broader market. This exclusivity makes off-market real estate a realm of highly unique properties that, when well maximized, could help you establish yourself as a distinguished niche investor in Delaware.

Cons Of Off-Market Properties DE

Investing in off-market properties in Delaware also comes with some downsides. Knowing them beforehand allows you to tackle them better when they arise. They include:

• Limited Availability: Off-market properties are generally fewer than active listings in Delaware.
• Difficulty Finding Properties: Not only are there fewer, but off-market houses are also usually advertised privately, making them tricky to find. They generally require extra effort to uncover. Thankfully, our guide's "How to find off-market properties in Delaware" section comprehensively covers tools and steps to overcome this challenge.
• Challenges With Inexperienced Sellers: Some off-market sellers may lack property transaction experience, complicating off-market deals.

Final Thoughts On Finding Off-Market Properties In Delaware

Working with off-market investing is one of the best strategies for real estate investing. It's less competitive, has a high potential for profitable returns, provides unique investment opportunities, and allows for flexible transaction timelines, all contributing to a successful and fulfilling real estate investing career. So, now that you know how to find off-market properties in Delaware, it's time to start investing.

Ready to Take the Next Step in Real Estate Investing? Join our FREE live webinar and discover the proven strategies to build lasting wealth through real estate.

Whether you're just getting started or ready to scale, we'll show you how to take action today. Don't miss this opportunity to learn the insider tips and tools that have helped thousands of investors succeed! Seats are limited—Reserve Your Spot Now!

*Disclosure: Real Estate Skills is not a law firm, and the information contained here does not constitute legal advice. You should consult with an attorney before making any legal conclusions. The information presented here is educational in nature. All investments involve risks, and the past performance of an investment, industry, sector, and/or market does not guarantee future returns or results. Investors are responsible for any investment decision they make. Such decisions should be based on an evaluation of their financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs.