How do I find out what my house is worth without an estate agent?

You can get a free instant market estimate for any of the 14.4 million England and Wales homes we cover, by entering its postcode, with no agent visit and no email required to see the figure. The estimate is built from that home's own last recorded Land Registry sale, indexed forward using market growth data, and is shown as a range with a confidence level and the date it was calculated. It is an automated estimate rather than a valuation or a survey, and it is no substitute for a professional valuation before you buy or sell.

Can I sell my house without listing it publicly?

Yes - on open for offer you can test the market privately without a public listing, which means no advert, no photos, no asking price and no address shown. You signal that you might sell, see the buyer interest your home attracts, and then decide whether to go further. Because nothing was ever advertised, stopping leaves your home with no listing history and no days-on-market count.

Can I buy a house that is not on the market?

Yes - on open for offer any of the 14.4 million homes we cover in England and Wales can receive an offer, whether or not it is advertised for sale. You find the address and make your offer, and it is recorded against that home. Nothing happens to a home without its owner's say-so, and no owner is ever under any obligation to respond to an approach or to accept one. About 2% of homes in England and Wales are for sale at any one time, so most of the homes a buyer would actually want are never visible on a traditional portal.

What is open for offer?

open for offer is a UK pre-market property marketplace for homeowners who are considering selling but are not ready to list. Homeowners can see a data-backed market estimate and test real buyer demand privately, before any public advert and with no obligation to sell. Buyers can make an offer on any of the 14.4 million England and Wales homes we cover, including homes that were never advertised.

Which areas does open for offer cover?

open for offer covers 14.4 million homes in England and Wales - every home with a Land Registry sold-price record since 1995. Each of those has its own page you can search today. Homes that have not sold since 1995 are not in the data. Stamford in Lincolnshire is the launch market where we are building depth first, and we also cover Cambridge, Oxford, Marlow and Peterborough.

Do I need an estate agent to sell through open for offer?

No - you can list and manage your sale yourself on open for offer. If you would rather not, we can introduce you to a local estate agent and you agree their fee with them directly.

What off-market really means for your home

A guide for owners, not for buying agents.

open for offer · 19 August 2026 · 4 min read

open for offer lets you test the market before you list. Off-market homes are part of the pre-market — the market that exists before a property is ever advertised.

Most homes are not for sale

Only about 2% of homes in England and Wales are for sale at any one time. Everything else is somebody's home, with a price it would fetch, and no advert anywhere.

We hold records on 14.4 million England and Wales homes, built from 23.3 million Land Registry sold prices. Almost none of them are advertised today.

Why owners use the pre-market

Listing is a public act. Neighbours see it. Buyers see the date it went up, and a price cut stays on the record.

You can cut the price. You cannot un-list.

The pre-market removes that risk. You find out what a buyer would pay before anyone knows you were asking.

Why so many sales fall apart

Nearly 1 in 4 — 23.4% of listings had a sale fall through at least once in 2026, per TwentyCi.

A buyer who registered interest before you listed has already said what they would pay. That is a better starting point than a bid that arrived in week one.

Approaching a home nobody advertised

A buyer can register interest in a home that is not for sale. The owner sees the interest and decides whether to answer. Nothing obliges them to.

That is the whole mechanism. No auction, no deadline, no obligation on either side until somebody chooses.

What to do if you own one

Get a market estimate first, then test the market. You set the price, buyers register interest, and nobody who is not looking to buy ever sees it.

Get a market estimate · Test the market on your home

Common questions

What does off-market mean?

A home that is not advertised for sale. Off-market homes are part of the pre-market, which is the market that exists before a property is ever advertised.

How many UK homes are for sale at once?

Only about 2% of homes in England and Wales are for sale at any one time.

Can I sell without ever advertising?

You can test the market first. You set a price, buyers register interest, and nothing is advertised unless you decide to go further.

Can a buyer approach me about a home I have not listed?

Yes. A buyer can register interest in any home. You see the interest and decide whether to answer. Nothing obliges you to.

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