London, UK
Not every home that can be bought in prime central London appears on a property portal. For Aldo Attanasio d’Aponte, founder of Arbitrage Group, that distinction is part of roughly twenty years spent working in the central London market. Founded in 2006, Arbitrage Group represents buyers and also works across relocation, commercial property including retail, and development. Its work has included more than 500 homes acquired for private clients. In that context, “off-market” is not a synonym for exclusive or cheap; it describes property that is available without a conventional public marketing process.
Three Forms of Off-Market Availability
In practice, off-market opportunities generally fall into three categories: property being prepared for a later launch, property that an owner is willing to sell quietly, and property that is not formally for sale but where an owner may be open to a direct approach. Owners may prefer discretion for reasons including tenants in situ, divorce, probate, reputation or simply a dislike of public viewings. For buyers, the distinction matters because each situation calls for a different level of conversation, timing and diligence before an offer is considered.
How Quiet Stock Is Reached
Access depends on long-standing relationships across the market, including estate agents, block managers, solicitors and neighbours. That process is less about a hidden database than knowing who may be willing to have a conversation and approaching the situation appropriately. It also requires patience: a possible introduction is only the beginning, and the property still has to be assessed against the buyer’s objectives, budget and wider acquisition criteria.
Price Discipline Still Applies
A property being off-market does not make it cheaper. Where there is no public marketing process, there may also be less visible price discovery, making comparable evidence and valuation discipline more important rather than less. Buyers assessing an adviser’s off-market claims can ask how a particular opportunity became available instead of relying on the label itself. They can also ask what information has been checked and how the proposed price compares with relevant properties in the surrounding market.
“Most of the value we add is in the purchases our clients do not make.” — Aldo Attanasio d’Aponte, founder of Arbitrage Group
About Arbitrage Group
Arbitrage Group is a buyer-side property advisory and development firm working in prime central London. Founded in 2006, it advises private buyers on acquisition and relocation, acts on commercial and retail property, and develops residential schemes in central London. More at arbitragegroup.com.
Media Contact Information
Arbitrage Group | info@arbitragegroup.com
