How to recognise a good off-market platform
Eight questions you should ask every provider – before you sign.
Off-market platforms differ less in what they promise than in what the small print says. The following questions target the points that make the difference in day-to-day work – and that can be clarified before signing. For each question you will find our own answer; apply the same standard to other providers.
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01
Can the platform be connected to your brokerage software?
Without an interface you maintain every property twice – once in your own system, once on the platform. That not only costs time, it also leads to diverging records as soon as price or availability change. Ask specifically which systems are supported and whether enquiries also flow back into your CRM.
Our answerDirect integration with onOffice, Propstack, Flowfact, FIO, HirschCRM and Soldd. Properties are transferred automatically, investor enquiries come back as prospects in OpenImmo format. A documented REST API is available for in-house systems.
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02
Where do the acquisition profiles come from?
A large number alone says little. What matters is whether the profiles are maintained or merely collected: are these manually recorded search criteria or purchased address lists? And how old may a profile become before it is updated or removed?
Our answerAll search profiles are recorded and qualified manually by our staff – no automatic imports, no scraping. Investor data is no more than twelve months old; after that we ask for an update.
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03
How is it billed – a fixed price or a share of your success?
If the operator takes a share of your commission, your costs rise with every deal closed. With a fixed price you know from the outset what the marketing costs. Also ask about costs per listed property and activation fees – that is where the extras hide.
Our answerA fixed package price with a flat rate for the number of properties. No commission sharing, no transaction fee, no cost per property, no activation costs. What you earn stays entirely with you.
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04
Are you entering into a partner or franchise commitment?
Some models demand more than a membership: entry fees, ongoing system fees, or the obligation to operate under someone else's brand. Check whether you keep your own brand, your clients and your terms – and how long you are tied in.
Our answerYou book a membership with a fixed term, nothing more. No entry fee, no system fee, no brand commitment. Your brand, your clients and your terms remain yours.
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05
Who sees your property data – and from what point?
Discretion is decided in the detail: are anonymised key facts shown first, or the full exposé straight away? Do you decide before each dispatch who receives the details? And can you withdraw a property at any time without leaving traces?
Our answerThe initial approach uses anonymised short profiles only – without address, owner details or identifying photos. Before each dispatch you decide which investors receive it. Full documents are only released once you approve them.
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06
Where is your data stored – and who has access?
Property documents contain rent rolls, purchase prices and owner details. Ask where the servers are located, whether backups are stored in encrypted form, and which external service providers have access. A blanket assurance of "GDPR compliance" does not replace these specifics.
Our answerDatabase, uploaded documents, e-mail accounts and all backups are located exclusively in data centres in Germany. Transmission via SSL/TLS, backups encrypted. Access is limited to authorised staff and our hosting provider, who is bound by instructions.
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07
From what property volume can you list at all?
Some platforms only accept properties above a certain size. That is legitimate, but it excludes part of your portfolio. Clarify in advance whether your typical properties qualify at all – otherwise you are paying for reach you cannot use.
Our answerThere is no minimum volume. Whether a flat, an apartment building, a commercial property, a plot of land or a portfolio – what matters is whether a registered acquisition profile matches it, not the purchase price.
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08
Does the operator have its own interests in your deals?
If the operator also acts as a buyer, broker or competitor, it sits on both sides of the table. Ask whether it makes its own acquisitions and whether it shares in the brokered transactions – and if so, how conflicts of interest are ruled out.
Our answerWe do not acquire properties ourselves, do not act as a broker and have no economic stake in any transaction. If you want brokerage services, we refer you to our cooperation partner – the contract is then concluded directly with them.
As of September 2026. Our statements refer to the range of services current at that time. Please verify other providers' details yourself – scope and terms change.
Frequently asked questions about choosing
What prospective customers ask us most often before deciding.
How do I find out whether a platform suits my portfolio?
Before signing, ask to be shown how many registered acquisition profiles match a specific property from your portfolio. What counts is not the total number of investors but the hits for your property type, your region and your size bracket.
That is exactly what we do in the live demo: we create a real property together and show you the matching result before you decide.
Do I have to commit long term?
You book a membership with a fixed term – three, six or twelve months. Beyond that there is no commitment: no entry fee, no system fee, no obligation to operate under someone else's brand. Your brand, your clients and your terms remain yours.
You can terminate at the end of the term with 30 days' notice; we remind you by e-mail 45 days beforehand.
How discreet is the marketing really?
What matters is what becomes visible in the first step. With us, matching investors initially receive only an anonymised short profile: key facts such as region, property type, floor area and yield – without address, owner details or identifying photos.
Before each dispatch you decide which investors receive it. Full documents are only released once you expressly approve them. Your property never appears on public portals.
What happens to my property data if I terminate?
Your property data belongs to you. You can export it at any time – including during the term. After the contract ends, the properties are deactivated and no longer sent to investors.
How long we retain which data afterwards, and for what reason, is set out in detail in our privacy policy. Ask other providers about this point too – it is rarely explained unprompted.