The MLS is a great tool. It's also where every buyer, renter and agent in Los Angeles is looking at the same moment. When a beautiful home in the Hollywood Hills goes live on a Thursday, it can have a line of showings by Saturday. If you only wait for the MLS, you're always competing with everyone.
There's another way, and it's older than any website: talk to the people who own the homes. That's how most of our work at LA Luxuries begins. You can read the full picture in our guide to off-market homes in Los Angeles. Here's why it works.
1. Owners decide before the market does
A home doesn't go on the MLS the day an owner starts thinking about moving. There are usually months of quiet thinking first: about a job, a renovation, a second home, an estate, or just timing. During those months the only people who know are the ones the owner talks to.
If you're one of those people, you hear first. Jordan Pollack speaks personally with thousands of homeowners across Los Angeles for exactly this reason. Most never list with us right away. But when they're ready, a lot of them call.
2. A real conversation gets a real number
A listing price is a public opening bid. A private conversation is different. When we ask an owner, "Would you consider renting it out, and if so, what would you ask?", they name a number that fits their life, not a portal strategy. Sometimes it's higher than we expected and we say so. Often it's a starting point for a fair deal for both sides.
We never promise an owner a price to win their trust. We bring them recent sales and rentals from their own street and let the numbers speak. Owners remember who told them the truth.
3. Less competition means calmer decisions
When a home is shared quietly with one qualified client, nobody is rushing to beat a deadline or a dozen other offers. Buyers get time to inspect and think. Sellers get time to vet. Renters can ask real questions about the home and the lease. Calmer deals tend to close more smoothly.
4. Homeowners trust people, not campaigns
Many of the homes we work on in Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Trousdale are held in trusts or LLCs. The decision-maker may be the owner, a business manager or an estate attorney. Mass mail rarely reaches them. A personal relationship, built over time, does. That's why we treat every owner conversation as the start of a long relationship, not a one-time pitch.
5. Relationships compound
Jordan's personal network holds about 3,677 contacts, and every one of them started as a single conversation. A tenant we place today may buy next year. Jordan checks in with tenants about a year after move-in, and when a rental client is settled, he offers to send on- and off-market purchase options in the area they love. An owner whose home we help rent may sell with us later. An agent we work with fairly on one deal brings us the next. Over time, the network does a lot of the finding.
What this looks like day to day
There's nothing glamorous about it. A typical week includes:
- Calling and texting owners in the neighborhoods we cover.
- Sending owners short, factual street briefs: what sold nearby, at what price per square foot, and how long it took.
- Asking colleagues, with a specific brief, whether they have anything coming that fits a client.
- Keeping our property database current (more than 1,800 LA properties, with owners we know by name for about 1,500), so we know each home's history before we pick up the phone.
- Staying in a direct group chat with the owners of homes we manage, so small questions never wait.
- Following up, politely and briefly, with people who said "not yet."
For renters, it matters even more
Luxury rentals move fast. Good homes in the Hills or the Valley are often rented within days of being advertised, and some never get advertised at all because the owner called their agent first. When renters tell us their bedrooms, areas, move-in date and rental term, we can ask owners directly, including owners whose homes are listed for sale and who might rent instead. Homes like 13836 Davana Ter in Sherman Oaks and 2035 De Mille Dr in Los Feliz are the kind of homes owners trust us to rent.
When the MLS is still the right answer
Sometimes it is. If a seller needs the widest possible exposure, a well-marketed MLS launch is the strongest move, and we'll say so. California MLS rules also require that a listed home be submitted to the MLS within one business day of any public marketing, so private listings must stay truly private. The point isn't to avoid the MLS. It's to know the owners well enough that you aren't depending on it alone.
FAQ
Can I buy a house in Los Angeles that isn't for sale?
Sometimes. Many owners will consider a serious, specific offer even if they haven't listed. A local agent with direct owner relationships can ask on your behalf and check the price against recent sales.
How do I find luxury rentals before they're listed?
Work with an agent who talks to owners and give them your bedrooms, areas, furnished or unfurnished, move-in date and rental term. Owners often call their agent first when a tenant is leaving.
Is it better to use a boutique broker for off-market homes?
It depends on the person, not the size of the firm. Look for a broker who personally talks to owners in your target neighborhoods and can show you how they find homes.
Do sellers get less money off-market?
They can, because fewer buyers see the home. That's why we walk every owner through the trade-off and compare private offers with recent public sales before they decide.
Start with a conversation
Whether you're buying, selling or renting, the first step is the same: tell us what you need. See how we work in our guide to off-market homes in Los Angeles, or call 323.238.5225 / email [email protected].
About the author: Jordan Pollack is the broker and founder of LA Luxuries Estate Agency in Beverly Hills. Jordan Pollack, LA Luxuries, DRE 02010832
