Why The Wealthy Prefer “Whisper Listings” For Selling Homes

The wealthier people get, the more exclusive their lives typically become. The same is true of properties, which the ultra-rich often sell by “whisper listing.”

Whisper listing simply refers to pocket listings, which aren’t open to the general public. Whisper listings are popular among the world’s richest people, who often buy and sell houses based on word of mouth. While you can certainly find homes worth more than $100 million listed online, many of the richest individuals will go to a whisper-listing agent. While it may not make sense right away, there are several practical reasons for the mega-rich to keep their business more private.

The first reason whisper listings can be a good idea is that you can often sell a house for a much higher price. This is because within whisper listings, you can set the price for your home as high as you want, regardless of the current state of the real estate market. If you want to post a property for sale on the open market, you’ll have to list a price and generally only lower it. With whisper listings, you don’t have to provide a public price and can often increase the price even higher. Of course, there are several privacy benefits to whisper listings, as they can keep the public’s eyes far from your personal business. There are often personal reasons for selling a house, such as a divorce. Using whisper listings can be great for business when the alternative is revealing a costly secret.

Of course, some wealthy individuals also prefer whisper listings because they are a status symbol. They are exclusive, and thus viewed as a symbol of wealth, which is enough of a reason for some, and just an added benefit for others.

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5 years ago