Off Markets Melbourne - James Buyer Advocates

How our clients bought 11 Knox Street, East Malvern Off-Market last week (And Why Other Buyers Didn’t)

 (our clients have given permission to tell this story)

11 Knox Street, East Malvern is a brilliant property, and the clients we secured it for are a wonderful young couple. But the bigger story here is this: it’s an off-market purchase.

Everyone talks about off-market properties. Very few people actually buy them. Or sell them. It’s a nice concept to mention at dinner parties, but the reality? Most people never do it.

That’s not the case with James Buyer Advocates. We buy a lot of properties off-market.

Let me show you exactly how we did this one.

The Setup

Our clients had their hearts set on the Gascoigne Estate area. We’d previously bid on a property for them at a significantly higher number and been unsuccessful. They were looking for a period home—something with character and history.

Then Kathy in our office found 11 Knox Street through targeted phone calls. No online listing. No public marketing. Just strategic outreach.

The Property Challenge

Here’s the thing: this wasn’t what they were looking for. It’s modern, not period. Three levels with a lift. Beautiful contemporary design.

Exceptionally well-built. Perfect for their growing family. On a quiet cul-de-sac in exactly the location they wanted.

But it was new. We had to open their minds to a different way of thinking.

We showed them through. They really liked it. We loved it. We encouraged them to see past their preconceptions because this property was exceptional and under $5m.

The First Stop

We made an offer. The seller came back wanting more. Not unreasonable—just more than we’d offered. We agreed to think about it.

Then they changed their mind. Personal issues. They weren’t selling after all.

Our clients were disappointed. We’ve been here before. We didn’t give up.

The Strategy

We sat tight for a couple of weeks. Then suggested our clients write a letter explaining their situation and why they’d love to buy the property.

We informed the agent we were doing this. We were collaborating with the agent—not fighting him, nor colluding—to secure a good result for all parties. We believed we could offer something that would help his clients achieve what they wanted in their next stage of life.

The Turnaround

A couple of days later, the agent rang. “Surprise, surprise—they’re back on. They loved the letter. I’ve now shown them another property, and if you can meet at this level”—somewhere between our original offer and their asking—”I reckon we can get a deal.”

The Final Stretch

Within a week or so, after pest and building inspections and both solicitors working efficiently, we were close.

Then more hiccups. The inspections found a couple of issues. We brought in an outside plumber, then an outside builder to assess how serious they were. Not serious. We proceeded.

There was a little cold feet on both sides, actually. But the agent and we were able to guide our mutual clients through those difficulties.

The property was secured. Good result for all.

Why This Matters

This transaction involved:

• Strategic phone calls (not online searches)
• A skilled agent who understood collaboration
• A buy, a sell, and another buy coordination
• Targeted letterbox drops
• Personal letters from buyers to sellers
• Multiple expert assessments
• Patience and persistence and politeness (another 3Ps) – not rudeness or name calling

None of this appears anywhere on the internet. That’s the point.

Off-market isn’t about luck. It’s about relationships, strategy, timing, and knowing how to navigate the human side of property transactions.

Would our clients have found this property themselves? Mmmmm. Did your buyer advocate suggest this to you?

Would our clients have bought it without opening their minds to modern architecture? No, and credit to them.

Would the sellers have come back to the table without the right approach? Nope.

That’s what off-market buying actually looks like. No noise. Just real.