Beyond the Stigma: Rethinking Off-Market Jet Sales

The Spectrum of Off-Market

Off-market isn’t a single category; it’s a spectrum that includes several scenarios:

• Pre-market aircraft. These are fully represented aircraft under an engagement agreement with a broker, but marketing materials aren’t yet finalized and the listing hasn’t gone public.

• Privately marketed aircraft. Here’s where ambiguity arises. Sometimes a seller asks their engaged representative for a discreet sale with no public marketing and with aircraft details revealed only to select or vetted buyers. These transactions are legitimate and often driven by privacy or business-sensitivity reasons.

However, other “privately marketed” opportunities can stem from unauthorized intermediaries. In those cases, a broker without seller authority circulates information to attract offers, hoping to use that buyer interest to secure the seller’s attention. That practice misleads both parties and fuels the perception of risk. The danger isn’t “off-market”; it’s unrepresented and unverified activity.

• Opportunistic or future-availability aircraft.  A seller might not be ready to list their jet but would consider selling “for the right offer.” Or a broker may know an owner planning to upgrade soon. These can be valuable opportunities when approached ethically. A buyer’s agent can confirm the seller’s true intent before engaging their client or even purchase the aircraft for inventory to ensure direct, transparent representation.

Buyers Seek Access; Sellers Seek Control

Buyers value early access and credible intelligence. Sellers value discretion and control. Off-market transactions, when conducted properly, satisfy both, allowing confidentiality without sacrificing integrity.
The real issue isn’t that off-market deals exist. The issue is misinformation. Brokers who thrive in this space treat discretion and transparency as complementary, not contradictory. Off-market doesn’t mean “secretive.” It means “handled privately and professionally.”

Ensuring Transparency and Ethics

• Lead with fiduciary principles. Your client’s best interests come first.
• Verify before engaging. Confirm serial numbers, registration and airworthiness details, and direct seller or representative authority. Avoid chains of intermediaries.
• Communicate uncertainty. Be clear with your buyer about what’s verified and what isn’t.
• Balance discretion with disclosure. When privacy matters, use NDAs, but never at the expense of honesty.

In the end, off-market aircraft aren’t the danger. Unethical behavior is.
When handled with diligence, transparency, and professional integrity, off-market opportunities can expand access for buyers and preserve control for sellers, proving that discretion and trust can, in fact, coexist.

At The Jet Agent, we’ve seen this firsthand. Year to date, I’ve completed seven off-market transactions (with several more pending) that have given our clients access to aircraft they never would have found through public listings alone. These transactions weren’t risky; they were strategic. By combining discretion with verification, we connected qualified buyers to motivated sellers in ways that benefited both sides.

That’s the true value of engaging a professional acquisition consultant or broker. A skilled representative doesn’t just search listings; they navigate the entire market, including the private, pre-market, and discreet opportunities that only come with trusted industry relationships.