On-market: the visible layer
These are the aircraft publicly listed on the marketplaces and broker sites. Transparent and easy to browse — which is its limitation. Everyone sees the same aircraft, so you compete with the whole market, and the aircraft that reach this layer are disproportionately those whose owners were motivated to sell — which is not the same as the best aircraft.
Off-market: the quiet layer
These are aircraft whose owners are open to selling but haven't listed, for privacy, price, or timing. They never appear in a public search. There's less competition and often a better aircraft — but also less verifiable information, which is exactly where a buyer needs someone confirming the aircraft and the seller are real.
Work both
The on-market layer is useful for context and calibrating price. But rely on it alone and you never see the aircraft moving quietly one layer down — often the ones you'd actually prefer. Serious buyers use the visible market for context and the off-market layer for the aircraft worth having.
Tell us what you're looking for, and we'll look in both worlds — and verify what we find before you spend time on it.