Ostrich gives you access to unique properties before they reach the open market. You can request a viewing by providing an indicative offer.Our guide below walks you through this step by step.
Requesting a viewing
To help owners consider whether to grant an off-market viewing we require you to include an indicative offer and some details on your buying position with your request.
Naturally you can’t know for sure how you feel about a property until you’ve seen it, but indicative offers give the owner a sense of what you might be willing to pay if the property lives up to your expectations.
Indicative offers are not legally binding but help the owner understand if you are broadly aligned on price. Once you have viewed a property there will be the opportunity to update and formalise your offer should you wish to move forward.
As part of submitting your indicative offer, you'll be asked to share information about your funding position. We also recommend you write a message to give a little context about why you are interested in their home.
Verifying your identity
Before we submit your viewing request and indicative offer, we need to verify your identity. This protects homeowners and improves the credibility of your request.
Our verification partner, Stripe, will verify your details online via their third-party, secure app. This process typically takes 2 minutes and will require you to submit a copy of one of the following forms of ID:
- Driver's license
- Passport
- International ID card.
Once confirmed, your indicative offer will be sent to the homeowner to respond. You are now also verified to submit offers on other properties.
Arranging a viewing
If the homeowner is interested in progressing, you’ll receive an email promoting you to book a viewing. We’ll share the homeowner’s availability with you, so that you can choose a time to view that fits with your schedule.
Once you’ve selected a date and time, you’ll receive a viewing confirmation email with all the details, including the full address of the property.
If you need to reschedule or cancel a viewing, please email the Ostrich team at viewings@ostrich.co.uk.
If the owner chooses not to progress, you'll be notified by email. You can log in to your Ostrich account to see the owner's feedback on your request. If it’s rejected you can update your offer or send the owner a follow-up message.
Submitting a formal offer
Ostrich is your first point of contact throughout the process. After you've viewed the property our team will be available to discuss the next steps, arrange further viewings and discuss a formal offer.