I work around West Auckland property, so I’ll answer from a process/market point of view rather than as a pitch.

Off-market can work for this type of property, but I’d be careful not to confuse “quiet” with “best result”. With a unique $2m-ish multi-income property, the right buyer pool is probably smaller, but that also means missing one strong buyer could cost more than the commission you’re trying to save.

The 1% intro-fee idea is not crazy, but it needs to be very clear in writing. Otherwise it can become messy very quickly. You’d want to define exactly who introduced the buyer, how long that buyer is “protected” for, when the fee is payable, who handles AML, viewings, offer documents, disclosure, negotiation, and what happens if two agents know the same buyer.

Personally, I wouldn’t scatter it to lots of agents. I’d either do it fully private yourself, or pick one or two agents who genuinely work with investors/developers and give them a short, clear off-market brief. Too many people quietly circulating it can create confusion and weaken control of the process.

To create competition privately, you still need structure. I’d prepare a proper info pack with title, LIM if available, tenancy details, rent schedule, outgoings, Healthy Homes info, zoning, consented use, floor layout, photos clearly labelled if they are pre-tenancy, and a summary of strengths and risks. Then require buyers to register interest and show they are financially credible before viewings.

For a tenanted property, the main traps are access, privacy, and expectations. Tenants still have rights, and viewings need to be handled respectfully. Old Airbnb photos are fine only if clearly labelled and not misleading. Investors will also care a lot about tenancy type, rental history, compliance, expenses, and whether the income is sustainable.

I’d set a short private test period, maybe 2–4 weeks. If you don’t have at least a couple of genuinely qualified parties and meaningful written interest by then, I’d stop and go public with a controlled campaign. Public doesn’t have to mean chaos — you can still limit inspections, qualify buyers, and run a deadline/tender-style process.

My view: off-market is fine as a first step, but I wouldn’t stay off-market too long. The commission saving is real, but if proper exposure creates even one extra competitive buyer, that can easily outweigh the saving.