PropTech Startup ‘Unlisted Homes’ Shines at TechCrunch Disrupt

When Katie Hill spotted her neighbor’s pool across the street, she never imagined that casual desire would spark a revolutionary PropTech startup. Unlisted Homes became a Top 20 Startup Battlefield finalist at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, transforming how Americans think about off-market real estate transactions. The company’s remarkable performance at this year’s Unlisted Homes TechCrunch Disrupt appearance represents a significant milestone in property technology innovation.

Unlisted is like Zillow, but for houses that are not yet on the market – a simple concept that addresses a massive market inefficiency. Unlike traditional real estate platforms that focus solely on active listings, this PropTech startup Unlisted Homes creates opportunities where none previously existed. The timing couldn’t be better for their breakthrough moment at TechCrunch Disrupt real estate competition.

Breaking Into the $31 Trillion Real Estate Market

The numbers behind Unlisted Homes TechCrunch Disrupt success story are staggering. The company focuses on unlocking the $31 trillion real estate market with a platform built to surface the 98% of homes that aren’t for sale yet. This massive market opportunity represents one of the largest untapped segments in American real estate.

Hill’s journey began with pure neighborly curiosity. “I mentioned to my neighbor one day while he was cutting his grass that if he ever wants to sell his house, I was interested in buying it”, she told TechCrunch. That conversation revealed a fundamental gap in the real estate market – buyers and sellers often miss each other entirely.

The PropTech startup Unlisted Homes addresses this disconnect through innovative technology. Using public records of 21 million homes, Unlisted created “profiles” for each property, providing the same kind of information that you would find on any other real estate listings site. However, their secret weapon goes far beyond simple property data.

Revolutionary Waitlist Technology Drives Success

What sets this off-market real estate platform apart is its waitlist functionality. “We put a waitlist on every single property profile, so a buyer that admires a home can add themselves to a waiting list”, explained Hill during her Unlisted Homes TechCrunch Disrupt pitch.

The results speak volumes about market demand. Since launching the waitlist feature in June, Unlisted has generated waitlists for 5,700 homes, representing about $4 billion worth of potential real estate transactions. These aren’t just casual browsers – they represent serious buyer intent for specific properties.

This PropTech startup Unlisted Homes has tapped into something profound. Buyers frequently fall in love with homes that aren’t for sale, driving past dream properties daily with no way to express interest. Traditional real estate leaves these connections unmade, but Unlisted Homes bridges that gap systematically.

The platform’s success at TechCrunch Disrupt real estate pitches demonstrates how technology can solve age-old problems. When someone joins a waitlist, homeowners get notified there’s interest in their property. From there, they can update their listing, add information, and chat with potential buyers.

Strategic Revenue Model and Market Positioning

Unlike traditional real estate platforms that charge hefty commissions, this off-market real estate platform takes a different approach. Unlisted doesn’t plan to facilitate real estate transactions through the platform. Rather, Unlisted will sell sponsorships on individual ZIP codes to real estate agents, whose information will be linked to every home in that ZIP code as a local expert.

This revenue strategy positions Unlisted Homes TechCrunch Disrupt success within the broader PropTech ecosystem. The global PropTech market size reached $40.19 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at an impressive 11.9% CAGR through 2032. Their timing aligns perfectly with industry expansion.

The PropTech startup Unlisted Homes also plans broader service integration. Later, the company hopes to connect local homeowners with resources that a homeowner might need, like roofers or electricians. “Our goal is to be a national platform, but at the end of the day, real estate ends up local”, Hill emphasized.

Their first partnerships are already materializing. The company just had their first mortgage company join, in addition to real estate agents, expanding their local service ecosystem beyond traditional boundaries.

Mobile-First Innovation at TechCrunch Disrupt

The Unlisted Homes TechCrunch Disrupt presentation included a major product announcement. The company announced onstage at Disrupt that it’s launching an iOS app, having previously been a web platform only. This mobile expansion represents a crucial growth milestone.

Mobile-first approaches dominate modern real estate technology. PropTech solutions are experiencing rapid adoption, with the global market expected to reach $119.45 billion by 2032. The timing of their iOS app launch during TechCrunch Disrupt real estate competition maximizes visibility and market impact.

The iOS app launch represents a key milestone for user engagement. Mobile-first property searching has become the norm, and having waitlist notifications push to phones could significantly increase platform stickiness and transaction velocity.

This off-market real estate platform understands that successful PropTech companies must meet users where they are – on their phones. The app enables real-time notifications when properties become available, creating immediate action opportunities for interested buyers.

Competitive Landscape and Market Timing

The Unlisted Homes TechCrunch Disrupt success comes at an optimal moment in real estate technology evolution. North America dominates the global PropTech market with a 38.03% share, creating favorable conditions for American innovation.

Traditional real estate faces significant challenges that benefit this PropTech startup Unlisted Homes. Traditional real estate faces inventory shortages while buyers increasingly want more control over their home search process. By creating a pre-market layer, Unlisted potentially solves both problems.

The company’s approach differs markedly from established players. While Zillow and competitors focus on active listings, this off-market real estate platform creates entirely new inventory channels. Their TechCrunch Disrupt real estate presentation highlighted this unique positioning effectively.

Market conditions favor their expansion. PropTech investment continues growing, with significant funding flowing into innovative real estate solutions. The sector’s compound annual growth rate exceeds 13% globally, providing substantial tailwinds for promising startups.

Founder Journey and Funding Success

Hill’s entrepreneurial path to Unlisted Homes TechCrunch Disrupt success reads like a modern startup playbook. After hearing Kayak co-founder Paul English on the “How I Built This” podcast, Hill cold-emailed him with her pitch deck asking for technical advice. English connected her with Kayak’s former chief architect Bill O’Donnell, who became both an angel investor and board member.

This networking approach demonstrates how successful PropTech startup Unlisted Homes founders leverage industry connections strategically. The company has built a strong foundation with experienced advisors who understand scaling technology platforms.

The broader funding environment supports continued growth. Recent PropTech funding rounds show strong investor appetite, with companies raising substantial capital for innovative real estate solutions. This off-market real estate platform is well-positioned to capitalize on investor interest following their strong TechCrunch Disrupt real estate performance.

Looking Toward the Future

The Unlisted Homes TechCrunch Disrupt appearance represents just the beginning of their expansion plans. After hours of deliberations, TechCrunch editors narrowed the list down to five finalists: Charter Space, Glīd, MacroCycle, Nephrogen, and Unlisted Homes. While they didn’t win the grand prize, reaching the final five among 200 competitors validates their market potential.

Their technology approach positions them well for future growth. The PropTech market is projected to reach over $179 billion by 2034, driven by artificial intelligence, IoT integration, and mobile-first platforms. This PropTech startup Unlisted Homes incorporates all these trends effectively.

The off-market real estate platform also benefits from changing consumer behavior. Younger buyers increasingly expect digital-first experiences, seamless mobile interfaces, and innovative property discovery methods. Traditional real estate agents who embrace these tools will thrive, while others may struggle to compete.

Key Market Drivers Supporting Growth:

• Inventory Shortages: Traditional real estate struggles with limited available properties
• Digital Transformation: Buyers demand modern, technology-driven experiences
• Mobile Adoption: Smartphone-first property searching becomes the standard
• Efficiency Demands: Both buyers and sellers seek faster, more transparent processes
• Local Connections: Community-based real estate relationships remain crucial

Industry Impact and Broader Implications

The success of Unlisted Homes TechCrunch Disrupt presentation signals broader shifts in real estate technology. Traditional MLS systems and standard listing platforms may face disruption from innovative approaches that create new inventory sources.

This PropTech startup Unlisted Homes demonstrates how entrepreneurs can identify and solve fundamental market inefficiencies. Their approach doesn’t compete directly with existing platforms but rather expands the entire market by accessing previously unavailable inventory.

The TechCrunch Disrupt real estate competition showcased multiple innovative companies, but few addressed such a large, underserved market segment. Most real estate companies showcase homes that are listed for sale, which typically represent only 2% of all homes. Unlike these traditional approaches, Unlisted bills itself as the first real estate platform to make every home discoverable regardless of its sale status.

Their technology could fundamentally change how Americans buy and sell homes. Instead of waiting for properties to hit the market, buyers can express interest early and potentially secure their dream homes before traditional competition begins.

Conclusion: A New Chapter in Real Estate Innovation

The Unlisted Homes TechCrunch Disrupt journey from neighborhood conversation to Top 5 finalist exemplifies American entrepreneurship at its finest. Hill transformed personal frustration into a scalable business model addressing a $31 trillion market opportunity.

This off-market real estate platform proves that the best innovations often solve obvious problems that everyone else overlooked. By focusing on the 98% of homes not currently for sale, they created an entirely new market category within the rapidly growing PropTech sector.

The PropTech startup Unlisted Homes success at TechCrunch Disrupt real estate competition validates their approach and positions them for significant expansion. With $4 billion in transaction interest already demonstrated, strong technology leadership, and a clear revenue model, they’re well-positioned to capitalize on favorable market conditions.

As the real estate industry continues its digital transformation, companies like Unlisted Homes that combine innovative technology with deep market understanding will lead the way forward. Their TechCrunch Disrupt performance marks not an ending, but the beginning of their journey to reshape how Americans discover and purchase homes.

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