Richmond buyers are waitlisting homes that aren't for sale
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A row of homes on Hanover Avenue in the Fan, where properties regularly go for over $1 million. Photo: Sabrina Moreno/Axios
Richmonders are joining waitlists for houses that aren't for sale — yet.
Why it matters: Richmond's inventory has been getting tighter for years, single-family homes are moving fast and often above asking, and that scarcity has buyers looking for an edge.
- That's where a website called Unlisted comes in.
How it works: Founded by Ohio entrepreneur Katie Hill last year, the platform pulls from public property records nationwide and lets buyers join waitlists for homes that aren't on the market, notifying homeowners when interest exists.
- Homeowners can claim their property's profile, update photos and details, and initiate conversations with potential buyers.
- AI-generated summaries provide information about a home's history and estimated market value.
- Unlisted will also remove a home from the site within 24 hours of a homeowner's request, Hill tells Axios.
Between the lines: In metro Richmond, buyers have waitlisted 101 homes since the site launched last June, per Unlisted data provided to Axios.
- All but one are in the city.
- Nationwide, there's about 37,000 waitlisted homes — nearly 10 times the number of properties claimed by homeowners.
What they're saying: "Basically, the idea is to not have a homeowner wait until they put a sign in the yard to understand the marketability of their home," Hill says.
- Hill adds the platform gives buyers a chance to slow down a process that often feels rushed — especially in a market where homes are snapped up quickly.
By the numbers: Single-family homes in metro Richmond last month were sold within 17 days of being put on the market, down from 22 days in May 2025, according to data from the Richmond Association of Realtors.
- Inventory fell 13.7%, new listings dropped 4.8% and sellers received an average of 101.6% of their asking price.
The intrigue: Anecdotally, Richmond buyers tend to seek off-market homes when inventory is low, Laura Lafayette, the association's CEO, tells Axios.
- And metro Richmond has "been hovering between 1 and 1.5 months of supply for several years now."
- Though she's not hearing about direct outreach as much as she was five or six years ago.
Reality check: Lafayette cautions against buyer "love letters" because they can reveal information protected by fair housing laws.
- Her advice: Sellers should widely market their homes, and buyers should work with licensed real estate professionals instead of going it alone.
The bottom line: Unlisted is a new digital waitlist for a persistent problem: too many buyers, too few homes.
Go deeper: Found your dream house? Skip the note, hit the waitlist