Houfy's New Chapter: Embracing a Bright Future with Subscription Plans

We founded Houfy to address certain prevalent industry pain points. The core idea was simple yet profound – eliminate commission fees and restore control to homeowners and guests under the principles,"Your house, Your rules"

We start this new journey by wanting to express our deepest gratitude to you, our invaluable community of hosts. Your engagement, feedback and trust have been instrumental in shaping Houfy.

To support the diverse needs of our vibrant community of direct booking enthusiasts, whilst allowing Houfy to continue to operate and grow, we are thrilled to reaffirm our commitment:

Listing your property on Houfy will REMAIN FREE for members using our basic features. (Excluding a One-Time Host Verification Fee)

Introducing Houfy's Subscription Program

Our strategic subscription program is tailored to support Houfy's growth. We're excited to offer Lite and Premium subscriptions, providing advanced tools for hosts while keeping basic listings free. This approach caters to the varied needs of our community, ensuring Houfy's continuous evolution.

To uphold our mission and foster further growth, a shift in our revenue model is imperative. By introducing a freemium model, where hosts can opt for a small monthly subscription fee for additional features and benefits we are aiming at generating a steady revenue stream.

These new subscription plans are a strategic move to foster Houfy's growth and allow Houfy to capitalize on the many specialized tools and features that enhance your hosting experience while maintaining free access for basic listing(s).

Why are we introducing subscription plans?

1. Property Marketing & Branding - Generating more organic bookings & increasing brand-awareness.

Transitioning to a freemium model allows us to tackle the marketing challenge head-on. With stable revenue, we can now actively promote houfy, aiming to significantly boost organic bookings to your properties.

This change is designed to benefit all hosts: more marketing leads to more bookings, attracting more hosts, more guests, and creating a thriving marketplace. It’s a win-win investment; your subscription fee comes back to you through increased bookings and a stronger community, breaking the current catch-22 and making Houfy a more appealing choice for everyone involved.

2. Cost Covering - Ensuring the continued growth and sustainability of Houfy

The main reason is to: cover operational costs, while also enabling reinvestment into endeavours to bolster Houfy's presence and community impact.

3. Increased security & verification - Creating a safer community in houfy

Amidst recent updates to our verification process including a standardized host verification fee, elevate the safety and trust within our community, making Houfy a more secure place for both hosts and guests. Additionally, better verification paves the way for strategic partnerships and marketing opportunities. As we boost the credibility of our platform, we open doors to collaborations that can further promote your properties.

This not only enhances Houfy's reputation but directly contributes to increasing your booking rates.

Your subscription or 1 time host verification fee payment, required before February 15th, 2024, is an investment in a safer, more marketable Houfy, creating a cycle of growth and security that benefits us all.

The Next Steps for Houfy: Marketing and Growth Initiatives

With the introduction of our subscription plans, Houfy is poised to enter an exciting phase of active marketing and growth. This new stream of revenue will enable us to invest in comprehensive marketing strategies for the first time. Our focus will be on increasing Houfy's visibility and attractiveness in the vacation rental market, aiming to drive more organic bookings and enhance brand awareness. By actively promoting our platform, we expect to attract a larger base of hosts and guests, creating a thriving marketplace. This is a pivotal moment in Houfy's journey, marking a transition from a primarily community-driven growth model to one that combines community support with strategic marketing efforts. Our goal is to make Houfy a leading choice for direct booking enthusiasts, fostering a cycle of growth and prosperity for our community.

We are excited about the future and want to thank you for being with us on this journey. Together, we will make Houfy the best direct booking advertising platform for hosts and continue on our mission to empower everyone to book direct and save on service fees.

Thank you,

Swapnil & Thijs with the Houfy Team