Our platform is inspired by the success of Airbnb, and we aim to offer a simple and modern user experience that appeals to the 21st century. We believe that traditional vacation rental websites are outdated and only Airbnb has managed to appeal to the next generation of vacation rental seekers.
We've chosen to focus on the travel industry because of the high fees charged by online travel agencies (OTA) such as Booking.com, Airbnb, VRBO, and TripAdvisor. When you search for a place to stay in Breckenridge, Colorado, you're likely to end up on one of these sites, and you'll pay 12-20% in fees for the privilege of booking "instantaneously". We think that's too much, and we want to give guests a choice to pay hosts directly without paying such high commissions.
We've also created a social site to make it easy for members to share local information and travel tips, and to invite their friends and clients to join. Each post on our social site is indexed by Google, which helps us to be found by prospective users who are searching for local information. Our community is a place where people can learn from each other and share their experiences.
In summary, Houfy's "just cause" is to create a platform that helps property owners, managers, and agents share their vacation rentals and connect with their clients and guests without paying any service fees. We believe that online middlemen fees are too high, and we're building a movement of like-minded individuals who want to change the way the vacation rental market works. As of the end of 2022, we've grown to be the largest book direct vacation rental platform in the world, with over 55,000 listings globally. Join our community and help Houfy make a difference.
