imgres-2HomeAway, the world’s biggest marketplace for vacation home rentals, has struck an agreement with Expedia to offer its properties on the popular travel search site.
The pilot is expected to launch early next year and it will include properties in the U.S. and Mexico, according to a news release.
“This is a significant milestone for the vacation rental industry and for realizing HomeAway’s mission to make every vacation rental in the world available to every traveler in the world,” HomeAway CEO Brian Sharples said in a news release. “As one of the most visited online travel agencies, each month Expedia.com will give millions of travelers the opportunity to discover the benefits of booking a vacation rental, and we look forward to also helping our customers increase the visibility of their properties.”
In addition to the Expedia deal, this month HomeAway launched two new services: a pay per booking model and its professional referral network.
Under its new system, homeowners and property managers can opt to pay 10 percent of the rental charge every time a home is booked.
HomeAway also launched a Professional Referral Network which offers a director of professional property management services.
The new service is also targeted at homeowners who rent their properties for six weeks or less, particularly those in seasonal destinations or cities that hold popular events.