In 2009, the company was purchased by VRBO, a vacation rental website that offers accommodations to travelers looking to book a vacation home. The change in ownership did not affect the HomeAway website or mobile app, making it possible for travelers to book vacation homes and properties online.
HomeAway was purchased by Expedia in 2015.
HomeAway's headquarters are currently located in Seattle, WA but the company operates under the Expedia name. While this is a change in ownership, the company's operations remain largely the same. You can check out Expedia's website to see if there are any changes in service or fees.
After the acquisition, HomeAway went through a rebranding phase and started calling itself a “destination rental company.”
After the spinoff, HomeAway then went through a rebranding process. It started calling itself a “destination rental company” and began to change its business model. The company later started offering a subscription service that lets travelers book stays through the HomeAway website and pay a monthly fee.
HomeAway continued to operate as a separate brand but began to develop a closer relationship with Expedia.
HomeAway’s business model was to allow homeowners to list their properties for rent on the platform and then handle the bookings and management from their side. The company also offered vacation rental management services to property owners who didn’t want to handle the day-to-day operations.
In early 201HomeAway decided to rebrand as a single brand to better reflect its mission and vision.
Before HomeAway was purchased by a private investment firm, it was previously owned by Intermedia. After Intermedia acquired HomeAway in 2005, the brand started to slowly change as the company focused on generating more revenue. Over time, the company began to move away from the personal vacation experience and towards helping homeowners and renters find unique places to stay around the world.
Like most companies, HomeAway experiences change over time.
A great way to demonstrate HomeAway’s consistency is to look at its roots. The company was founded in 1998 by Brian Radford and his college roommate Chad Hausmann. The two had been traveling the world together for a few years when they decided to put their experience to good use and start a vacation rental service.
While it may be unlikely that HomeAway will ever go out of business, it’s unlikely that it will continue to operate as it has in the past.
In February of 2019, Amazon purchased the company for $200 million. Like Booking.com, you can still book a listing through the HomeAway website, but it will not be the same service that it once was. The company’s services will be completely integrated with Amazon’s.
That’s why it’s important to know what to expect from the company moving forward and to have a plan in place if you decide to rent from HomeAway.
HomeAway was purchased by Booking Holdings in May 2018 for about $2.5 billion dollars. The company is the parent company of VRBO, Vacation Rentals by Owner, Airbnb, and other vacation rental brands. You can learn more about the HomeAway purchase and its impact on owners and renters here.
Conclusion
After the company's sale, the board of directors decided to continue the brand as it had been before. While it's certainly not the same company, it's still a great place to book a vacation.
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