Life at HomeAway

Founded by Brian Sharples and Carl Shepherd in February 2005, the idea behind HomeAway was to revolutionize the historically-fragmented vacation rental industry and establish the company as the clear market leader. The entrepreneurial spirit of the pioneers who created the very first vacation rental sites, many of which are now part of the HomeAway portfolio, fueled the early growth of the business and set the tone for the company culture that exists today.

At HomeAway we work as a team, we work hard and we're competitive, but we always make time to celebrate our successes. From peer-nominated awards for those who have exceeded expectations with a free vacation, to company parties that celebrate holidays and achievements, we strive to maintain a culture where everyone's content and proud to call HomeAway their "home away from home!"

Hear more about the growth of HomeAway from the men who started it all:

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Strength in Numbers

We know one of the keys to HomeAway's continued growth is our significant network.  As a broader selection of vacation rentals become available on our sites, more travelers turn to HomeAway for their vacation planning.  And with more travelers, comes a new wave of homeowners and managers who want to advertise with us. 

Internally, our organization continues to expand to keep up with the business, growing from 87 employees in 2005 to nearly 1,200 in 2012.  Here are all of the locations in which HomeAway has teams:

Collaboration and communication are essential in managing our globally-dispersed team.  As a result, HomeAway executives implemented a weekly all-staff meeting, known as "Table Talks" that gives employees updates on the progress of the business, addresses questions and/or concerns, and gives project managers the opportunity preview their latest accomplishments.

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Leading by Example is Key

Our Executives

Our executive team, comprised of online, eCommerce and travel industry veterans are involved, accessible and welcome ideas from everyone, regardless of tenure or status. Not to mention, more than half of our C-Team members are vacation rental homeowners, so they can offer a first-hand perspective on how we can improve our sites and services.
Meet the Executives

Our Organization
Since HomeAway's inception, we’ve acquired several of the leading vacation rental brands around the world, hired a world-class team and have made significant investments to improve the experience for homeowners and travelers by introducing tools and services such as ReservationManager™ and the first-of-its-kind Carefree Rental Guarantee. We also host industry-wide events including the HomeAway Owners Summit, which gives owners and property managers the tools and tips to maximize their rental business, as well as RezFest, the premier technology user’s conference for the vacation rental industry.