May 14, 2013

Silicon Hills

Startup Advice from Serial Entrepreneurs in Austin - Laura Lorek
"He took the company public in 1999 and stayed on for a few years and then he joined Austin Ventures. That’s where he met Brian Sharples. They had coffee at Starbucks, the one that’s across the street from what’s now HomeAway’s headquarters. At that Starbucks, they started brainstorming ideas for businesses. They came up with one for selling information on outsourcing. But they both settled on addressing the pain in the vacation rental market. They both had families who liked to stay in rental homes instead of hotels when they travelled."

May 14, 2013

Patch

Renting Out Your Home: Tips and Strategies for Homeowners in Los Al-Seal Beach - Paige Austin
"In 2012, approximately 80 percent of vacation home purchasers cited rental income as the main reason for their buy, according to HomeAway Senior Vice President Jon Gray. The Internet vacation rental website lists approximately 711,000 properties across 171 countries—and about half of HomeAway’s clients cover more than 75 percent of their home's mortgage with rental income."

May 13, 2013

Newsroom Jersey

Looking to Rent Out your Home For the Super Bowl? - Rebecca Sheehan
"Come winter the state of New Jersey may see a lot of residents offering their home space up for a short-term football fanatic. Although the idea of making some easy cash for incoming fans seems genius, it also carries risks. Homeowners need to take insurance precautions in case of damage to their homes and injuries to their temporary tenants, as well as making sure they are properly and securely paid."

May 09, 2013

Associated Press

Southwest Airlines executive joins HomeAway board
"Vacation-rentals provider HomeAway Inc. said Thursday that it added Southwest Airlines Co.'s chief marketing officer to its board. Kevin Krone, who is also a vice president at the airline, replaces Phil Siegel of Austin Ventures on the HomeAway board."

May 04, 2013

Austin American-Statesman

I love my Austin job: HomeAway’s Charles Wagner - Mauri Elbel
"Whether he’s globetrotting and setting up desk across the ocean or sitting in his glass-walled office nestled within HomeAway Inc.’s downtown Austin world headquarters, Charles Wagner loves his job."

May 03, 2013

Financial Times

On location: ‘The Great Gatsby’ - Joanne O'Connor
"Where to stay: Oheka Castle Hotel (rooms from $395) and Glen Cove Mansion Hotel (from $199) both deliver when it comes to Gatsby-era grandeur, but for maximum authenticity you’ll need to hire a seaside cottage like Carraway’s. There’s a good selection on www.vrbo.com and www.homeaway.com, with rates from $2,000 per week for a clapboard cottage with a pool overlooking Long Island Sound (www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p938865)."

May 03, 2013

Family Circle

10 Ways to Save on Family Travel - Stacey L. Bradford
"Vacation rentals can save you up to 30% in total trip costs, says Frommer. You also get more space as well as amenities, like a kitchen. Search on VRBO.com and HomeAway.com."

April 30, 2013

The Wall Street Journal

Brian Sharples: A Good Business Idea Is Just the Beginning - Brian Sharples
"The most important “aha” moment wasn’t the idea to build the biggest vacation rental marketplace, but rather the realization of how to do it. And that took a deep understanding of the market we were trying to enter. And thankfully, the vision for the how turned out to be a winning strategy."

April 25, 2013

Entrepreneur

HomeAway Partners With Gogobot to Gain a New Edge in Vacation Rentals - Brian Patrick Eha
"Vacation-rental giant HomeAway has partnered with vacation recommendation site Gogobot to launch "Insider Guides," a new feature that allows rental-property owners to provide localized tips and recommendations to prospective renters."

April 23, 2013

Chicago Tribune

Seniors on the Go: Summer trip planning: Vacation rentals - Ed Perkins
"Online vacation rental marketplaces offer a far wider range of properties. The industry's giant, HomeAway.com, posts almost a half million rentals, and other big websites, including FlipKey.com, Rentalo.com and Orbitz display immense rental lists. These lists include lots of budget-priced accommodations as well as upmarket options."

April 17, 2013

Fodors

Tips for Surviving a Multigenerational Vacation - Aaron Starmer
"Rental properties are abundant and diverse. A quick search on leading sites VRBO.com and HomeAway.com will return plenty of inventory beyond the typical ski cabins and beachside bungalows. As long as you plan ahead, you can rent just about anywhere. For this spring break, my family booked a three-bedroom waterfront home in the Florida Keys. It came with WiFi, a dock, two decks, a pool, and a hot tub, and it was half the price of a week in a hotel."

April 16, 2013

Entrepreneur

Startups Offer Aid After Boston Marathon Attack - Brian Patrick Eha
"Vacation-rental company HomeAway has set up a web page to connect those who need a place to stay in Boston with property owners. It is also hosting a spreadsheet where those seeking shelter can explain their needs and provide contact information. HomeAway currently has 184 vacation homes listed for rent in Boston, and owners typically offer a discounted rate or a free stay in disaster recovery situations."

April 09, 2013

Austin Business Journal

HomeAway boosts timeshare ties - Sarah Drake
"Austin-based HomeAway Inc. has formed partnerships with three companies in the timeshare industry in an effort to let vacant and unsold inventory as vacation rentals. Timeshare properties from Island One Resorts, Welk Resorts and ResorTime.com will be listed on HomeAway's website as the companies seek to reach more travelers, company officials said in a press release."

April 06, 2013

Austin American-Statesman

Zehr: Austin’s international presence on the rise - Dan Zehr
"But the younger, up-and-coming technology names are boosting the region’s standing overseas as well. When HomeAway acquired VRBO in 2006, it added — and simultaneously became — one of the top global brands for online vacation rentals. It now has about 500 employees outside the U.S., including at offices in Europe, Brazil and Australia."

April 04, 2013

The Wall Street Journal

Before Becoming a Landlord, Add Up Costs - Anya Martin
"The lure of rental income is a big driver for vacation-home purchases, said Jon Gray, senior vice president of HomeAway, a company that provides online listings for vacation-home rentals... Beyond a second income source, many older buyers who are approaching retirement age are taking the opportunity to purchase a high-end second home at a more affordable price now and rent it out until their retirement, Mr. Gray said."

April 04, 2013

The Street

Suddenly, We're Shopping for Vacation Homes Again - Jeff Brown
"A partner in the survey, HomeAway (AWAY), operator of online rental sites such as Vacation Rentals By Owner, noted that 38% of vacation homebuyers said they were motivated primarily by low prices. Another 28% cited the desire for a family retreat."

April 04, 2013

Forbes

6 Money-Saving Travel Secrets - Kerry Hannon
"For trips lasting more than three nights, a couple can save 40 to 60 percent booking an empty apartment or a condo with a kitchen, instead of a hotel room. That’s why VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) is a site I’ve grown fond of over the past few years. I’ve booked apartments in places ranging from Annecy, France to Florida’s Siesta Key through VRBO and have never been disappointed."

April 03, 2013

Forbes

The Surest Way To Build A Billion-Dollar Internet Company - Bruce Upbin
"A full two-thirds of the 24 publicly traded U.S. Internet companies worth more than $1 billion are digital transaction firms. The billion-dollar club includes a heavy dose of travel, local and real estate businesses. The list includes Priceline, Expedia, TripAdvisor, HomeAway, Groupon, OpenTable, Yelp and Zillow."

April 03, 2013

Austin Business Journal

Cirrus Logic, HomeAway employees to rock for HAAM - Chad Swiatecki
"Bands made of employees from Austin companies such as Cirrus Logic Inc., HomeAway Inc., St. David’s Foundation and Seton Healthcare will compete in the sixth annual Corporate Battle of the Bands, benefiting the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians."

March 31, 2013

CultureMap Austin

Downtown Austin will Light It Up Blue for autism awareness - Ryan Lakich
"April 2 marks World Autism Awareness Day, and landmarks including the Empire State Building and the Sydney Opera House have lit up in previous years. Local businesses and buildings in Austin join those landmarks and thousands of others this year in making a statement for autism awareness. One of those local Austin businesses is HomeAway, and company co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Carl Shepherd is proud to support those who need help."

March 31, 2013

ABQ Journal

Comforts of home for vacationers - Jane Mahoney
"These are just some of the benefits made available by homeowners for the growing number of travelers who choose to access short-term vacation rental homes through various listing agencies. It’s a growing trend among travelers desiring to add a bit of pizzazz to their accommodations and perhaps even save some money as well, particularly if they share costs with other family members or friends."

March 25, 2013

The Week

Making money: Tricks for working from home, and more - Sergio Hernandez

"If you're vacationing on a budget, there are some smart ways to save money, said Farnoosh Torabi at Yahoo. First, time your vacation right — try to arrive before or after high season to take advantage of lower rates. Skip the hotel and rent a condo or home instead. Check out sites like VRBO.com, HomeAway.com, and VacationRentals.com to deal with property owners directly."

March 20, 2013

The Next Web

US holiday site HomeAway partners with Travelmob to list rentals in Southeast Asia - Jon Russell

"According to the deal, Travelmob’s listings will show in searches when a visitor to the HomeAway site browses for properties in Asia Pacific. A spokesperson confirmed that both sides are working to make the experience more seamless going forward, which could see Travelmob listings include in the site with more visibility."

March 17, 2013

Forbes

The Good, The Bad and The Tragic: Stories of Acquisition for Growth - Cheryl Conner

"In summary, Shepherd advises entrepreneurs to be clear and strategic about the type of company they’re seeking. He notes that HomeAway sought the market leaders in each country within a very tight range of business models to select the 18 acquisitions (so far) they’ve pursued."

March 12, 2013

Bloomberg Businessweek

Google Benefits as Priceline Outspends Expedia on Web Ads: Tech - Ari Levy, Brian Womack
"Brian Sharples, a Kayak board member, is mimicking Priceline’s search strategy at HomeAway Inc. (AWAY), the vacation- rental company he co-founded in 2005. Sharples said his Austin, Texas-based company has been spending about $10 million in offline advertising, including a controversial Super Bowl commercial in 2011, and is bringing all of that online."

March 08, 2013

Investor's Business Daily

HomeAway's Success Stems From An Early Failure - Morey Stettner
"Now 52, Sharples learned from that experience "to invest in better people" to round out his entrepreneurial skills. At the time, he figured he could do everything himself. But his abortive startup taught him to recruit an executive team with wide-ranging expertise."

March 05, 2013

Skift

How HomeAway’s CEO tapped into Kayak’s mobile “genius” - Dennis Schaal
"He goes so far as to say that tablets almost shouldn’t be considered mobile devices when it comes to vacation rentals because customer behavior on tablets so mirrors desktop behavior, while advanced booking of vacation rentals at this point may be too complex on incongruous for smartphone use."

February 27, 2013

Bloomberg

We Don't Consider Airbnb Competition: HomeAway CEO - Emily Chang
"HomeAway CEO Brian Sharples discusses the company's new subscription model and competition with Airbnb. He speaks with Emily Chang on Bloomberg Television's
'Bloomberg West.' [VIDEO]"

February 26, 2013

Kiplinger

21 Secrets to Save on Travel - Stacy Rapacon
"Consider a home rental for your vacation, especially when traveling with a big group. Such rentals often offer more space and amenities for prices similar to or less than hotels. HomeAway.com offers the biggest selection of rentals, with more than 325,000 listings worldwide."

February 25, 2013

Austin Business Journal

HomeAway part of national coalition - Christopher Calnan
"The Short Term Rental Advocacy Center was formed by Austin-based HomeAway, California-based Airbnb Inc., Boston-based TripAdvisor Inc. and FlipKey Inc. following requests from users and local policymakers nationally, officials said."

February 22, 2013

MarketWatch

The hidden costs of being a snowbird - Catey Hill
"Among recent vacation home buyers, one in three bought because of the good deals on real estate, according to a 2012 study by vacation rental site HomeAway.com.
'There’s definitely been an increase in interest [in buying second homes] because people know there are great deals right now,' says Karyn Glubis, a real-estate broker in Tampa."

February 19, 2013

CNN

Amazing apartment rentals -- and some budget options, too - Maureen Jenkins
"And the financial savings of renting a "flat" can be significant. Many elegant, wonderfully furnished apartments will cost you less per person, per night than even an average hotel room in world-class cities. You're likely to be able to afford a much nicer rental apartment than you can per night at a four-or five-star hotel. So why not trade up when you're on vacation?"

February 16, 2013

ABC News

6 Tips to Save Money on Your Ski Vacation
"Urbaczewski says renting a big house and splitting the costs with a group of friends or family is much cheaper than renting separate hotel rooms or condos. He recommends visiting sites such as Vrbo.com or HomeAway.com to find individual homeowners who live near a ski resort. '(The homeowners) are often willing to negotiate, particularly the further in advance you inquire,' he says."

February 12, 2013

CNBC

Jersey Shore Rental Listings Surge to Record - Stephanie Landsman
"Less than four months after super storm Sandy tore through prime vacation destinations at the Jersey shore, homeowners are advertising their seasonal rental properties in record numbers, according to HomeAway.com CEO Brian Sharples."

February 04, 2013

Examiner

Uncommon accommodations: Looking beyond the hotel room - Emily Friess
"Most individuals do not even consider apartments to be a feasible accommodation while on a trip or vacation. However, if you plan on being in a destination for four nights or more, an apartment can truly be a home away from home, and a huge money saver. Generally, apartments can be rented through sites such as HomeAway and can be significantly less expensive than area hotels. The best part? Being able to cook! You will be able to save a ton of money on food alone just by going to the local grocery store and eating meals in. Most apartments also come equipped with washer and dryer (meaning you can pack less) and wireless internet."

February 01, 2013

The Desert Sun

Luxury for rent: Vacation properties mean savings for travelers, tax money for cities - Skip Descant
"HomeAway, a national online listing and booking site for vacation rentals, found that 35 percent of travelers booking vacation rentals in 2012 were doing it for the first time, according to the company’s customer satisfaction survey.

HomeAway lists more than 3,000 homes in the California desert with some 1,100 of those in Palm Springs."