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How to get started as a Host on HOUFY & Tips for New HOUFY Hosts!


What is HOUFY?


HOUFY is a popular vacation rental platform that was created for Real Estate and Travel professionals, where members can easily add properties for sale or for rent -- free from service fees & commissions!


If you’re tired of losing opportunities and struggling to find a better way to connect directly with your ideal guests, struggle no more by joining the HOUFY revolution!


HOUFY derived from the phrase, House for You, is currently the largest book direct vacation rental site for homes, condos, cabins, apartments and rooms. HOUFY hosts more than 55,000+ properties worldwide and is the primary source for connecting guests with vacation rentals and properties around the world with no booking or service fees.

If you want to list your property for FREE, HOUFY is the only marketplace that allows members to book and connect with guest direct, without ever having to worry about paying costly service fees. HOUFY offers members a free publishing platform which is an ideal place to develop and strengthen your property's marketing efforts by sharing your personal knowledge and expertise of nearby travel destinations that attract guest to your location and property. HOUFY’S goal and platforms are pretty simple. They work to connect people and places. With a name derived from, “HOUSE For You.” HOUFY hosts promote their listings socially and connect directly with travelers using creative content that targets specific guest avatars.


Take a look at HOUFY’s mission statement, “HOUFY provides an easy to use, unique and enhanced experience to list or find vacation rental properties with no booking fees or communication restrictions.” (https://www.houfy.com/houfyinc/posts/all-about-houfy-and-frequently-asked-questions-9272)


Overall HOUFY is aimed to connect people and places. and they provide a social site where members share blog stories that promote a travel destinations or experience, and “all around their short-term rental listings! Our team at Vacation Rental Professionals, is dedicated to share the HOUFY word with new hosts, far and wide.


Why is HOUFY better than Airbnb/Vrbo?



There's no getting around the fact that Airbnb is the most popular site, currently known for short term rentals. HOWEVER, most experienced hosts are also very aware that listing with Airbnb/Vrbo may also mean lowering your rates to remain competitive amongst more than 2.9 million hosts, worldwide. Many Airbnb and Vrbo hosts feel pressured and lose profits to platform service fees that work against their bottom line.


Remove the middleman. Register with HOUFY!


The HOUFY listing process is pretty simple. This is the site to use if you’re looking for full control and want your return guests to connect directly with you. They offer direct payment services, which allow hosts to collect payments directly from guests and accept payments how they prefer. And to remind you, FREE is freedom! There is absolutely no cost, no catches, no trials, no commissions and no service fees.


HOUFY allows hosts to charge whatever they want per night. I recommend researching the rates of similar properties in your area to stay competitive. But in general, the more bedrooms and bathrooms your rental space has, the more you can charge per night.

HOUFY is the perfect vacation rental marketplace that connects hosts with travelers from your home country and abroad. Although running a vacation rental is hard work, the HOUFY platform will give you access to insights, helpful resources, and useful tools that will enable you to save time and drive bookings.


How to use HOUFY?


HOUFY strives to combine the best elements of social networks and marketplace features, all on the same platform! HOUFY is also movement. Think of it as a social community of like-minded members that grows and evolves organically as members add listings and new destinations. Using HOUFY is as simple as creating a FREE user account with your email address and site password and then importing your airbnb or vrbo listing. From Houfy you can share posts from your profile directly to social media, make friends and connect with other members. Every action in HOUFY works to increase interest and attention on your short-term rental listing(s).


HOUFY - New Host Tips to Increase Profitability


Listing on HOUFY comes with several benefits for property owners and is 100% worth trying out! It’s become easier than ever to turn any space into a short-term rental investment property. From treehouses to guest houses, it seems like just about everybody is considering hosting. Many people are realizing that being a full-time vacation rental owner can be extremely profitable, but they also might feel like they could get more results.

Fortunately, it is possible to improve your income significantly, but it will take a lot of hard work, creativity, and sacrifice. If you are not willing to invest time, money, and hard work, it’s unlikely your revenue will grow. Remember that it’s important to manage your income expectations.

Buying and managing a STR can and should be exciting! This is your opportunity to show off your beautiful property, meet new people, and earn an income! All these things co

me as a positive, but it’s important to temper certain expectations, so you and your budget won’t suffer.


Here’s a short list of what you can do as a host to make your STR business more successful.



  1. Have an Inviting Description, well-staged photos, and a well written description will help to show your potential guests what makes your listing unique. When you use your houfy listing link in social media, the first lines of your listing will show in previews so you'll want to make sure that first paragraph has all the keywords that will draw your ideal guest's attention!

  2. Prepare Your HOUFY Listing. A great listing includes accurate descriptions and basic details about all of the space’s important information—how many rooms and bathrooms there are, what amenities will be available to the guest, and what’s nearby the property. The nice thing about houfy is that you can include any level of detail needed so that you guests will know exactly what is included and what isn't.

  3. Improve Your Visibility. Use your customized houfy listing link and post it everywhere across social media channels! Create a facebook page that links to your houfy listing, post the link in interest based facebook groups, drive SEO traffic to your listing by creating a website that uses the houfy embed tools to direct your potential guests to your houfy listing or profile. The more visible you are to your potential guests over time, means more business for you! And it's FREE! You don't have to pay a penny in marketing to do it!

  4. Grow Your Business. Once you become familiar with hosting on HOUFY and find a routine that works with your lifestyle, you can expand your hosting into a full-time venture. Depending on your goals, you could even continue to grow your business by adding more properties, adjusting your hosting approach to cater to each individual listing.

  5. Expect Unforeseen costs. Surprise! Something unexpected happened🙁 Whether it’s your personal property or your vacation home, things break, bust, and go awry. It’s never ideal, but a portion of your budget should take this into account too. Preparing for accidents and emergencies will save you from surprise when it comes to calculating your take-home earnings.

The ultimate goal of owning a HOUFY short-term rental is to get as much out of your investment as possible. Making small adjustments to your vacation rental can have a huge payoff later on.

Buying the property is the most important step, but overlooking the details could cost you potential income. The changes we’ve suggested are going to impress your guests and benefit your wallet in a big way.


If you think your business is stalled and you’re looking to increase profits on your STR property, consider joining VACATION RENTAL PROFESSIONALS LEAN NETWORK. We support new hosts with a collection of resources and services to help them make Wiser investment strategies that focus on growth & marketing. If you think you or your business would benefit with the guidance of experienced hosts who offer 1:1 coaching, process improvements, pricing tools and social media marketing, join VRP and join the HOUFY revolution!

Learn More with VRP!

Join the Vacation Rental Professionals Network!

End the struggle and connect with like-minded STR professionals who know how to grow business and increase revenues, year over year! Click the button below to sign up for our FREE VRP VIPs six-week training series or to join our AIRBNB / VRBO / HOUFY / Short Term Rental Host Community! I can't wait to connect with you!








Stacey Lynn Mueller, Vacation Rental Professionals

Let's chat about your business goals! Set up some time with me here to see how the VRP Lean Network can help you achieve your goals! The call is free!

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