Houfy's New Chapter: Embracing a Bright Future With Subscription Plans

If you've been hosting on Houfy for a while, you probably know that our primary goal is to eliminate extra fees and give homeowners and guests more control. We all share a desire to take back power from big online booking sites and make the short-term rental market safer and more trustworthy.

To keep things running smoothly and help Houfy grow, we're sticking to our promise of keeping the basic service free while also adding some paid options. In this guide, we'll talk about our new paid features and what we're planning for the future of our direct booking marketplace. Let's get started!

Why Has Houfy Been Free So Far?

1. Embracing the DIY Spirit

Houfy's commitment to remaining free is deeply rooted in our desire to build a platform that genuinely caters to hosts' needs. It's a mutually beneficial relationship: we provide the platform, and hosts, in turn, take charge of promoting their own listings with self-marketing. Through this approach, we're not just offering a service but fostering a vision where hosts maintain complete control and independence over their rental experiences.

2. Cultivating a Community Committed to the Book Direct Vision

At the heart of Houfy is its community. The platform is about all of us coming together to contribute to a greater idea. Your success in leveraging the platform and seeing tangible results is a testament to this collective effort as we steadily progress toward a shared vision of a free, open, and direct marketplace.

3. Flexibility to Evolve and Enhance

Our free model has allowed us to adapt, enhance, and occasionally rectify features without the pressure to be flawless. Think of Houfy as a community-driven project that allows us to respond thoughtfully to feedback and grow in tandem with our users. This approach is pivotal to our vision of building a platform that truly resonates with the community's needs, embracing the book direct movement principles.

Houfy community service fees to maintain your own website

What's the New Host Verification Fee?

In our ongoing effort to enhance Houfy and support our community, we're introducing a small but significant change. Starting February 15th, 2024, a one-time host verification fee of $5.99 will be implemented for all hosts, whether you've been with us from the start or are just joining.

It's important to note that this is a per-host fee, not per listing. Consider it your one-time ticket to joining the 'Book Direct Club'. This step is our way of balancing the platform's free nature with a commitment to improved security and trust.

Why Are We Introducing Houfy's Verification Fee?

Implementing our host verification fee is crucial for several reasons:

• Ensure platform security: hosts must verify their identities to uphold platform security. The verification confirms their status as legitimate owners or managers of their listed properties, bolstering trust and safety. This keeps Houfy free from scammers and a secure place for guests to book their stays.
• Demonstrate commitment: the verification fee is a testament to the hosts' commitment to maintaining accurate and up-to-date listings. This includes providing reliable data, keeping synced calendars, and updating pricing information regularly, fostering transparency and reliability.
• Contribute to platform development: the fee contributes directly to Houfy's growth, enabling us to enhance marketing efforts and improve the services offered to both hosts and guests. This investment fuels ongoing development and innovation, ultimately enriching the experience for all users.

What Does the Verification Process Entail?

The verification process involves:

1. Requesting government identification or other verifying documents from hosts, adhering to applicable laws
2. Conducting checks through third-party databases to ascertain hosts' credibility
3. Implementing additional identity verification methods to increase Houfy's overall safety and reliability.

All hosts will receive a Houfy Verified Badge.

Houfy direct booking site for real estate properties

What Are Houfy Subscription Plans?

To uphold our mission and foster further growth, a shift in our revenue model is imperative. By introducing a freemium model, where hosts can opt for a small monthly subscription fee for additional features and benefits, we aim to generate a steady revenue stream.

These subscription plans are a strategic move to foster Houfy's growth and allow room for new specialized tools that enhance your hosting. Our options range from basic to advanced features and ensure every host finds the perfect fit for their unique requirements. Let's take a closer look:

1. Basic Plan

Our Basic Plan stays aligned with our book-direct mission, offering essential functionalities at no additional cost. It's ideal for hosts who prefer a straightforward, no-frills approach to listing their properties and includes:

• 0% booking fees
• Direct payments to your account via Stripe or Square
• Pricelabs integration (requires a subscription to Pricelabs)
• Host Tools integration (requires a subscription to Host Tools)
• Hospitable integration (requires a subscription to Hospitable)
• Unlimited photos
• Calendar (iCal) synchronization with OTAs
• Multi-calendar
• Custom quotes
• Customizable rental agreement
• Text notification upon receiving a message on Houfy
• Scheduled and automated messages
• Shared links in the Houfy messaging
• Custom links
• Co-hosts (requires host verification)
• Blog post feature

2. Lite Plan

For hosts looking to amplify their presence on Houfy, the Lite Plan offers additional features for just $7.99 per listing per month, including:

• All Basic Plan features
• Higher position in search results
• Imported Airbnb pricing and synced calendar
• Option to hide price comparison
• OwnerRez connection
• External links on your Houfy listing
• Email/phone number on your Houfy listing
• Option to hide nearby listings

3. Premium Plan

The Premium Plan is our most comprehensive package, offering the full spectrum of Houfy's capabilities for hosts who seek the ultimate hosting experience. For just $8.99 per listing per month, you gain access to:

• All Basic and Lite Plan features
• A powerful website builder tool (check some Houfy direct booking sites)
• Widgets and embed tools
• Free SSL Certificate for each domain
• Connection with multiple external domains

Houfy vacation rental properties

Why Are We Introducing Subscription Plans?

1. Cost Covering

Houfy has been operating at a significant annual loss, entirely absorbed by its owner, to maintain the platform's integrity and operation. Our growth has inevitably brought rising operational costs, signaling that the current model will soon become unsustainable without a reliable revenue stream. Our subscription plans will cover those expenses, continuing Houfy's presence and community impact.

2. Property Marketing and Branding

Transitioning to a freemium model allows us to tackle the marketing challenge head-on. With stable revenue, we can now actively promote Houfy, aiming to boost organic bookings to your properties significantly. It's a win-win investment; your subscription fee returns to you through increased bookings and a stronger community while making Houfy more appealing for everyone involved.

3. Advanced Tools for Hosts

For hosts wanting to take the extra mile and level up their business, subscription plans will unlock more features to make it possible. Investing in them will streamline the hosting experience, improve guest satisfaction, and increase revenue. Additionally, with paid plans, homeowners can automate parts of their businesses and eliminate human error from manual tasks.

Houfy community vacation homes

What's Changing for You as a Houfy Host?

The main change is that all Houfy hosts must undergo verification if they haven't already. This step is essential for maintaining platform security and ensuring the legitimacy of property listings.

In terms of usage, you'll still have the option to continue using Houfy for free with the Basic Plan. Access essential features for managing your listings and bookings directly without any cost.

However, you can opt for one of our subscription plans to unlock additional features and benefits, such as Airbnb price import, synced calendars, and a website builder. These plans offer greater flexibility and customization to suit your hosting needs, empowering you to elevate your rental business.

What Are Houfy Promotions?

To help our hosts spotlight their listings further, we created a program that showcases them across multiple areas on our site through promotions. Currently, this feature is available for last-minute specials and featured listings. To participate, ensure your listings are verified and complete.

For just $1.50 per day for a minimum of 30 days, your listings will appear:

• On Houfy's homepage
• In searches for your state
• On top of search results for your city
• Among "nearby listings" on all listings from your city
• In the Houfeed for all members

To get started:

1. Log in to your account
2. Click on the "+" symbol
3. Select "Ad Creator" and then "Last Minute Special".

Houfy booking process for vacation rentals

The Next Steps for Houfy: Marketing and Growth Initiatives

2024 and 2025 will be the first years Houfy will earn revenue, which will be re-invested into marketing the platform. Our subscription plans are only a fraction of what other OTAs charge, and we believe they're more than fair for establishing a safe and advancing platform. Our primary objectives are:

• Integrating more channel managers into Houfy to boost the platform's number of listings
• Promoting Houfy on Facebook and Google to enhance brand visibility
• Enhancing our website creation tools with templates and widgets for easier listing creation
• Seeking integration with Google Vacation Rentals

After the 2-year mark, we plan to establish a realistic valuation for Houfy. At that point, we'll explore the possibility of offering a percentage of ownership to our hosts, as initially planned. Hosts can earn discounts towards stock ownership by supporting Houfy in various ways, such as sharing their listings or referring new hosts. We'll develop a dashboard where homeowners can track their earned points, providing transparency and facilitating further discussions with our community.

How Can Hosts Further Support Houfy?

Houfy is a community that grows as you do. The more you promote your listings and create positive word of mouth, the better the results for your vacation rental business. Here's how homeowners can further support the platform:

• Market your listings on social media to reach a wider audience
• Use email marketing campaigns to spread the word about your Houfy vacation rentals
• Educate your guests about the benefits of booking directly through platforms like Houfy
• Take advantage of the free blogging feature on Houfy to share insights and attract potential guests
• Consider upgrading to a Houfy subscription plan to access additional features and support the platform's growth
• Advertise your listings or direct booking website to increase visibility and drive bookings