A Sydney-based housing and hospitality firm, Hometime, has secured a deal with the American’s famous online housing company Airbnb in its attempts to market itself. The company led by the former equity analyst Dave Thompson and former project engineer William Crock was founded in 2016, and in just a year, it had raised capital of $1.5 million. Ideally, the partnership aims at promoting Hometime in marketing platforms such as community meetings to be able to manage its clients’ listings.
Sam McDonagh, the American company manager for New Zealand and Australia, said they had a similar deal with a Britain start-up business to combine their efforts to achieve a common goal. Airbnb aims at promoting the starting businesses as well as itself. To date, it has earned about 140,000 listings in Australia with its hosts making approximately $4100 a year. Hometime, on the other hand, has built a strong customer base with hundreds of hosts across Australia. However, it aims at expanding its business in Brisbane, Gold Coast and later to Auckland.
The company charges a commission fee of 16 percent off the gross Airbnb rental income of the property with regular travellers staying at a cottage on average 3.4 nights, whereas travellers from its growing business parts spend approximately 5.2 nights. While still serving individuals, Hometime is also working with other accommodation providers such as hostel beds, apartments, breakfasts, cottages and the newly reopened Terminus Hotel in Pyrmont in Sydney to help them list their rooms on Airbnb.
They have also talked to the government to formulate strategies that help landlords to rent properties on Airbnb without any restrictions or development approvals like in South Australia. However, Sam McDonagh promised them that he would engage different state officials to achieve the same, and in a few years, it is expected to have significantly progressed. Airbnb will eventually be prominent in Sydney.
