HouseTrip.com, the short term rental service is preparing for some extreme growth.
HouseTrip.com sets 100,000 property goal after funding win
Short-term home rental service HouseTrip.com is aiming to reach 100,000 property listings in Europe and hopes to raise nearly £3 million in venture capital funding.
The company, which launched in autumn 2009, currently has over 8,000 properties listed and is working on a new website as part of its ambitious expansion plans.
Arnaud Bertrand, founder and CEO of HouseTrip said, “We started the company on a city-by-city basis. When we launched the website we had Paris, London and Berlin, so guests had a pretty nice choice of apartments.”
“Then we expanded. Now we have pretty much all of the European Capitals like Barcelona, Lisbon and Budapest. We are also in secondary cities and other types of tourist destinations like chalets in the mountains, and villas in the south of France.”
Currently, HouseTrip is building relationships with other companies such as Onefinestay.com to help increase its listings.
Bertrand said he is also using the royal wedding to increase the company’s profile.
He said, “With around 1.1 million well-wishers expected to pour into London, the royal wedding is potentially a major event for property owners. From a studio flat in East London to a six bedroom house in Chelsea, demand will be high for any and every type of property.”
“People who own rental property in London, or are considering renting out their own property for the weekend, stand to make 50% above the going rate for short-term lets over the extended Bank Holiday weekend.”
