Nearly two months since HomeAway launched a vacation-home real estate business, it entered into a marketing agreement with Realogy to get more inventory and listings for prospective buyers.
And, bolstering the new business line shouldn't hurt any IPO aspirations that HomeAway might have.
Through the marketing deal, vacation homes in the portfolios of Realogy's real estate brands -- including Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA and Sotheby's International Realty -- will be listed for sale on HomeAwayRealEstate.com.
The vacation homes for sale from Realogy brands are for U.S. properties only.
Realogy-affiliated agents, who will gain access to new potential buyers, also can become members of HomeAway's real estate website, where they can list additional details about the vacation home's rental history, average rental rates and other vacation-oriented amenities.
Real estate professionals can list their properties for sale on HomeAway Real Estate for $199 per year for up to 25 listings; $299 annually for 26-100 listings and $399 per year for an unlimited number of listings.
Terms of the Realogy-HomeAway marketing deal were not disclosed so it's unknown whether Realogy agents get a break on HomeAway membership.
"The vacation home industry is attractive to a highly segmented audience with major purchasing power," says Alex Perriello, president and CEO of the Realogy Franchise Group. "By partnering with HomeAway Real Estate, we are extending our highly successful listings distribution strategy and reaching a highly desirable audience of poential home buyers and sellers through HomeAway's leading network of vacation home sites."
Realogy formerly was part of Cendant, as were Avis Budget and Travel Distribution Services, which became Travelport.