HomeAway launched a community site for vacation rental owners and managers -- even if they don't currently advertise on HomeAway sites.
Community from HomeAway is straightforward enough, providing expert advice to vacation rental property owners and managers, and enabling them to participate in forums or create private groups based on shared interest.
For example, there are private groups labeled Owners, Property Managers, and Branson, and open groups for Ski Resort Property Owners in the U.S. and Canada, and Web, Software and Technology.
The latter group currently is fielding questions and answers about "the best software for a single unit short term rental."
Community from HomeAway is part of a broader trend of vacation rental sites trying to enhance engagement with property owners and managers.
TripAdvisor, for example, is building a global customer care unit to enhance customer service for hotel and vacation rental owners, as well as consumers.
HomeAway.com already has an Owner Community section, where it posts webinars, podcasts and articles, but it is more of a one-way communications platform than it hopes Community from HomeAway will turn out to be.