Millennials are increasingly using travel agents instead of booking vacations online themselves because they want personalized, unique experiences beyond what typical search results provide. Home sharing services allow travel agents to offer Millennial clients authentic accommodations like homes, apartments, or unusual listings that make trips memorable while fitting budget constraints. By tapping into the large number of Millennials already using or open to home sharing, travel agents can satisfy this demographic's desire for adventure and customized travel through alternative lodging options that make them feel connected to local culture.

1. How Home Sharing is the
Secret to Pleasing
Millennial Travelers
1

2. Your clientele has changed
You’re back in business! Since
2013, the percentages of
Americans who have used
traditional travel agents have
increased by 6% and climbing. The
people coming through your doors
might not be who you expected
though. You aren’t booking
vacations for as many Baby
Boomers as you are Millennials,
but why? Millennials are the most
tech-savvy generation, so why are
they the least likely to book a
vacation on their own through the
internet?
In 2014, 28 percent of millennials booked a vacation through a traditional travel
agent and while that number continues to grow, it is important to be able to
give those Millennial travelers what they want when they come to you. These
young travelers are eager for adventure but are self-aware enough to realize
that they don’t know enough to arrange a successful yet different vacation on
their own. That is why they come to you.
Millennials want adventure and they want experiences that
are not generic or overdone, and travel agents are the best
way to find out about something beyond the first page of
Google results.
2

3. When Millennials travel, and
they do more per year than
any other age group, they’re
seeking out thrills over leisure.
This means that luxurious
hotels filled to the brim with
amenities in a quiet, relaxing
destination are not what the
typical Millennial is looking
for. They want to be in the
center of all the action, and
they want their experience
to feel authentic.
These desires are what made
the home sharing service,
Airbnb, a huge success and
an inspiration to dozens of
other home sharing services.
What Millennials
Want
Who are Millennials?
A Millennial is technically defined as anyone born between 1982 and
2000. Millennials make up 25% of the U.S population, and are usually
early adapters of new
technology and ideas.
3

4. Millennial Travelers
Have not yet used, but willing
Have already used
Have not yet used, are not willing
Home Sharing
You’ve likely heard of home sharing services before, and you may have
even viewed them as competition or a detriment to your service.
However, home sharing and travel agents have one very big thing in
common; their customers. 53% of Millennial travelers say they would
have no problem using a home sharing service for the first time, and
44% say that they use home sharing regularly already.
Those travelers
are the same ones
looking to you to
provide a unique
and adventurous
vacation, and if
they’re willing and
you’re able, home
sharing is your
secret to giving
those Millennials
a one-of-a-kind
trip.
Home sharing provides Millennials
alternative, and more authentic,
accommodations guaranteed to
make a trip unforgettable.
4

5. Authenticity is a Millennial’s goal in many aspects of their life,
and travel is no exception. Millennial travelers want to explore
destinations as independently as possible, and shy away from being
considered tourists.
Craving authentic experiences while traveling is a broad spectrum
trend amongst this age group, and nothing is more authentic than
getting out of a hotel full of tourists and into the true way of life
that the locals lead. Home sharing can help you quench a
Millennial client’s urge to feel more connected to a destination.
Millennials are using travel agents because they desire highly
personalized experience. They value a distinctive experience that
aligns with their individual identity, and in most cases a generic
hotel won’t cut it.
5

6. Options
Personalization and alignment with a client’s personality is easy
when home sharing provides you with countless different
options to choose from.
Airbnb started in 2007 and since then has become a
household name. While Airbnb may be the most well-known
home sharing service, it is not your only option. Your client’s
needs should dictate which service you set them up with.
A room or a lighthouse: Airbnb has the
most diverse listings out of any of the home sharing
services. Through Airbnb a private room in a larger
house, an entire apartment, a windmill, a tree
house, a lighthouse, or even an entire island can be
reserved. And that’s not all. Airbnb is in 190
different countries and has something for everyone.
Airbnb is the service to use for those travelers who
come to you asking for something “different.”
Airbnb’s biggest pitfall is their popularity. When
thinking of home sharing, Airbnb is many people’s
first and sometimes only choice. This can lead to
sold out neighborhoods at the time of big events or
peak travel times, which is why it is important to
know your alternatives.
Available to rent on Airbnb
6

7. Options
Their own space: HomeAway is a
home sharing service with over 1 million
listings in 190 countries. HomeAway rents
out entire homes to customers only, no room
rentals. Often used as an exchange or swap,
people who are leaving for their own
vacations post their homes for rent while
they’re away. This is ideal for groups of
travelers as well as travelers who value alone
time.
Extremely budget
conscious (and extra
adventurous): Couchsurfing is a
completely free way spend the night in
someone else’s home. The name is not
misleading, when staying at a place booked
through couchsurfing, you’re likely sleeping
on a couch, an air mattress or maybe even
a pallet on the floor. For young Millennial
travelers who have no chronic back pain
and no money to spare, couchsurfing is a
great way to get a free night’s sleep and
meet new friends.
7

8. Options
Available to rent on VRBO
Large groups: VRBO, or Vacation
Rental by Owner is actually owned by
HomeAway, and is very similar in what it
lists. Like HomeAway, only entire homes are
rented out, but these aren’t usually
someone’s actual homes. VRBO listings are
typically vacation properties and are not
lived in all year long. They tend to be bigger,
and therefore more accommodating for
large groups in search of multiple
bedrooms, but solo travelers can find
options as well.
8

9. • Airbnb requires government issued
ID scanned into their system from
both the property owners and the
property renters to keep away fake
names and untraceable people.
They also require proof of ownership
from people who wish to list their
space on the website.
• Couchsurfing relies on honest and
protected reviews of all hosts and
surfers to prevent anyone from
being misleading.
• HomeAway and VRBO both feature
a guarantee that insures a travelers
deposit or rental fees up to $1,000 in
the event of fraud or misleading
information regarding their reserved
space.
There is no doubt that Hotels come with a sense of security that can be
missed. Corporate rules and policies make a traveler feel secure that they will
get what they paid for, and that their personal information is secure. While no
corporation can be contacted in the case of a problem, steps are put in place
with all home sharing services to ensure each stay goes smoothly for all
parties involved.
Each home sharing service has its own set of safety guidelines, even the free
option of Couchsurfing has rules set in place to keep everyone safe.
Security
9

10. 10
Access to everything via smartphone
makes using home sharing services the
most convenient way to travel. Nearly
49% of Millennial travelers search for travel
information on their smartphones already,
and Millennials have earned a reputation
for taking their smartphones with them
everywhere they go. These apps allow
those technology dependent travelers
the ability to access their reservation
information any time and place.
Constant Contact
One of the most appealing things about home sharing, is the app based
communication. Home sharing allows for non-stop communication
between renters and hosts. App-based messaging is great for pre-booking
questions to ensure you get just what your client has asked for. You can
ask the owner any questions directly, in a secure messaging system, before
deciding on whether or not that is the best property for your client.
After booking is complete and paid for, addresses and sometimes even
phone numbers are revealed which can allow for you to text or call on a
client’s behalf or for the client to reach out directly themselves via their
smartphone. If a plane delay is going to result in a later arrival time than
agreed upon, or if a client’s key is not working, The owner can be
contacted and an answer could be provided immediately.

11. 11
Millennials are young
and typically
underworked or
underpaid. This does not
stop them from traveling,
but it does impact how
they travel. Millennials
reportedly check at least
ten websites before
making travel purchases
to make sure they are
getting the lowest price
possible.
While home sharing sites
definitely feature
luxurious options like
mansions and castles,
home sharing is great for
Millennial travelers
because of how it can fit
into their budget. Saving
money on lodging frees
up travelers to spend
more on activities, food,
or adventures. In most
cities, Airbnb is 20%-50%
cheaper than a hotel
room.
Budget
Price Wars
Double Tree Hotel
Istanbul, Turkey
$122 per night
Airbnb rental
Istanbul, Turkey
$68 per night

12. 12
Opinions are important in the tourism industry, and all mentioned home sharing
services feature the option to review your experience. This option is not limited to
visitors reviewing the home or room they rent. Hosts can also review visitors.
Because hosts are not obligated to rent to anyone, these reviews keep guests on
their best behavior.
Home sharing is so much more personal and interactive than a hotel visit, and
therefore reviews are more common, more truthful, and a great indicator of what a
stay will be like. These reviews not only help you match a location to your client’s
personality, they also give you the chance to keep your client involved if they want to
be. If your client specifies they are a light sleeper and a gorgeous rental has reviews
that call out loud street noise at night, you know to keep looking.
Reviews left by past clients will also serve as validation for future clients you find
rentals for.
Available to rent on Airbnb

13. 13
66% of Millennial travelers say that they most value
uniqueness when they travel and expect customized
options when choosing where to travel. Home sharing
satisfies both of these desires. When your biggest group of
customers wants something out of the ordinary and are
also the biggest group of people using sharing services,
home sharing is your answer to arranging the most unique,
personal, and authentic trip possible.
Available for rent on HomeAway

14. Images
14
Resources
1. Biz Journal
2. Dangerous Business
3. The G Brief
4. LA Times
5. The Telegraph
6. SF Gate
7. Nolo
8. Gigamon
9. Millennial Marketing
10. Skift
11. Airbnb
12.HomeAway
13.VRBO
14.Couchsurfing
1. Airbnb: Page 1, 6, 11,
12
2. VRBO: Page 8
3. HomeAway: Page 7,
13
4. Couchsurfing: Page 7
5. DoubleTree: Page 11
6. Virtuoso: Page 2
7. Millennial Marketing:
Page 3
8. Escape Button Blog:
Page 5
9. Pngimg: Page 10