Traditional business concepts of growth and revenue are an important part of value, but they’re not the only factors to consider. It’s worth it to take a step back and think holistically about the concept of value when considering how much your company is worth.

Vacation rental tech company Hostfully has joined forces with AllTheRooms, Beyond Pricing and HomeToGo to compile a report on current trends.

Hostfully, a San Francisco-based startup that helps professional short-term rental property managers maximize distribution and guest experience, has raised $4 million in a seed funding round, bringing its total funding to date to $7 million.

“Overall, this year’s findings paint a picture of a market adjusting to broader economic headwinds,” Hostfully said in its report.

It's clear that vacation rental hosts and property managers crave direct bookings, and many may be making inroads. Still, the marketing power of big brands is tough to compete with.

The pressures of the pandemic are driving more Airbnb hosts to lure users into booking their properties privately, further straining the already fraught relationship between the company and some of its larger hosts.

While hotels certainly haven't shied away from voice tech, short-term vacation rentals appear to be innovating somewhat faster, pushing the envelope on everything from voice-activated smart-home integration to personalized guest recommendations.

The study by Hostfully reveals that while there were more than 115,000 companies managing vacation rentals in 2018, this has now grown to more than 140,500.

Independent short-term rental software startups have done well during the post-pandemic travel boom, but the market is starting to get tougher,

Short-term rental property management platform Hostfully is aiming to revolutionise guest communication with the launch of InboxAI, a tool designed to dramatically reduce the time property managers spend on guest enquiries.