Short let Airbnb-style firm offers commission to agents for referrals

Onefinestay, a firm offering high-end Airbnb-style short-let accommodation in London, is today making a pitch to letting agents to refer clients and enter into “exclusive partnerships.”

Onefinestay offers homes in London - as well as New York, Los Angeles and Paris - and operates like Airbnb but with high-end tastes willing, in some cases, to pay over £1,000 per night. 

In addition to finding owners willing to swap or let their homes on a short-term basis, its London operation now wants to link with letting agents, and is today making a presentation to explain the partnership principle.

A spokeswoman for the company says there are two elements.

Firstly, guest referrals: “We are offering agents a 10 per cent commission on any guest referrals [agents] send our way. For agents who don’t offer clients a short-term rental service we offer the ideal ‘home away from home’ to recommend to their customers whether their client be relocating to the UK or just looking for a short-term let in London.”

Secondly there are host referrals: “For every Host recommendation we receive, that goes live on our website; we will offer the agent a financial reward. Offering our Host services to clients allows agents to recommend a way for clients to ‘unlock income’ from empty homes when they are out of town.”

Onefinestay last year secured $40m of investment from, amongst others, Hyatt Hotels, as well as a former global chief executive of Abercrombie & Kent, the high end travel and estate agency concern. The firm says the new funding will allow it to realise its ambition to create “the ultimate experience of boutique hospitality through a series of service delivery, e-commerce and technology developments, to enhance the company’s offering for guests and homeowners.”