Understanding Fairly’s Business Model
You may have recently noticed letters or social media ads from a new company called Fairly as they expand into our market. Because several owners have asked about them, we wanted to provide some important context regarding their background and business model. Fairly was co-founded by former Vacasa CEO Eric Breon and several of his former executives. They are applying a new iteration of a mass-scale playbook: a tech-platform model that relies on software to automate back- office tasks, while outsourcing property oversight to a network of distributed caretakers.
What does a tech-platform model mean for local property care?
QUICK FACTS:
- Former Vacasa Leadership: Background is in scaling a national, volume-driven corporate manager.
- Backed by Startup Funding: Prioritizing fast, nationwide market growth.
- Caretaker-Driven Model: A 3 party platform is utilized to match owners with independent contractors who opt-in to handle guest communication and property care.
While an independent contractor model can look appealing on the surface, it can also raise real questions around consistency, backup coverage, and having dependable local support when something needs immediate attention. The question isn’t just who is managing the property—it’s how issues are actually handled when they come up, where accountability sits in practice, and whether a growth-driven model aligns with long-term ownership goals.
Questions to Ask a Prospective PM
- Who is responsible on the ground when something goes wrong?
- How many homes does one local manager oversee?
- Who responds to guests after hours and on weekends?
- What is your real emergency response process?
- In-house maintenance or fully outsourced vendors?
- Who approves repairs and unexpected costs?
- What fees are fixed vs. variable (and what isn’t obvious upfront)?
- How do you handle last-minute vendor cancellations during a guest stay?
- What is your average guest response time during peak season?
- What % of decisions are made by software vs. humans?
- Where has your tech failed in the past—and what broke because of it?
- What happens if your system goes down for 24 hours?
- Who owns the guest data, listings, and reviews if I leave? How easy is it for an owner to exit your program mid-year?
