Vrbo vs Google

About

Vrbo (Vacation Rentals By Owner) is a whole-home vacation rental marketplace founded in 1995 and acquired by HomeAway in 2006, then by Expedia Group in 2015. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Vrbo differentiates from Airbnb by focusing exclusively on entire-home rentals—no shared spaces or room rentals—making it the preferred platform for families and groups booking getaways. The platform lists over 2 million properties across 190+ countries, from beach houses to ski chalets and lakeside cabins.\n\nVrbo's subscription and per-booking fee model gives property owners flexibility in how they list. Integration with Expedia Group's demand ecosystem—including cross-listing on Hotels.com and Expedia.com—gives Vrbo properties broad distribution. Vrbo also powers B2B vacation rental distribution through Expedia's supplier API, enabling travel agents and corporate booking tools to include vacation rentals in itineraries.\n\nVrbo operates within Expedia Group, which reported near all-time-high revenue of ~$14B in FY2025. Expedia's B2B revenues surged 24% in 2025, with Vrbo's whole-home inventory playing a key role in corporate and extended-stay bookings. Vrbo has positioned itself as the family-focused alternative to Airbnb, emphasizing verified reviews, owner responsiveness metrics, and no-shared-space policies.