In 2019, Vacasa surpassed some major milestones, but one very important milestone may have gone unnoticed: Vacasa celebrated its 10th anniversary.
We’ve come a long way since our founder and CEO Eric Breon assumed responsibility for a family-owned cabin on the Washington Coast, searching for, but not finding, a local management company that could generate enough revenue to make it a profitable vacation rental. With a passion for problem solving and a background in analytics, he knew there had to be a better way.
In 2009, Vacasa was born.
The company launched in very humble beginnings with Eric and a small team gathered around a dining room table coding the company’s first website, vacasarentals.com, which debuted with just five vacation rentals throughout the Pacific Northwest and Utah. As the team in Portland continued to grow, it settled into new digs located on SW Corbett Ave., before a second move to Portland’s east side on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Ask any of our tenured employees, and they’ll recall the days of team lunches that challenged anyone to call every member of the team by their first name for $100—and that’s when we had a staff of 100. Now, Vacasa employs more than 6,000 around the world and is one of Oregon’s (its headquarter state) largest employers.
After taking no outside capital for six years (aka bootstrapping), Vacasa secured its first funding round in 2016 and set on a trajectory of rapid growth. Within a few short years, Vacasa grew to become the largest vacation rental management platform in North America, caring for more than 25,000 homes in 32 states and 18 countries. Our local teams across the world are an integral part of our success and help us provide the best experiences for guests who stay in our homes, and we are grateful for the work they do every day.
After 10 years, we have a lot to celebrate, but we aren’t done yet! As we continue to build a global brand, we’ll focus on the things that make Vacasa unique: our industry-leading technology that generates more income for homeowners, our local teams that create memorable experiences for guests, and the opportunity to build the most trusted hospitality company in the market. We’ll rely on our talented and dedicated teams both in our central office and in the field to help make this vision become a reality and can’t wait to show the world what’s next.
For a look at some of our most important milestones along the way—from the addition of our first country to a lesson in pet policies—check out the roadmap to success below!
