How a Marin-based startup is reinventing vacation home and travel recommendation sharing.
Two Recurring Problems Sparked a Big Idea
Mill Valley resident Bill Cummings has booked many short-term rentals on sites like Airbnb, Expedia and VRBO. But too often, the properties didn’t live up to expectations. Despite spending hours researching listings, it turned out that the reviews he had relied on to decide what to rent were inflated, misleading, or clearly came from people with very different tastes than his.
Bill also knows many people who own vacation homes that they don’t rent out, despite the fact that they sit empty much of the year. They regard these places as family homes — not investment properties — and would only be willing to share them with, or rent them to, people they know and trust. But unfortunately, there was no convenient and efficient way to increase the utilization of these properties (without pressure to rent them all the time), that provided these owners with the control, flexibility and peace of mind they require.
So the idea for Trustr was born: create a travel-focused discovery platform that combines the power of ‘word of mouth’ with the ‘reach of social media’ to allow its members to share properties they own, and recommendations for other great places to stay, with people that they know and trust.
Flash forward a few years, and Bill and his team are launching Trustr’s first pilot right here in Marin.
Q&A With Trustr Co-Founder Bill Cummings
For those new to it — what exactly is Trustr?
Trustr is a travel-focused, social discovery platform that helps people share their homes — and their favorite places to stay — with people they trust. Members can list their own properties, share recommendations for homes and hotels that they have stayed in, and discover/book great places to stay based on real connections (and opinions they trust), not anonymous reviews.
What makes Trustr different from Airbnb, VRBO or Expedia?
Control, flexibility and peace of mind.
- When hosts post their vacation homes on online travel agencies (OTAs) like Airbnb, Expedia and VRBO, their listings are open to anyone. But as a Host on Trustr, you have total control over who can see or book your property: just close friends, include friends-of-friends, or make it available to all Trustr members. No random users.
- From a single listing, you can share your home with family, rent it selectively to trusted connections, or even swap homes with another Trustr host. It’s all designed to be simple, flexible and comprehensive for owners.
- Guests who are looking for great places to stay can be overwhelmed by the endless number of listings on other platforms, and still not be sure their expectations will be met until they get there. Trustr cuts through the clutter by presenting recommendations curated by people you know, and whose opinions you trust—making it quicker and easier to find the perfect place, with much greater peace of mind.
- 65% of U.S. vacation homes sit unused most of the year because their owners often don’t want to rent to strangers. Trustr was designed to give these owners a safe, comfortable way to share their homes, while providing guests with access to unique places they would never find on traditional rental sites.
Why launch first in Marin?
Marin is perfect for our model. It has a high concentration of second-home owners, a strong travel culture, and deeply connected communities. And people here already recommend great places to stay to, and share their homes with, their friends informally. We’re simply making the process more efficient, targeted and scalable.
What is the Marin Charter Host Program?
We’re inviting the first 50 Marin residents that own second homes to become Charter Hosts. They’ll receive: white-glove onboarding with our team, a waived listing fee, a Charter Host badge on their profile, and priority access to new features. Most importantly, they’ll help shape the future of Trustr as we prepare to roll out across the Bay Area and beyond.
What if someone doesn’t own a vacation home — can they still join?
Absolutely. Most people have at least one great place to stay that they would recommend to a friend. On Trustr, every recommendation a member posts increases the potential of our network and unlocks more great stays — whether they’re bookable on our platform, or on Airbnb, Expedia, VRBO, etc.
What’s your long-term vision for Trustr?
We want Trustr to become the easiest, most trusted starting point for finding incredible places to stay. As our world becomes more automated, impersonal and AI-driven, being able to leverage real recommendations from, and connections to, real people that you know will matter more than ever.
To learn more or join the Marin Pilot, visit:
www.trustr.com
And join the Trustr Travel NorCal group to see our favorite local stays and recommendations. Registration is free.