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In this data-packed episode of In The Lab, we sit down with Jeff Hurst, CEO of Furnished Finder and former President of Vrbo, Chief Strategy Officer at HomeAway, and COO of Expedia Group. Jeff brings decades of experience in travel and hospitality tech to a fast-growing platform that has quietly become a powerhouse in the midterm rental space. Under his leadership, Furnished Finder has doubled its team, modernized its infrastructure, and doubled down on transparency—offering rare insights into tenant demand, booking trends, and platform economics.
Jeff walks us through how Furnished Finder is fundamentally different from traditional OTA platforms—highlighting landlord control, flat-rate pricing, and a commitment to empowering hosts with direct lead access. He unpacks the tenant segments behind over 2 million inquiries per year, including construction crews, relocating families, digital nomads, and healthcare workers. From scalable furniture ROI to market mismatch signals, Jeff shares actionable insights that today’s operators can apply immediately.
If you’re looking to scale with better data, more control, and deeper tenant insights, tune in now to learn how Jeff Hurst is leading a marketplace revolution—one booking request at a time.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EPISODE:
12:14 Jeff talks about pricing transparency
42:58 Jefftalks about chasing shiny objects
KEEPING IT REAL:
08:25 – How Furnished Finder differs from OTA platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo
11:00 – Why tenant experience and pricing transparency matter
14:00 – The role of data in trust-building and growth
17:00 – Tenant breakdown: business travelers, relocation, and digital nomads
19:45 – Rise of renovation relocation and local stay trends
22:30 – Super agents and power users: Furnished Finder’s enterprise use case
24:30 – Jeff’s product roadmap and replatforming efforts
26:30 – 130% YoY growth in relocation booking requests
29:30 – Room count and pricing by bedroom type explained
34:00 – 10% of tenants are large families—how to meet that demand
37:00 – Extended stay hotels vs. MTR: the real comparison
40:00 – Life hacking with Furnished Finder and furniture savings
43:00 – Product philosophy vs. chasing shiny objects
47:00 – How private ownership shapes Furnished Finder’s decision-making
52:00 – Operators vs. entrepreneurs and solving real problems
54:00 – Advice to 20-year-old Jeff and early-career insights
59:00 – What’s next for Furnished Finder: messaging, sort order, and tools
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST
Website: https://www.furnishedfinder.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-hurst-atx/
#MidtermRentals #FurnishedFinder #RealEstateInvesting #CorporateHousing #TemporaryHousing #InsuranceHousing #FurnishedRentals #MTRStrategy
