Become a Home Based Travel Agent

The maturing role of the host agency in the distribution process:
How hosts are leveraging technology
to enhance their agents’ value in the marketplace

By: Chad Burt
Co-Owner
OutsideAgents
866-208-5604

What was it like in the old days of the host agency model?

For decades, many host agencies were glorified credential sharing commission trackers.  They allowed agents to use their credentials to access higher commissions.  In return, the agency got to keep what was often a significant portion of the commissions.  Times have really changed.

What’s changed since then?

In the modern host agency model, all good hosts should also offer a suite of services and technologies to support agents and boost their productivity.  For example, OutsideAgents.com offers client relationship management systems, integrated multi-vendor booking platforms, automated marketing, full electronic invoicing, searchable group inventory, consumer websites, and much more for free.  To enhance this foundation, OutsideAgents.com has focused on the human element of the industry by aggressively promoting agent interaction.

What is the next generation of host models doing?

OutsideAgents.com has based it’s entire agent portal platform around a social network concept.  From within our system you can make friends, post questions, join discussions, and participate in groups.  Why is this important?  Simple.  Agents have the ability to “crowd-source” the information they need from their fellow travel professionals.  Our agent community has over 1000 agents visiting everyday with over 50 agents online at any given moment.  You can imagine the wealth of information available to you through this resource and your friends within it.  You can even take a look at the content that your friends have “liked” to get new ideas and solutions.  Plus, all of the content is entirely searchable so you can leverage it in the future.

In addition to our portal, we offer up to 10 live interactive training sessions each week including a roundtable with the owners of OutsideAgents.com.  Our roundtables regularly have over 100 attendees with the conversation being led by the participants.  The interaction available during live sessions really boosts the agent’s value in the marketplace by making them more knowledgeable and more rounded.  In today’s market, agents benefit from being exposed to other agents because they see new perspectives, techniques, and approaches.

Finally, we’ve remained committed to being directly accessible to all of our agents.  As a matter of fact, the owners actually give you their personal cell phone numbers.  As the host model matures, hosts need to stay connected with their agents.  Technology will never replace people.  So, even though OutsideAgents.com boasts some of the most advanced technology and one of the most active agent communities in the industry today, we remain committed to knowing all of our agents by name.

What’s the bottom line?

The bottom line regarding the maturing role of the host agency in the distribution process is simple:  Your host should be your business partner rather than just a service provider.  Leverage your relationship with your modern host and your business will grow, guaranteed.