Airbnb quietly acquired property management startup Proprly in 2016

• Airbnb quietly bought Proprly, a property management service for short-term rentals, in a previously unreported May 2016 deal, an Airbnb spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider.

• The purchase suggests that Airbnb's appetite for expanding beyond bookings to become a one-stop shop for travel predated its 2018 acquisition of property management software Luckey.

• Airbnb has acquired more than two dozen startups in its journey toward becoming a public company, which it said it plans to do in 2020.
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In a previously unreported deal in May 2016, Airbnb bought Proprly, a property management service that managed cleaning, guest check-in, and other aspects of the rental process on behalf of hosts, an Airbnb spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider.

The popularity of platforms like Airbnb and HomeAway's VRBO has given rise to a related industry of startups, like Proprly, that cater to the newfound needs of property owners. Countless companies have popped up to offer everything from cleaning services to home security to insurance, custom-tailored for short-term rental operators.

Airbnb has mostly stayed out of offering those services itself, preferring instead to partner with other providers. But its acquisition of Luckey, a property management software company, caused some observers to speculate whether it might be adjusting its strategy.

While Airbnb eventually shut down Proprly, the purchase suggests it may have been experimenting with building out more in-house services as far back as 2016.

Airbnb did not disclose how much it paid for the company or what the terms were, though Proprly's founder, Randy Engler, joined Airbnb shortly after the deal and currently works on its Olympics partnership team, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Proprly is among several acquisitions made by Airbnb that the company has been relatively quiet about, in contrast to its purchases of companies like HotelTonight and Luxury Retreats. With Airbnb preparing to go public in 2020, investors will be paying close attention to how each of its more than 20 past purchases have paid off.