5 Local Marketplaces for Housecleaners

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cleaning Marketplaces aimed at providing consumers with easy ways to quickly find and book local housecleaners and home services providers are heating up, with frontrunners like Handy and Homejoy enjoying major investments from well-known venture firms like Revolution (led by AOL co-founder Steve Case and Groupon chairman Ted Leonisis), Google Ventures, and Redpoint Ventures.

Here are five examples of home services marketplaces taking a hyperlocal approach to booking housecleaners.

1. Homejoy: Book vetted cleaners for a flat hourly rate.
Considered by some to be the “next generation of Craigslist,” Homejoy is a marketplace that sells home-cleaning services for $25 per hour both, online and through mobile apps. Cleaners are bonded and insured, however they aren’t employed directly by the Homejoy marketplace. Although cleaners are vetted by Homejoy, they still maintain control over their own schedules. Cleaners are also able to decide for themselves how far they are willing to travel for assignments. Homejoy has more than 1,000 professional cleaners using its platform.

2. Handy: Find a housecleaner with next-day availability.
Having recently landed a $30 million investment from Revolution and undergone a rebranding, Handy is growing its platform to give more homeowners access to local home cleaners and handymen. The company is available in almost 30 cities, and it processes “thousands” of transactions daily. The professional cleaners that consumers find when they search Handy have undergone background checks, and they’ve been vetted by the marketplace. Handy specializes in last-minute bookings, allowing users to book online and schedule home cleaners with next-day appointments. Pricing for Handy’s house cleaners and handymen depends on a number of factors, including location, house size, and appointment time.

3. Zaarly: Check out cleaners with their own virtual “storefronts.”
Zaarly is a marketplace built around helping people connect with local home services professionals, including housecleaners, handymen, and landscapers. Professionals manager their own “storefronts” on Zaarly. Storefronts include descriptions of what services each professional offers, in addition to customer reviews, pricing information, and availability. Users have the option to book services with specific cleaners after viewing their storefronts, and they can make payments for their services through the online platform.

4. TaskRabbit: Access qualified cleaning professionals on-demand.
Since pivoting away from its initial concept earlier this summer, TaskRabbit has created an on-demand marketplace for cleaning professionals, along with handymen, movers, and errand runners. TaskRabbit’s new concept includes fixed hourly rates for tasks, like home cleaning. Consumers are presented with a list of vetted “Taskers,” each with unique pricing. Once they select which Tasker to go with, users can complete their bookings and make payments through the online system. TaskRabbit charges a 20% service fee on each task.

5. Thumbtack: Receive custom quotes from local cleaners.
Thumbtack is a home services marketplace that works on a request-for-proposal model. Homeowners are asked specific questions about what they need (for example, “house cleaning” or “carpet cleaning”), and Thumbtack distributes this information to the professionals who use its platform. A maximum of five available professionals will respond to each posting within hours, each with a custom quote and personal message. Homeowners can then call or message a professional for more information, and they can make an appointment directly online. Cleaners pay Thumbtack each time they respond to a client request.

Know of other hyperlocal marketplaces for housecleaners? Leave a description in the comments.

Stephanie Miles is a senior editor at Street Fight.

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Stephanie Miles is a journalist who covers personal finance, technology, and real estate. As Street Fight’s senior editor, she is particularly interested in how local merchants and national brands are utilizing hyperlocal technology to reach consumers. She has written for FHM, the Daily News, Working World, Gawker, Cityfile, and Recessionwire.