VI
Vacasa, Inc. (VCSA)·Q2 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q2 2024 revenue was $249M, down 18% year over year, with Adjusted EBITDA of $2M vs $16M a year ago as soft demand and elevated churn continued; management reiterated it is “difficult to provide forward-looking guidance” given bookings variability .
- Key KPIs deteriorated YoY: gross booking value (GBV) $505M (-19%), nights sold 1.4M (-17%), GBV/night $361 (-2%); homes under management ended ~40,000 (down from ~41,000 in Q1), reflecting ongoing churn and a shift to higher-quality unit focus .
- Liquidity was bolstered by a $30M senior secured convertible notes financing from Davidson Kempner (up to $75M available), with 11.25% PIK interest initially and a $4.16 conversion price; DK also received board representation and rights; minimum liquidity covenant set at $15M and an EBITDA covenant begins in 2026 .
- Strategic pivot continued: deeper decentralization to local regions, empowerment of field teams across sales, onboarding, revenue management, and marketing; technology investments increasingly include third‑party solutions to drive efficiency .
- Consensus estimates from S&P Global were not available; comparisons vs. Street could not be made (see Estimates Context).
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
-
What Went Well
- Balance sheet support: Signed and closed a $30M initial tranche of senior secured convertible notes (up to $75M total), adding liquidity and bringing two DK principals to the Board .
- Execution on cost actions: Sales & marketing expense declined 26% YoY; technology & development down 5% YoY, demonstrating discipline amid revenue pressure .
- Operating model transition: Local-market decentralization advanced; early improvements in guest satisfaction metrics (clean, property condition, service) through July as local teams gain more control .
-
What Went Wrong
- Demand and monetization headwinds: GBV fell 19% YoY; nights sold -17% YoY; GBV/night -2% YoY, driving an 18% revenue decline; Adjusted EBITDA fell to $2M from $16M YoY .
- Elevated churn and fewer homes: ~40,000 homes at quarter-end vs ~41,000 in Q1; owner churn tied to rate/earnings pressure in a weak market; gross adds also slowed by reduced sales staffing and spend .
- Visibility remains low: Management again declined to provide forward guidance, citing ongoing bookings variability and no signs of stabilization in 2H24 at the time of the call .
Financial Results
Financial summary (oldest → newest):
KPI and unit trends (oldest → newest):
Cost structure/margins (selected) (oldest → newest):
Notes: Q4 2023 CORev and O&S percentages can be derived from $ amounts vs revenue disclosed , but percentages were not explicitly stated in the documents.
Segment breakdown: Not applicable; Vacasa reports as a single operating model.
KPIs definition references: GBV, Nights Sold, GBV/Night are defined consistently across quarters in shareholder letters .
Guidance Changes
Management cited continued bookings variability and industry headwinds as rationale for withholding guidance .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “We are continuing to experience bookings weakness … and at this point, we don’t see this abating in the second half of 2024.”
- “We finished the second quarter with approximately 40,000 homes on our platform… reflecting the ongoing churn dynamic that we have been seeing.”
- “Today, we announced the signing and closing of a convertible note financing with Davidson Kempner… an initial purchase of $30 million of convertible notes.”
- “The industry dynamics remain challenging… we remain highly focused on executing our transformation plan.”
- On sales focus: “We are moving to focus our sales teams on revenue potential and unit quality rather than on an absolute number of homes under management.”
Q&A Highlights
- Take rate/quality: Management emphasized home quality as a top focus; did not disclose changes to take rate despite promotional activity questions .
- Churn and gross adds: Churn remains elevated, driven by owner revenue expectations and communications; local team empowerment aims to improve retention and align sales with ops; gross adds intentionally lower with smaller sales force .
- Financing rationale: Company pursued DK financing to strengthen balance sheet under a challenging demand environment; highlighted DK engagement and board additions .
- Owner expectations: Communicating market conditions and pricing strategy; believe Vacasa is delivering revenue premiums vs industry in many markets, but work remains .
Estimates Context
- S&P Global consensus estimates for revenue and EPS were not available for VCSA in this period (tool mapping unavailable). As a result, we cannot provide “vs. Street” comparisons for Q2 2024, Q1 2024, or Q4 2023.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Liquidity improved but at a cost: DK convertible notes add cash and flexibility but carry 11.25% PIK interest initially, conversion features, liens, governance rights, and financial covenants—tightening the operating box if trends remain weak .
- Demand headwinds not yet stabilizing: YoY declines in GBV, nights, and monetization per home persisted; management explicitly does not see stabilization in 2H24 at the time of the call, and withdrew from issuing guidance .
- Focus shifting from scale to quality: Reduced sales force and ad spend, with emphasis on high‑quality homes and local-market fit; near-term adds likely remain muted while retention is prioritized .
- Cost discipline evident, but deleverage persists: S&M down 26% YoY and T&D down 5% YoY, yet Adjusted EBITDA fell due to revenue pressure; Q2 Adj. EBITDA was only $2M .
- Execution risk around decentralization: Early guest satisfaction improvements are positive; success hinges on local teams’ ability to raise owner satisfaction and reduce churn amid macro and competitive supply pressures .
- No guidance limits visibility: Absent guidance, shares likely trade on bookings momentum, churn signals, and incremental liquidity moves; any signs of stabilization in intakes or improved retention could be key catalysts .
Other relevant Q2 2024 press release
- The company furnished a press release about the Note Purchase Agreement and issuance of the Notes on August 8, 2024 (Exhibit 99.2) .
Footnotes
- Consensus data from S&P Global was unavailable for VCSA during this period.
Sources
- Q2 2024 earnings call transcript (Aug 8, 2024): GBV, nights, GBV/night, revenue, cost structure, Adj. EBITDA, guidance commentary, financing discussion .
- Q2 2024 8-K (Aug 8, 2024): Note Purchase Agreement terms, conversion price, covenants, voting and registration rights, Board appointments, press release reference .
- Q1 2024 8-K & shareholder letter (May 9, 2024): Revenue, GBV, nights, GBV/night, net loss and EPS, reorg/cost actions, revolver draw .
- Q1 2024 earnings call transcript (May 9, 2024): Demand/monetization headwinds, cost savings scale, local model rationale .
- Q4 2023 8-K & shareholder letter (Feb 28, 2024): Revenue, GBV, nights, GBV/night, net loss and EPS; commentary on tools and owner satisfaction .