Known to be locally respected and globally connected, Twin City Global is an exclusive community of like-minded travellers and creatives. Operating as a members-only club, admission is on a friend-of-friend basis.
With 35 cities across 4 continents and some stunning homes, Isaac and Jamiel have come a long way from the early days of Twin City meetings in their shared flat’s kitchen. Isaac Young, the technical co-founder skilled in tech, product design and operations, has built the platform and UI while Jamiel Thompson, the strategy & creative co-founder with a strong marketing background (think ex Nike, ex Spotify and more!) has been working on the design, brand and killer partnerships.
How, where and why this concept? We had to ask.
Can you explain the core concept and mission behind Twin City Global?
JT: Twin City is an exclusive global members club where we connect like-minded creatives who are looking to exchange homes when they travel. This cuts out accommodation costs, the biggest expense of travel. This way, travel becomes affordable.
We are on a mission to create community-centric travel where people not only share homes but also local recommendations. Our members love us as we allow them to travel more by saving Airbnb fees but also because we give them access to authentic culture and community while traveling
How does the points system work, and what inspired you to implement it?
IY: Lots of people go away for trips and leave their houses empty. The community spirit led people to let members stay whilst they were away. We decided to create a points system so members gain credits for this which can be used to stay at other members’ homes at a later point.
What are the most popular destinations for house swaps within your platform?
IY: Our most in-demand destinations are Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Cape Town and London.
How do you ensure the safety and security of your members during exchanges?
IY: Initially all members are verified through email, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We encourage members to get to know each other through video calls before booking a swap. Once a swap is booked, we verify the swap partner’s ID & proof of address.
We are adding a £50,000 damage insurance in the next couple of months to help with any accidental damage during swaps.
What are the key benefits of house swapping over traditional accommodation options?
IY: We eliminate the cost of accommodation like Airbnb or hotels, allowing members to travel for significantly less. What members enjoy most is finding a Twin in another city. Often Twins have similar interests and jobs allowing them to unlock local curated recommendations for their trip. This coupled with experiencing the city through the shoes of a local makes the whole experience truly authentic, which can be hard to achieve through traditional accommodation options like hotels or Airbnbs.
What features or services do you offer to first-time users to help them feel comfortable with house swapping?
IY: First-time users can enjoy their first swap with a trusted reviewed swapper. We also have a friends mapping network, so if someone joins and hasn’t gone on a swap but their friend who invited them has users can see that connection. Through our research the £50,000 damage protection will be key in helping first-time swappers become comfortable with the concept.
What trends have you observed in the home exchange market, and how has it evolved since Twin City was founded?
IY: We’ve seen a large trend in openness to the sharing economy and some other trends include working holidays, as you can work from anywhere with Wi-Fi and people wanting to connect authentically and ethically in new cities.
We’ve modified the concept of sharing homes with point swaps and hosting – where members let people stay in their spare rooms whilst they are there.
Can you describe your community and how you foster engagement and trust among members? What are your plans for expanding or enhancing Twin City’s services?
IY: Most of our community are creatives and the others come from friends of friends. Having that commonality helps build trust and gets people excited as typically members connect with people they want to become friends with. Reviews and the sharing of home-swapping stories are key right now for our community to keep fostering trust.
We’re looking to expand as we ultimately need more members for home swapping to be a viable alternative to traditional accommodations. We are focused though, on keeping our community as a special space and will continue to be selective as we grow – we currently have a 64% rejection rate.
How have you facilitated the formation of new friendships between members?
IY: One way is through our matchmaking. Recently, we connected two designers who were interested in visiting each other’s cities. It’s a great foundation to start a friendship as it’s built on the excitement of doing a home swap and unlocking all that person’s design spots.
Can you share any stories where house swapping led to long-lasting friendships?
IY: Yes, most of our members become friends and whilst we haven’t had any romances we know of yet – like Cameron Diaz in the holiday lol, many people will reach out to their Twin to grab a coffee if they’re in their city.
What features does Twin City offer to help members connect and build relationships before and after their exchanges?
IY: We offer a personalised matching service for our members.
In what ways do you see house swapping as a means to foster cultural exchange?
JT: We speak to people from all over the world every day and have a big interest in cultures and communities. We use our platform to share important and interesting things happening around the world. We recently launched our carnival collection which explores black diaspora culture and Notting Hill carnival. We plan to use home swapping to allow people to go to cultural events in cities like Nottinghill carnival and Paris Fashion Week.
For the young and curious, this is the start of a democraticised approach to travel – lean into it.
