The home watch industry is moving out of the shadows and into the mainstream of property management, driven by shifting ownership patterns and a growing demand for accountability. Clem McDavid, founder of HomeLedger, a property technology company, says his platform Watch Tower now serves operators in eight states, with the heaviest concentration in Florida and Arizona, alongside customers in North Carolina, New York, and Colorado.
McDavid attributes this geographic spread to changes in second home ownership that accelerated during the pandemic. "More people bought or held on to vacation and second properties, and many of those owners are not equipped, or interested, in maintaining a property they are not living in full time," he explained. This has created a fertile ground for home watch services, which provide regular property checks and maintenance coordination for absentee owners.
However, the industry's growth has also attracted what McDavid describes as "marketing operations that look like real companies online but have no actual service behind them." These entities generate leads without ever performing a visit, akin to a "ghost kitchen that advertises a menu item it has no ability to cook." As homeowners and legitimate operators get burned by these setups, McDavid notes that those with a genuine, documented service history stand out more, not less.
Beyond the classic vacation home use case, McDavid sees demand extending to primary residences. He expects younger homeowners to seek periodic property check-ins simply because they are busy and would rather pay for help than spend weekends on maintenance. "That widens the pool of potential customers well beyond seasonal coastal markets," he said.
The market also spans a wide range of price points. McDavid points to a company serving ultra-high-net-worth estates with full-time staff, driver, and household management, a far cry from what most home watch operators offer. HomeLedger has customers who work with high-end clients on the property side, coordinating everything from stocking a home before an owner's arrival to timing seasonal upkeep. This demonstrates, McDavid says, that the category has room across a wide range of home values and service levels.
For McDavid, the throughline across every market HomeLedger enters is the same: absentee homeowners need a reliable, documented eye on their property, and operators who can prove they show up consistently are the ones building durable businesses. More on how HomeLedger supports that work is available on its resources page.
As home watch continues to expand into new states and new types of properties, McDavid expects operators who invest in professionalism and reliable record-keeping now to be best positioned for whatever growth comes next.
