I’m pretty new here and was just wondering if owners browse sitters the way sitters browse owners?
Or do they post their needed sit dates and just sit back and wait for applications to roll in?
And if they do browse… how do they filter their search, and what makes a sitter profile jump off the page?
Super curious here.
Yes! Of course!
I have browsed to see who’s available, who has experience with my particular pet species, to see who’s available locally…
Ive also browsed house sits altho I’m a home-owner. Just wondering where I could go for a change of scene if I had a sitter.
It’s like looking a word up in the dictionary. Before you know it, you’ve read a page.
Yes, we get contacted from time to time. Especially for Christmas / Easter etc. But it’s rare that we can accept an invitation and it’s certainly more efficient for the HO to publish a listing and wait for applications.
Ideally, yes. But when you get no applicants, you need to be proactive.
I do browse the sitters, who have saved our listing, not any others. I probably would, however, if I wasn’t active here on the forum, because then I wouldn’t know that many sitters don’t keep their calendar updated, and also that not every sitter actually lives where his location is shown.
As a newbie HO I initially browsed sitters using a local/ish search for several long weekend sits. I did find a local newbie sitter for this Friday so it worked for us both. Several weren’t available for the dates but have said they would be interested another time so I’ve saved them for the future.
I’m definitely not local to the places I want to housesit. Is that a deterrent for homeowners? If they see I live in the US and they are in England would they be more likely to pass me up? Part of the reason I joined THS is to experience new cities and countries and cultures. 
Should I change something in my profile?
I agree with what many have said here. I am both a homeowner and a sitter. If I am in need of a sitter, I do not browse sitters because I feel it is a timely process without much success. My listing is what will bring in the applicants. If it is slow, I will browse the sitters that have saved my listing because at least I know they’ve seen my listing in the past and will perhaps invite them based on their profiles. But that doesn’t usually result in any success either. If you want to sit in England, I would start favoriting listings in England. If you can’t do their current sit, once they post their next sit, you will automatically get notified. As a sitter, I often get invitations from homeowners that I have favorited. I’m sure you will have success in your efforts. Best to you in your new petsitting adventures!
@Suebeehb
Hi Sue - most of my interest (apart from this first w/e) is from the USA & I’m in Sussex, UK!
I have US couples coming for 3 sits over the summer.
Good luck Jx
Same here @Suebeehb we are Australian sitters and are not interested in local sits as we own our own home in a lovely spot opposite the beach. We actively seek sits in places different to where live. Australia being a huge country gives us many different options for sits from tropical to very cold areas, coastal to outback, apartments to farms and everything in between. We often get contacted for local sits and politely decline. Just yesterday we were offered an Easter sit 5 minutes drive from our place. We are currently arranging sits in the UK for Dec 2022 to March 2023 which we mention in our sitter profile so it pays HO to read profiles when you are looking for sitters.
Good to know! I do have it stated in my profile that starting in 2023 my availability will be wide open… and that I am willing (and wanting) to travel to other countries.
And, how great for you to have such a broad range of locations! I’ve been all over the US, so there isn’t a whole lot I want to visit. Plus, my so. And grandson live in Paris, and it’s a great home base to work from and visit all over Europe. I’m hoping for extended time starting next year, and doing pet sitting will be a great way to see more of Europe!