I also referred a friend to be a host after she bought a house with a separate apartment. I am not receiving the stated $720 referral which I was counting on for a future vacation. I am sorry but not entirely surprised to find out this is a bait and switch. Unfortunately, this isn't something that the company will feel much pressure to fix because the affected people are solidly working with established rentals and have little incentive to change platforms, and our words to anyone outside the program won't be a deterrent.
It's just sad and disappointing.