5 Tips on How to Fill Your Rental Property Bookings
On any given night, approximately 2 million people are staying in an Airbnb worldwide. Double this number with VRBO and HomeAway. Whether you’re an Airbnb host, a VRBO host, or a HomeAway owner, you’ve probably considered various ways to completely fill your rental property bookings. If you want to know how to make money with Airbnb, here are a few vacation rental tips for owners to increase bookings and maximize rental property potential:
Upgrade Your Photographs
If you genuinely want potential guests to like and book your rental property, which we know you do, you’ll need to make a good first impression. The photographs of your space are the first experience a guest has with your location. A cell phone camera just won’t work for the professional images you’ll need to impress a potential guest. Humans are naturally attracted to cleanliness and bright lighting. If the photographs you have right now don’t scream professional, consider hiring a real estate photographer or rental property photographer. This photographer will know the correct lighting and best angle to truly capture the best of your property. The investment you make in a professional photographer will be exponentially lucrative in the future.
Personable and Memorable
From the moment you start interacting with a guest who is interested in booking your location, make sure to be professional and personable. Your messages should be short, informative, prompt, and polite. When guests finally arrive at your location, leave them with a guest book, a map of the area, and a suggestion of restaurants and shopping locations that you personally recommend. You may even leave them a little review of your favorite places. Your goal is to make your guests fall in love with the area and their short term home away from home. You should have coffee and tea ready to be made, salt & pepper, cooking oil, and any other condiments your guests might need to feel at home.
Price Range
Do some research on the properties around you. Is your price range in the right ballpark? Many guests are turning to Airbnb, VRBO, and HomeAway because they want to save money. You might be charging too much during the off season or even too little during the peak season. Your prices should be competitive and reasonable. Consider offering lower rates during Monday-Thursday to encourage guests to spend weeknights with you. Be aware of holidays, festivals, parades, and even the Comic-Con convention. You may be able to increase your price if the demand is there.
Devote Your Time
Whether this is something new you’re getting into and you have just one rental property, or if you’re a seasoned veteran and this is your full-time job, you’ll need to devote your time and energy. Make this a part of your vacation rental business plan. Block out a portion of your day to respond to potential guests and current guests. Be on call when guests need you. The faster you respond and alleviate the issue, the better review you’ll receive from your guests. The better review you’ll receive, the more likely your location is to be booked in the future.
Find a Rental Property Management Company
If you are not up to the full-time job of managing your rental property, you may consider having someone else do it for you. As interest in Airbnb increases, rental property management companies are becoming more popular and easier to find. They will take care of your bookings, linens, and cleaning all for a fee, of course. If you have multiple locations or don’t reside in the same neighborhood or town as your property, a rental property management company will know exactly how to advertise vacation rental property and price your property for maximum return.