It’s not an understatement to say that the vacation rental business is a booming one. Odds are that you’ve waded into the industry based on recommendations from others involved who’ve enjoyed some of the success, or you’re looking to get started. The best way to get off on the right foot when it comes to getting into the vacation rental business is to basically make sure that your listing is a highly compelling one. One that will immediately catch the eye of whoever’s searching for one in your area.
This is important because there’s so many listings that are available from different companies and not paying attention to the slightest detail means that you’ll have an empty inbox.
Make the smart move and read on further to find out some ways that your vacation rental listing will bring in a bevy of eager renters. Some of these may be common sense, while others may give you a whole new outlook on how to ensure that you’ve got a eye-catching vacation rental listing.
Take Spectacular Pictures. A Lot Of Them.
There’s more than a few horror stories that renters have and share with others that all go back to one thing – the pictures that the hosts provided either didn’t accurately depict the property in full or were just used as a bait-and-switch. Don’t be in that grouping. Great pictures of your rental property will pull everyone in.
Take some time and thoroughly clean your space. You want to give off the feel of it being immaculate and open. Low lighting in your listing pictures are a no-no. You wouldn’t want to stay in a rental that has a gloomy tone to it, would you? When you take photographs, try to do so with as much lighting that you can get both indoors and from outdoors – aiming to take shots on a sunny day always works. With individual rooms, look for the best vantage point that can capture the entire space to heighten the appeal to potential renters.
Make sure you get enough pictures to tell a story. If you’ve got a private room or a small space, aim for a range of four to ten photographs that can show off the space and any amenities that are included like if there’s a private bathroom included in the rental. For larger spaces, aim for fifteen photos to start with. This amount will give potential renters a good overview of the property to go with your listed information.
Make Your Space Stand Out By Design.
Credit: Airbnb
Many are drawn to certain vacation rentals because of how they’re laid out. If you have a keen sense of interior design, employing that to the fullest might just get your rental property buzzing. You want guests to feel comfortable and set apart from the rest of the world in style. And to come back and recommend your property, of course.
Pick one theme and stick with it. Consistency is key when decorating – you don’t want to have a wildlife theme in one area and then have it turn into an oceanic theme in another part of your rental.
Sometimes, less is more. Some of the vacation rental properties that get a lot of action involve places with minimalist décor. An example of this can be found here with this listing of a tiny backyard cottage in Seattle, Washington and another one can be seen here with this loft-style home located in Manila, the Philippines.
Accessories are important. Some renters are picky when it comes to décor, and a small painting here or a charming end table there can both liven up your place a little and catch someone’s eye. Some hosts even have interesting books that are dedicated to the area or city that the property is in, further adding to the overall experience.
Write A Killer Description.
Credit: Trip101
Now that you’ve got the visual aesthetic down pat, it’s time to focus on what some hosts may consider the most tedious element of vacation rental listings – the description. While the images do help a great deal in drawing potential renters to your listing, having a great description serves as an additional boost to its appeal. Trip101 provides recommendations on vacation rental, you can check out the descriptions there to see how writers craft a prose that draws in renters!
Be honest. Yes, this has to be said because there’s a slew of news reports depicting shady hosts and their practices which in turn gives the industry a seriously bad rap. It’s tempting to fudge the details to snare a customer but in the long run it isn’t worth the headaches when that renter figures it out and leaves you negative feedback on your listing. Which would be the least of your headaches if the authorities get involved.
Details are important. Try to provide as much info as you can on your property within reason. When a renter can come to your listing page and have little to no questions for you, that’s a very good thing. Pay attention to this especially when it comes to things like the distance that your rental is from key things that people need such as public transportation and grocery stores and other points of interest.
Be concise. It helps to provide as much info as you can, but you don’t want your description to seem like a thesis. Think of it like having a conversation with a friend of a friend; focus on things that you want to stand out first and foremost.
Stress To Renters That You’re Available To Them.
Credit: Pixabay
Bear in mind that you in essence are possibly the first representation of a new city and/or country that someone is going to experience. In that light, you want to be a very outgoing host.
Set clear guidelines for contact. If you’ve got a schedule that prevents you from being there when a renter arrives, state that clearly in your description.
Be timely when communicating by email. You’ve got some people out there who prefer to make all of their queries by email rather than call you if you’ve made both methods available.
Be mindful about language differences. In this case, utilize services like Google Translate to help bridge that gap and put your guests at ease. There’s a few others that you can add to your browser in some cases depending on which one you use to be found here.
Finally, Give A Little Extra.
Credit: Pixabay
You know that old saying, “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”? That’s definitely true when it comes to vacation rentals. Sweetening the deal with one or two extra surprises for your guests goes a long way. They’ll probably make sure to book your property again and refer you to friends and family.
You can’t go wrong with offering fixings for breakfast, be it cups for Keurig machines or even baked goods or fruit.
If you’ve got a bicycle laying about, get it fixed up and make it available to guests to use. There’s a lot of people who enjoy exploring via bike.
To that end, if you have guests who are mainly using public transportation, see if you can get guides to leave for them once they arrive.
Some guests want to stay in and chill, and if your place has wireless internet capability linked up with your TV, offering them the chance to watch their streaming services while staying in your rental is a plus.