Vacation Rental Homeowners | Marketing and Managing for Success

There are some things that never change when it comes to your vacation rental, however, managing and marketing it is isn't one of them. What you did last year to drive traffic to your property listing my not work again this year. And by not adapting some simple, new managing tactics, you might find that those guests aren’t writing the glowing guest reviews or returning to your home the following summer. The lodging tax definitely put an added wrinkle into the plans for many. In this episode, Elizabeth Weedon and Tyler Pyburn explain why it’s so important for your managing and marketing strategies to evolve.

It has been an interesting season as it relates to the lodging tax. Here is an update on how things went and how it could be changing in the future.

The vacation rental industry on the Cape and Islands have seen some interesting trends as of late. Jim Reese of WeNeedaVacation.com breaks them down.

Here at WeNeedaVacation.com, we have always thought of Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard as a refuge. That's why we encourage others to Get Back here whenever they can. In recent years, we have felt the urge more and more not only to "get back," but to give back, so that these cherished places can be experienced not only by the present generation, but by countless generations to come. To that end, we've initiated a green program here at WeNeedaVacation.com where homeowners and vacationers concerned about the future of the Cape and Islands can take some achievable steps to lessen their impacts. Those steps include stocking homes with eco-friendly cleaning products and providing water filters and reusable grocery totes. To empower vacationers to find such homes, we are now including these amenities in our property listings.

It's easy to think that if something worked last year, its going to work again. But as we've seen time and time again, the vacation rental market changes about as much as the tides do on the Cape and Islands. However, one thing is for sure, there is more competition than ever and you have to continue to evolve as an owner.

It seems as if every other day there is a new story of either a homeowner or vacationer being scammed somehow. While there's no perfect solution, here are a few things you can do to help keep you home, listing, and money safe!

As most of you are aware, the new MA short-term rental tax for occupancy beginning on or after July 1, 2019, went into effect on January 1. Any contract you enter into with renters for this summer (7/1/19) and beyond must require the tax – unless the lease was signed prior to January 1, 2019. Here's what you need to know.

As you might know, the lodging tax has officially been passed. With it, comes some interesting things you need to know in regards to insurance. You'll need to review your insurance policy or contact your insurance agent to make sure you are adequately covered, including the new requirement of at least $1 million liability coverage. Unfortunately, if you are insured by the MA Fair Plan, it limits its coverage to only $½ million.

Not too sure about pricing for the upcoming year or what needs updating in your home? Becky Fischer explains the homeowner consultation process and breaks down the things she looks for and why it benefits a homeowner.

Whether your home is booked or not, there is a right way and a wrong way to respond to inquiries. In this podcast, Joan Talmadge and Tyler Pyburn discuss how quickly you should respond and the best way to do it,

Keeping track of your bookings can be a daunting challenge: recording the dates and rates of the booking, when deposits and leases are due, information about the guests, etc. And it’s critically important to get it right! That's why having a booking management software in place will help make your life 10X easier.

Like it or not (and most of us homeowners do not!), increasing numbers of vacationers are requesting, if not requiring, air conditioning. Most of us with homes on the Cape and Islands know that it rarely gets as terribly hot here as it does in most other parts of the country. But admittedly it’s always quite humid, and air conditioning is most effective in keeping your home drier and less prone to mold and mustiness.

We obviously believe in the fact that homeowners should talk to and screen potential guests. But what are the questions you should be asking your potential guests during the screening process? In this episode, we talk about those questions and why its important for the vacationer to get comfortable with you as well.

With more competition that ever, there are a few small things you can do to help separate yourself from the pack. In this episode we answer,what are vacationers most looking for?

I’m sure I’m not alone in rejoicing once a year on “Reclamation Day” – that long-anticipated day when my last tenants of the season have departed and my beloved home is once again MINE. While it's easy to sit back and relax, which you should be doing, there are also a few things that you can do as a homeowner to help set you up for the next season.

We recently wrapped up our largest vacation rental homeowner forum on Martha's Vineyard. From online payments to stories from individual homeowners, here's a look at some of the things we covered while on the island.

While the booking season on the Cape and Islands has typically kicked off after the start of the new year, there are some interesting trends that we've seen. More and more vacationers are beginning their searches a year in advance. In our latest podcast, we explain how to capitalize on the trend.

The lodging tax has long been a topic of conversation here on the Cape and Islands but this time it looks like it may go through. Here's an update.

Definitions for the word “clutter” include mess, litter, untidiness, disorder, confusion, and chaos. Is this the environment that you’d like to provide for your guests’ relaxation? The consistent feedback we receive in our vacationer surveys and from reading thousands of guest reviews from vacationers indicate that they overwhelmingly prefer a relatively stripped-down, clutter-free home. A home with a more hotel-like décor allows them to relax without worry that kids will inadvertently break or misplace a knick-knack. They can unpack without being concerned about inter-mingling their possessions with yours. And when they leave, they can more easily notice if they have left something behind.

Its one thing to have tenants but in order for homeowners to be successful, they really need to start thinking of them as "guests" in their home. Here are a few things you can do as a homeowner to go above and beyond to create a fantastic experience.

Do you have an efficient and dependable system to keep track of your bookings and tenant information? Listen to our podcast with Elizabeth Weedon as she describes and explains the data that you should be keep track of.

In this evolving vacation rental industry, it’s more important than ever to create a top-quality listing to successfully market your rental home. Listen to our recent podcast, in which Tyler Pyburn discusses with Elizabeth Weedon some tips about how to make your online listing more competitive. And, if you are listed on WeNeedaVacation.com, learn what they have to say about our relatively new feature, the Listing Quality Audit, and how it provides you with quick access to helpful advice about your specific listing.

Many major vacation rental websites like AirBNB, Homeaway, VRBO, and Flipkey now require additional booking or traveler service fees when you book online through them. This means that you will pay more than the posted rental rate for a home. The team at WeNeedaVacation.com breaks down the fees and what to look out for.

At the end of every year, we like to look back and see what kinds of changes have taken place in the industry. There are typically a few small updates and changes to the way we as homeowners conduct business, however this year, was the first time we saw monumental swings that completely change the industry as a whole.

There has been an interesting trend on the Cape and Islands when it comes to vacation rental inquiries. It seems as if more and more people are booking several months in advance. This has led to an increase in the number of inquiries from vacationers the last two Fall seasons. Jim Reese and Tyler Pyburn sat down to discuss why this trend might be taking place.

We've been discussing the lodging tax for the last 11 years, however, there hasn't been too much movement until recently. Here are a few of the recent updates that we have.

When it comes to guest reviews, we always preach to homeowners to strike while the iron is still hot. However, we've found that some homeowners don't ask at all. In our latest edition of our vacation rental homeowner podcast, we explore just how important guest reviews are to the success of your business and how you can ask for them.

Looking to extend your rental revenue past Labor Day Weekend? The fall continues to grow in popularity with vacationers, but they have tons of homes to choose from. Tyler Pyburn sits down with Lauren Binder from our Homeowner Support Team to discuss ways in which homeowners can edit their listings slightly and hear other tips to attract more fall bookings.

If you are going to withhold a security deposit, what are the best practices to do it and are there any ramifications of doing so?

Email? Phone number? Text messages? All of the above? We break down why it is so important to be accessible to potential guests in your vacation erntal

As homeowners, we try to learn as much as possible about our potential guests to make sure we feel comfortable with them potentially staying in our homes. However, its important to dig deeper and find out if our home is a good fit for them.

How use social media to book more nights by WeNeedaVacation.com

Your pictures are the first impression for your listing and are CRITICAL to the success of your rental business. We spoke with our staff photographer, Becky Fischer, on how to update your photos even in the off season.

One of the difficult choices to make when managing a vacation rental is whether or not to charge a cleaning fee, refundable or not, over and above the rent. There really isn’t a right or wrong answer – but let’s discuss a few options and considerations to help you make a decision that’s right for you. A general rule of thumb is that fairly high-end homes tend to include the cost of cleaning, although this is not always the case.

Until recently, I have been a strong advocate of requiring that vacationers send rental funds by check rather than by credit card. I was concerned about having to pay extra fees and daunted by having to learn how the PayPal process works. Plus, I had never, in 30 years of renting, lost a booking because I didn’t accept credit cards.

One concern shared by many of our vacation rental homeowners on Cape Cod is that they get cornered into renting to young adults looking for a fun place to party together for a week. (Homes on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are at less risk due to the greater logistical and financial demands of getting there.) In fact, a seemingly responsible vacationer can rent a home on the Cape and then invite hordes of friends from off-Cape to come join them for a cookout or a few nights of partying. What are your legal rights regarding who stays in, or even visits, your home? How do you say no? What can you do as a homeowner to legally protect your home from irresponsible parties?

How and when should you reach back out to your guests from last season?

In our 19 years in business, the vacation rental industry has exploded. In fact, it wasn't really called an "industry" back in 1997. It is fascinating to think about the many ways owning a vacation rental has become more competitive, high-tech, and formalized. In this podcast, we speak with Roselle Levy, a Martha's Vineyard homeowner, who talks about the changes she has seen as a vacation rental homeowner for over 20 years. Hear her personal perspective on how the vacation rental industry has grown and developed.

At this year’s Homeowner Forum, Gaining the Competitive Edge, we examined new as well as tried-and-true ways to distinguish your vacation rental property from your competition. In his recent blog post, Tyler Pyburn described how the first half of the Forum discussed the steps we should take to make our listings stand out and how we can increase our listings’ exposure to vacationers. The second half of the Forum, however, focused on ways we should manage our properties: With a small amount of effort, we can assure the comfort and enjoyment of our guests so that they either return the following year or at least post a glowing review to entice other vacationers. Here is a podcast that Tyler Pyburn and Elizabeth Weedon recorded about the same topic. To read our blog on this topic, please visit http://blog.weneedavacation.com/2016/11/23/2016-homeowner-forum-manage-rental-marketing-mind/

Every year, we plan for the Homeowner Forum the same way: by asking ourselves two questions. First, how can we best help our homeowners? And second, how can we change it up from last year’s Forum? This year, we decided to break our presentation, “Gaining the Competitive Edge,” into two sections: marketing and managing. Becky Fischer and Tyler Pyburn took the marketing section and created our “Roadmap for Success.” It’s a step-by-step guide designed to help homeowners separate themselves from their competition. If you prefer to listen, here is a podcast that Becky and Tyler recorded about the same topic. For the full story, read our Homeowner Blog post on Marketing Your Vacation Rental - http://blog.weneedavacation.com/2016/11/15/marketing-vacation-rental-roadmap-success/