Vacation Rental Homeowners | Marketing and Managing for Success

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.