Tag: vacation rental listing tips

Why Rental Owners Should Consider Fall Upgrades

Fall is the perfect time for vacation rental homeowners to consider upgrades for next summer. It’s the sweet spot between peak season bookings and winterization, where you can actually slow down and take a look at how your home fared during its busiest months.

While our housekeeping and maintenance teams provide routine care for your home, there are always items that experience wear and tear, requiring repair or replacement. Taking a look things in the fall can help you prioritize investments that will increase your bookings for next year.

Here are a few tips for making autumnal upgrades to your vacation rental:

  • Shop summer clearance sales to save on big ticket items like BBQ’s and patio furniture. Simply updating seat cushions and outdoor pillows can make all the difference – repeat guests will notice the small upgrades and appreciate your attentiveness to their comfort.
  • Take a good look at guest feedback from the summer. If multiple guests address a problem area, it might be in your best interest to focus on that part of the home. This can be a huge task, as there are many different ways to receive reviews. Our Owner Services team can sort through the feedback and make helpful recommendations. Plus, we’ll be sure to follow up with guests and update listings to reflect your efforts.Consider scheduling a complimentary post-season inspection, where we provide a list of suggestions to increase bookings for next year.
  • When it comes to larger projects or renovations, start planning early! Do your research, source reliable contractors, and develop a timeline for the work now, so construction doesn’t interfere with next year’s calendar.

Ultimately, our goal is to maximize the income potential of your vacation rental. The best – and easiest – way to increase bookings and demand a higher weekly rate is to make regular updates and improvements to your home. Here are a few more resources to get the ball rolling:

Secure booking for 2020 now by becoming a Premier Partner! Learn more.

If you’re an independent rental owner, we want to know how your peak season went! What were your challenges with guest turnover? Did your home see more wear and tear than you expected?

We’re your local partner in vacation rental management. Call us today to learn more about what we can do to help! 844-573-7255 | Opt. 4

Avoid Vacancies in 2018: Top 10 Tips to Enhance Your Vacation Rental Listing

Finger Lakes Premier Properties has 25 years of managing lakefront vacation rentals along seven of the Finger Lakes. Our diversified team has become the area experts in customer service, property management, yield management, marketing, and more! Below are a few tips from our team to get more bookings for your own vacation rental this year.

1. Put Your Best Image Forward 

Make your home stand out with great photography, leading with one unique feature that is beautiful and enticing. Want to really impress potential guests? Add a virtual tour of your home!

2. Titles Matter! 

It’s the first thing they see, will it entice them to look further? Not only does your title need to be catchy, but current. The Finger Lakes offers different experiences based on the seasons, your title can reflect that along with seasonal discounts.

3. Clear Rates

Are your rates nightly or monthly? How do they vary seasonally? Make sure your rates are clearly identified and compare yours with competitors regularly. Never feel obligated to discount without a clear understanding of the demand of your region.

4. How Detailed is Your Description? 

Be detailed and strategic in your description. Help potential guests envision walking through the home by painting the picture. It should flow accordingly to how the layout of the home is, highlighting marketable and unique features and amenities.

5. What are the Sleeping Arrangements? 

Details on bedding is the number one question you probably get by phone. Be clear in your description about what size bed(s) are in each room and even list them out for the reader as done below:
• Bedroom 1, First Floor: 1 King
• Bedroom 2, Second Floor: 2 Queen

6. Sell your Amenities!

You’ve invested in the extras, so show them off! Amenities are great selling points that make your listing more competitive. But do not advertise amenities you do not have. This will only create problems, resulting in poor reviews, less future bookings, and even threats from some listing sites to pull your listing for false advertising.

7. Quick Responses Pay Off.

The faster you respond to a booking inquiry, the more likely you are to secure that reservation. Guests will move on quickly if they do not hear from you. Timely responses will also increase your overall quality score on listing sites.

8. Always Update Your Calendar.

Updating your calendar frequently will not only help you avoid conflicts of last minute bookings, which are on the rise! Not just for the guests, but listing sites are also tracking the last time you revised your calendar, ranking you higher in search results based on the frequency that changes are made.

9. No Surprises in Your Booking Policy.

A clear, upfront booking policy will create trust between you and your guests. Make sure all details of payment dates and your cancellation policy are clearly identified to avoid any surprises for either of you.

10. Reviews, Reviews, Reviews.

The more you have, the higher you rank! Don’t be afraid to ask your guests to share their experience, in today’s world they expect a request. And review books are a nice gesture inside the vacation rental, but unfortunately, they don’t count online. After your guest has taken the time to review your home be sure to thanks them, every single one of them. Your responses, even to the 5-star reviews, help your listing in the algorithm on the major booking sites.

These are just some of the tactics we have used to secure more revenue each year for our 260 vacation homes. Our 25 years of experience in the Finger Lakes has produced a team of experts who specialize in all of these tactics. For more information about our vacation rental management services, click here.