Comments on: Should I join multiple vacation rental directories? http://blog.firstvacationrental.com/should-i-join-multiple-vacation-rental-directories/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Howie http://blog.firstvacationrental.com/should-i-join-multiple-vacation-rental-directories/comment-page-1/#comment-687 Howie Fri, 15 Jul 2011 23:50:55 +0000 http://blog.firstvacationrental.com/?p=94#comment-687 Bob, I use 4 vacation rental directories to get inquiries for the 3 Cape Cod properties I manage and for the one I own. The sites I use are Homeaway, VRBO, vacationhomerentals.com, and First Vacation Rental. I find they are all worthwhile. My property is the Main House. The average income of the 4 properties I manage is about $35k per year. That total includes the 9 prime summer weeks, plus some weeks and weekends in May, June, September, and October, which I market aggressively. Each of the directories I mentioned helps me rent a few weeks or weekends. If I were paying a broker 15%, I'd be paying over $5,000 a year in rental fees. My total cost for vacation rental directories is about a quarter of that. I've tried other vacation rental directories but I like these the best. As you'd expect, they each have their pros and cons. The Homeaway site has been in a bit of a decline recently in terms of producing inquiries. Homeaway actually owns VRBO and some other sites. VRBO produces the most inquiries, but they use a system where they charge extra to add more pictures. This can get a little expensive - over $600/year. Vacationhomerentals is a good value at only $119/year. With Firstvacationrental.com, I can pay by the month - $24 - like a utility bill. I can cancel when my calendar is full and they save my info for next season. I've been in the real estate rentals business since 1983. The internet has drastically changed things. For unfurnished year-round apartments I use Craigslist now. For vacation rentals I use 4 vacation rental directories. This is how I get the most from my rental properties each year. Howie Bob,

I use 4 vacation rental directories to get inquiries for the 3 Cape Cod properties I manage and for the one I own. The sites I use are Homeaway, VRBO, vacationhomerentals.com, and First Vacation Rental. I find they are all worthwhile. My property is the Main House. The average income of the 4 properties I manage is about $35k per year. That total includes the 9 prime summer weeks, plus some weeks and weekends in May, June, September, and October, which I market aggressively. Each of the directories I mentioned helps me rent a few weeks or weekends. If I were paying a broker 15%, I’d be paying over $5,000 a year in rental fees. My total cost for vacation rental directories is about a quarter of that.

I’ve tried other vacation rental directories but I like these the best. As you’d expect, they each have their pros and cons. The Homeaway site has been in a bit of a decline recently in terms of producing inquiries. Homeaway actually owns VRBO and some other sites. VRBO produces the most inquiries, but they use a system where they charge extra to add more pictures. This can get a little expensive – over $600/year. Vacationhomerentals is a good value at only $119/year. With Firstvacationrental.com, I can pay by the month – $24 – like a utility bill. I can cancel when my calendar is full and they save my info for next season.

I’ve been in the real estate rentals business since 1983. The internet has drastically changed things. For unfurnished year-round apartments I use Craigslist now. For vacation rentals I use 4 vacation rental directories. This is how I get the most from my rental properties each year.

Howie

]]> By: Bob G http://blog.firstvacationrental.com/should-i-join-multiple-vacation-rental-directories/comment-page-1/#comment-673 Bob G Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:05:46 +0000 http://blog.firstvacationrental.com/?p=94#comment-673 That's a lot of advertising. I wish you had included the name of your Wellfleet listing as I would like to see how large it is and what a Summer week lists for, so I could compare that as a ratio to dollars spent on advertising. Our place is a small 2 bedroom and we get $1100/wk in the Summer weeks. Currently advertised on one site, but usually listed on 2. We have lots of repeaters and in ten years have had near 100% occupancy from June - Oct. By the way $1100 is on the high side for a place in our size/location category. Surely you can't be aksing us low priced small place owners to spend so much on advertising? Your blog entry would have been far more helpful and have more credibility if If you had 1) identified your property and 2) named specifically all of the sites you advertise on. Otherwise, your anonymity just makes you seem like a shill for the rental advertising web sites. I have used my gmail to shield my identity, but its valid if you wish to respond. That’s a lot of advertising. I wish you had included the name of your Wellfleet listing as I would like to see how large it is and what a Summer week lists for, so I could compare that as a ratio to dollars spent on advertising. Our place is a small 2 bedroom and we get $1100/wk in the Summer weeks. Currently advertised on one site, but usually listed on 2. We have lots of repeaters and in ten years have had near 100% occupancy from June – Oct. By the way $1100 is on the high side for a place in our size/location category. Surely you can’t be aksing us low priced small place owners to spend so much on advertising?
Your blog entry would have been far more helpful and have more credibility if If you had 1) identified your property and 2) named specifically all of the sites you advertise on. Otherwise, your anonymity just makes you seem like a shill for the rental advertising web sites. I have used my gmail to shield my identity, but its valid if you wish to respond.

]]>