Sweet Viscape

Tips to Make your Property Manager Work for You!
by Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner - Founders of FullyBookedRentals

It’s often said that “the Internet changes everything.” Certainly it has changed the traditional relationship between vacation-rental owners and property managers. In fact, the Internet has empowered vacation rental owners to completely eliminate property managers and the 15 to 50 percent commissions they charge. You really can do everything yourself, and keep the commission money in the process.

But what if you don’t have the time (or inclination) to screen renters, handle inquiries, maintain an availability calendar, send out rental agreements, and collect payments? What if you just don’t want to do it all yourself?

If you’re not forced to maximize the income your property generates, if your current goal is to simply cover most of your expenses, then going the property-manager route might very well make sense. But here’s the problem: The really good property managers handle dozens (even hundreds) of vacation rentals. None of them has any real incentive to concentrate on marketing your particular property.

So, assuming that for reasons of the sort cited above you want to turn your property over to a property management company, what can you do to help that company keep your place fully booked?

Here are some suggestions:

• Write your own property description. It’s unlikely that your property manager knows anywhere near as much as you do about the joys and pleasures of your place. You can set yourself apart from the competition by creating your own write-up and providing it to your property manager. Put your personality into it. Explain what you love about the place. And be frank. If there’s an ocean view, but you have to crane your neck to see it, go ahead and say so. Then make the point that for a full ocean view, the price would be considerably higher.
• Take charge of your photos. Unless your property manager is a terrific photographer or has one on retainer, we recommend that you provide your own photos. Enlist the help of a friend (or hire a professional photographer for $200-$300) if you’re not comfortable with a digital camera. Be sure to “dress” the set, pay attention to lighting, and use a wide-angle lens for your interior shots.
• Augment your management company’s online listings with your own. Most property management companies now have their own Web sites with pictures and descriptions of the properties they manage. But when it comes to getting noticed by the search engines, more is often better. So boost your property’s “search footprint” by listing on leading sites and have all inquiries go to your property manager. (Editor’s Note: Viscape lets you list your property for free.)
• Spread the word with business cards for your property. For less than $25 at sites like VistaPrint and OvernightPrints, you can design a business card and order a supply of 100-250 cards. Offer them to friends and business acquaintances who ask about your property.

List your property for free on Viscape to complement your property manager’s marketing efforts!

There really are many ways to get what you want and need from a vacation rental. And the Internet is a big help, regardless of the path you choose. The key thing is to take the reins and use the Internet tools at your disposal to help your property manager keep your place fully booked.

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Alfred and Emily Glossbrenner are experienced vacation-rental owners and the authors of How to Make Your Vacation Property Work for You! They also own and operate FullyBookedRentals (http://www.fullybookedrentals.com), a membership Web site devoted to helping other vacation-rental owners advertise, rent, and manage their properties effectively and profitably. Alfred and Emily will be on Viscape Univeristy’s discussion panel on January 12th at 9:00 PM EST - Make Money Honey! The Insiders Guide to Short Term Vacation Rentals! Space is limited so sign-up today: RSVP@viscape.com