How to update your vacation rental listing to get good results

You decided to list your property to earn money. You have high hopes but months have passed and your vacation rental listing barely receives inquiries. You ask, “What could be the problem?”

First of all, it’s great that you are asking this question. It is the beginning of critical thinking. It also means you are serious about making your vacation rental work. So congrats, you’re on the right track and we’re here to guide you to become truly successful at renting out your property.

It is every owner’s dream to get a steady flow of rental income. To achieve this, investing enough time to make your listing stand out from hundreds of properties in your location is well worthwhile.

If you don’t get many rental inquiries or you get inquiries but you don’t close a deal in the end, then it’s high time you evaluate your listing. A few things to ask yourself:

Is your listing title catchy?
Is the description of your property eloquent and detailed?
Did you take good photos of your property?
Are your photos of good quality (e.g. high resolution, great composition, etc.)?
Is your feature photo captivating?
Do you include photos of nearby attractions and destinations?
Are your photos properly captioned?
Do you offer free add ons or occasional discounts/last minute deals?

If you answered no to any of these questions, then you really should do something about it. Fast. Boost your property listing in time for the holidays!

A few examples of great property listings – big or small, homey or luxurious.

Carriage House with pool located in Peachland #201796

Carriage House with pool located in Peachland, Okanagan, ID#201796

Creekside cottage one block from the beach & downtown Kelowna, ID#204978

Spacious mountain-view condo in a complex, ID#114636

Luxury Disney vacation home in Orlando, Florida, ID#224140

Clean and beautiful accommodation in the heart of the Sorrento Peninsula, ID#213180

South-facing villa in Kissimmee, Florida, ID#17490

4-bedroom villa in Sorrento and Amalfi Coast, ID#45557

Loft apartment in Rome, Italy, ID#213826

Beautiful 2 Bedroom Suite , Dream Kitchen, Balcony, Fenced Yard, Bbq - Penticton #203161

Beautiful small kitchen in this 2-bedroom suite in Greater Penticton, ID#203161

Luxury villa at Kauai, Hawaii, ID#209432

Spectacular 280° panoramic view in this Victoria condo, ID#213845

Great value home within earshot of Disney fireworks, ID#38197

Beach-style house in Qualicum,ID#224178

And here’s a handy checklist to guide you in updating your listing.

TITLE

Come up with an inviting title. Type of property + Activities + Nearest Attraction make a good formula for a title.

DESCRIPTION

Include in the description your property’s space area, number of bedrooms, maximum occupants, unique features, themes and motifs, equipment and appliances, amenities, and special areas that you yourself enjoy (e.g. the patio, spacious living room, etc.).
Mention nearby attractions and destinations, including how many minutes to it. Add a brief blurb about them.
Add house rules you may have. Highlight if you include guest favors, welcome pets, have security or have free access to amenities of a community, etc.
Add special offers you may have, e.g. by request chef or butler, discounts, pet friendly, etc.

PHOTOS

Take beautiful photos of your beautiful property. Why? Read this. Not sure how? Read here and here.
Photograph all rooms and areas, including views, activities and nearby attractions.
If needed, stitch or make a collage of different angles of an area or room into one image.
Make sure you use high resolution photos. Ideally, each image should have at least 1024px by 600px (landscape) or 600px by 1024px (portrait). The higher the resolution, the better.
Set the most appealing photo as featured photo.
Caption your photos properly, e.g. how many people can your dining table sit, how could renters possibly enjoy the deck or patio, etc.

And lastly, don’t forget to also market your listing. The more mentioned and engaged your listing, the better! Copy your listing’s url and share on Facebook and Twitter. Pin a few photos of your property on Pinterest. Share your property’s photos on Instagram. If you find your property featured on Owner Direct’s Instagram account, add your comments. If you don’t find your property featured, then go ahead and make a shout out of your property on your own Instagram account. Tag @OwnerDirect to get your property noticed by us. Don’t forget to add your property’s ID number next to #ownerdirect.com so we can easily find you, including your potential renters.

Happy updating!