If you’re managing a holiday rental property, you might be tempted to list it solely on Airbnb. After all, it’s the biggest platform in the industry, right? Well, not quite. While Airbnb is undoubtedly a great platform, it’s important to recognise that it’s not the only one. In fact, only using Airbnb could limit your property’s reach and ultimately cost you bookings. In this blog, we’ll explain why listing your property on multiple platforms is essential and how Dynamic Residential and their Short Stays team can help you do it.
Reaching a Wider Audience
One of the biggest advantages of listing your property on multiple channels is its increased exposure. Advertising on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com will help your property reach a wider audience. Guests worldwide use different platforms to search for accommodation, so exposing your property on multiple channels is important to ensure maximum visibility.
Let’s break down the top three booking sites we use and outline their key features:
Airbnb
Founded in 2008 and has grown to include over 7 million listings worldwide, it’s known for its easy-to-use platform, featuring user reviews and ratings and a secure payment system. Here are some key features of Airbnb:
- Users can filter search results by price, location, and other criteria to find the perfect rental property.
- Hosts can manage their properties and bookings through the platform’s dashboard, including setting availability and pricing and communicating with guests.
- Airbnb offers various accommodations, including entire homes, apartments, and private rooms.
- The platform provides a secure payment system, holding payments until after check-in to ensure both parties are satisfied with the booking.
Booking.com
Booking.com was founded in 1996 and is one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. It offers many accommodation types, including hotels, apartments, and vacation homes. Here are some key features of Booking.com:
- The platform offers a wide range of accommodations in over 220 countries and territories.
- Users can filter search results by location, price, and other criteria and view user reviews and ratings before booking.
- Hosts can manage their properties and bookings through the platform’s extranet, including setting availability and pricing and communicating with guests.
- com offers a secure payment system, with payment held until after check-in to ensure both parties are satisfied with the booking.
VRBO
VRBO, or Vacation Rentals by Owner, was founded in 1995 and was acquired by HomeAway in 2006. It’s now part of the Expedia Group and offers a wide range of vacation rental properties, from apartments to villas. Here are some key features of VRBO:
- The platform offers a selection of over 2 million vacation rental properties worldwide.
- Users can filter search results by location, price, and other criteria and view user reviews and ratings before booking.
- Hosts can manage their properties and bookings through the platform’s dashboard, including setting availability and pricing and communicating with guests.
- VRBO offers a secure payment system, with payment held until after check-in to ensure both parties are satisfied with the booking.
Channel Management Software
Of course, listing your property on multiple platforms comes with the risk of double bookings. That’s where channel management software comes in. This software allows you to manage everything in one place, including availability, pricing, and communication with guests. It also ensures that your property isn’t double booked by syncing availability across all platforms. Dynamic Residential uses this software to manage our portfolio of properties, making it more feasible for us and ultimately saving you time and money.
Professional Advertising
At Dynamic Residential, we understand the importance of professional advertising when attracting guests to your property. That’s why we offer industry rates for photography and copywriting, making it cheaper than if you were to arrange professional photography yourself. We ensure your property is advertised professionally to attract the most attention and maximise bookings. We want future guests to choose your property over others in the area.
3D Virtual Tours
In addition to professional photography and copywriting, we include 3D virtual tours in our advertising. These tours give guests the best impression of what it would be like to stay at your property, allowing them to visualise themselves in the space fully. This level of detail can make all the difference when converting a browsing guest into a paying customer.
In summary…
The benefits of using more than one booking platform for short-stay rentals
- Increased exposure to a wider audience of potential guests.
- Access to different types of travellers who use different platforms to search for accommodations.
- Reduced risk of low occupancy due to lack of bookings.
- Possibility of higher revenue due to the ability to adjust pricing across multiple platforms.
- Centralised management of all bookings in one place through the use of channel management software.
The risks of using only one platform, like Airbnb
- Limited exposure to potential guests who don’t use Airbnb to search for accommodations.
- Higher risk of low occupancy rates if bookings are slow or the platform experiences issues or outages.
- Higher risk of double bookings if relying solely on one platform to manage all bookings.
- Inability to adjust pricing in real-time across multiple platforms to maximise revenue.
- Higher expenses if arranging professional photography and copywriting independently.
- Missed opportunities to attract more guests by not showcasing your property on other platforms where potential guests may be searching.
Only listing your short stay property on Airbnb is not enough. You can reach a wider audience, increase bookings, and maximise profits using multiple platforms. At Dynamic Residential, we provide innovative channel management software to ensure your property has a wide distribution and doesn’t get double booked. We also create and manage premium advertising campaigns to attract the most attention and 3D virtual tours to give guests the best impression of your property.
Contact us today on (03) 8600 1200 to learn how we can help you manage your holiday rental without the hassle and guaranteed returns.
