3 tips for driving year-round vacation rental bookings

Delivering an exceptional guest experience year-round and adjusting seasonal rates to meet fluctuating demand can help you maximize revenue at your property from peak season to off-season. But there’s a lot to consider when it comes to attracting guests throughout the year. Simply setting and forgetting your pricing may lead to the occasional booking, but is unlikely to create sustainable success for your property.

Instead, we offer tools and resources to help you create a compelling property listing and position your vacation rental as an ideal choice —regardless of the season. Read on for tips to unlock year-round booking success.

Setting competitive seasonal pricing can help attract seasonal travelers to your vacation rental, fill gaps during the off-season, and maximize your revenue potential. Seasonal rates differ from your base rate and give you the flexibility to offer different pricing for specific periods of time — such as peak, shoulder, and off-season, holidays, specific events in your markets, and more. They’re a simple and powerful way for you to earn more and fill your calendar.

If you’re looking to optimize your vacation rental revenue strategy and drive more consistent bookings throughout the year, try setting competitive seasonal rates and use our MarketMakerTM tool to make informed decisions when setting your rates.

With MarketMaker, you can maximize your rental earnings by setting competitive rates that attract travelers year-round, including rates for peak rental seasons, major holiday weeks, and during large local events. MarketMaker delivers detailed market data to support your rate decisions — including traveler demand and availability — and is a great way to adjust and optimize your rates to account for seasonality and changes in the market.

Depending on your market, travelers may be booking several months or even a year in advance of their trip date, so it’s important to set your rates at least 6 to 12 months in advance. Really! According to our recent Path to Purchase research, vacation rental guests book their accommodations on average 83 days before their trip start date,** so the earlier you can get your rates set the better.

In addition to making sure your rates are set up in advance, remember to optimize your rates as seasons change and to keep your cancellation policies up to date. We also offer seasonal cancellation policies for hosts so you can offer your preferred date-based policy to adjust for seasonal demand and apply the right cancellation policy at the right time.

Adjust seasonal rates

Even small guest experience enhancements can make all the difference, like:

• Stocking your rental with seasonal sports equipment.
• Providing a guide with local seasonal activities and popular spots.
• Supplying warm blankets for cold nights and extra towels for pool days.

While certain aspects of your property may be highlighted depending on the season, delivering an exceptional guest experience should be consistent year-round. Don’t forget the items that matter regardless of the season — like a great coffee maker, a comfortable lounge area, and quality linens. And, to provide guests with a more immersive look at your property’s seasonal amenities, consider adding a virtual tour.

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