Best ways to draw more interest in my STR

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Best ways to draw more interest in my STR

Scott Stahr
Severn, MD · Member since 2019 · 6 posts · 2 votes

Hey BiggerPockets!

Hoping to get some advise on how to draw more interest into my STR near Deep Creek MD. The house is 5 minutes from the lake and last year we had around bookings for around 60% of the year. This year things have slowed down and we're looking for the best ways to capture more interest in the rental. We have already purchased a hot tub and are expecting delivery of it in August.

Since we're not on the lake we're already at a disadvantage so I was hoping the community could provide some of the biggest draws to help boost rentals.

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Scott E.
Contractor · Scottsdale, AZ · Member since 2010 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
4y

1. Is the home nicely finished with decent finishes that appeals a large audience (light, bright, airy, pops of color)

2. Is the home nicely furnished with furniture that might not be the most comfortable, but that looks great on camera?

3. Do you have professional photos, taken by a real photographer?

4. Are you offering fun amenities that competing homes are not? A hot tub is a good start. How about things like:

 -Corn hole

 -Fire pit

 -Dart board

 -Board games

 -Fishing poles

 -Kayaks

 -Beach cruisers

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  • Scott E.
    Contractor · Scottsdale, AZ · Member since 2010 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    4y

    1. Is the home nicely finished with decent finishes that appeals a large audience (light, bright, airy, pops of color)

    2. Is the home nicely furnished with furniture that might not be the most comfortable, but that looks great on camera?

    3. Do you have professional photos, taken by a real photographer?

    4. Are you offering fun amenities that competing homes are not? A hot tub is a good start. How about things like:

     -Corn hole

     -Fire pit

     -Dart board

     -Board games

     -Fishing poles

     -Kayaks

     -Beach cruisers

    6Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    4y

    It is good that you are taking a look at your STR as things slow down. Many times, progress comes through some slower times, as it forces us to be more interspective.

    I agree with all of Scott mentioned.  First of all, photographs sell.  Make sure that your photography is top notch, and if not, be willing to invest in that.

    Second, make sure your property is top notch.  Well appointed furnishings, nice kitchen utensils and appliances.  It is amazing how many investors overlook these things.  Spend half a $ million on a place and then not bother to go to WalMart and buy a $150 set of pots and pans.  

    Expansion and contraction of the STR business is a normal ebb and flow, and not unlike the business cycles of most industries. Do not panic. Pay attention to details and ride it out.

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    2Reply
  • Jessie Leonard
    New to Real Estate · New Braunfels/Canyon Lake TX · Member since 2019 · 32 posts · 21 votes
    4y

    Agree with all the above. Since you're so close to the lake, maybe different outdoor cooking options? An outdoor kitchen is a plus. Maybe several different BBQ pits, gas, charcoal, smoker. What about a pizza oven?  Keep at it and ride it out.

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Lender · CA · Member since 2022 · 48 posts · 23 votes
    4y

    Hello! 

    Don't know if this is your kind of thing, but you can hire drone coordinators that will take really high footage videos/photos of your airbnb from above/around as well as the attractions around it. A lake would look great on video with the house. Just a thought. The drone business is booming in real estate.

    1Reply
  • Ryan WilliamsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Denver, CO · Member since 2022 · 98 posts · 219 votes
    4y

    Hey @Scott Stahr, everyone else has given great advice.  You may be doing this already but you also need to make sure you are ranking high in the algorithm for whichever platform you use.  You can do this by making sure you're getting great reviews.  If you get reviews inconsistently, ask people to review the home if you are not already. You can also do little adjustments to your listing frequently like changing the price slightly, adding promotions, changing the listing description, adding new photos/videos.  These things will keep you ranked higher on the platform, get more eyes on your listing, and hopefully more bookings. Airbnb has a checklist that is  "next steps for you". Go through that list if you still have options available, add those amenities, and check them off to rank higher with airbnb and be shown to people who are looking for those amenities specifically.  I hope this is helpful!

    3Reply
  • Stacy Edwards
    Virtual Assistant · Langley, WA · Member since 2022 · 43 posts · 23 votes
    4y

    Hi Scott,

    Do you respond to guest promptly/in a professional but personal manner? 

    I'm working with a property right now as an assistant, but they're using a company that seems very...impersonal. I'm wondering if it is hurting our bookings. 

    I agree what was said above about getting reviews. That will definitely help! 

    1Reply
  • Michael Weigum
    Real Estate Agent · Santa Rosa Beach, FL · Member since 2019 · 112 posts · 116 votes
    4y

    Hey @Scott Stahr

    Everyone here has mentioned a lot of good things. A couple other things that come to mind would be this. 1. Put yourself in the shoes of the potential guest. What would be most important to you. 2. Sell the experience. Since you are not on the lake, make sure you have a guide book that shows all the things that you are close to and activities that are close. Personally when my family and I travel, we are willing to be 5 minutes away to get a little cheaper nightly rate because we use that extra money on different activities in the area. 

    My wife also takes the time to make the experience personal and focuses on the little details for the guests. If they are celebrating an anniversary or a birthday, maybe leave something like a bottle of wine or a gift card to help celebrate the occasion. A lot of our reviews when we first got started said it was the little details that made the guest experience great.

    Good luck!

    1Reply
  • Andy Leverenz
    Investor · St. Louis, MO · Member since 2015 · 4 posts · 5 votes
    4y

    A lot of good responses here. I think there are a lot of little optimizations you can slowly make. The biggest will always be professional photography, making sure the listing is as advertised, and good communication for the best review outcome.

    In terms of something more strategic, SEO came to mind for me. Assuming folks are visiting the area already you could make a Google Business page or Yelp page with your rental. People might land on your place in a location-based search. The trick is getting reviews for those pages. 

    I haven't tried this yet but heard from some others that it works decently. I'm planning to do an experiment where we offer guests an incentive to go leave another review on the google/yelp page following their stay. The more reviews/traction to those pages the more those pages might return your result. That could then lead to more bookings be it direct or using Airbnb/VRBO/etc... Having a website linking back to your listings would also be good to link to from these pages. Just another idea!

    1Reply
  • Lucinda Hamre
    Member since 2021 · 26 posts · 29 votes
    4y

    I don't have an AirBNB, but stay at them most of the time when we travel. Our favorite guest, Renae from Mesa, AZ, always prepares notebooks with local interests, arranges discounts at restaurants and leaves personal notes for things that are going on in the area. She has a book where guests also share information with the next one staying there for tips about the area, including historical sites, etc.

    Having a basket of snacks on hand is really nice when guests arrive and haven't yet had time to shop. Consider simple condiments and spices. It's a PITA to make another run to the grocer because you don't have ketchup or black pepper.

    Last, please make sure you have awesome internet connections because most of us have to work even while on "vacation." Renae bought a cheap printer for me during one stay because I had training while there and needed to print forms. Because she asks about special needs we might have, she was prepared and made our stay much more enjoyable (even if the pool unexpected closed, bummer).

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  • Adam Kalnas
    Investor · Mt. Gretna, PA · Member since 2015 · 4 posts · 0 votes
    4y

    I think most people in the STR industry have notice a bit of a slow down over the months or two.

    I'd like to explore this location a bit more conversationally. Per your property in Deep Creek, are you self managing or having a property management company handle it for you? While I've been doing research about that market I bought the AirDNA for this area and see that it, seems like there's 1-2 giants PM companies in there with loads of rentals. I'm guessing they cross list their vacation homes, and also have their own platform. I'm suspecting their system is a bit self-feeding. Taylor Made is one of the big ones. I just reviewed their website and see that you can look through all their listings and there are hundreds. I'm curious if this puts smaller STR hosts at a bit of a disadvantage if not teamed up with of of these bigger PM companies.

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