Getting more bookings on VRBO

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Getting more bookings on VRBO

Rental Property Investor · Worcester, MA · Member since 2018 · 131 posts · 135 votes

We went live about 3 months ago with our cabin in the Smoky Mountains and have been booking well on AirBnB, . But for some reason we haven't had a single booking on VRBO and not even a single inquiry until today. I just looked at our stats and we have 1,800 search impressions and 192 Property views yet no bookings.

Wondering if there's something I might be missing in my listing as I'm not as familiar with VRBO's platform. Let me know if you guys notice anything that could be holding us back.

Or does AirBnB just dominate the market in the Smokies?

https://www.vrbo.com/3236522?a...

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Matt Mertz

Leander TX · Member since 2020 · 179 posts · 150 votes

We're listed on Airbnb, VRBO and our own site. We have a 16 person cabin in the Smokies.

We launched on Airbnb in late 2021 and got onto VRBO 2022 Q1. Our personal site was up and running 2022 Q4.

Booking stats:

2022 - Airbnb 51%, VRBO 49%, our site 0%

2023 (current bookings) - Airbnb 56%, VRBO 33%, our site 11%

Personally I see a lot of value listing on both Airbnb and VRBO in the Smokies.

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Luke CarlPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Tennessee Florida · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 5k+ votes
3y
Snooze your ABB for a while.
Podcast Guest on Show From Surviving on $30/Day to 30+ Properties Thanks to Blue-Collar Skills
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John Carbone
Realtor · Gatlinburg · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 957 votes
3y
I’m doing really well on vrbo there, and I charge more per night as opposed to air. Might just be taking some time to get going. I actually think this market is better for vrbo.

you also have no reviews on vrbo yet, I’d start by making prices lower on there to get some reservations.

whenever I have a short notice cancellation on Airbnb, over half the time I immediately get it rebooked on vrbo. What that tells me is if I wasn’t booking so far out in advance on Airbnb, I’d be getting the bookings on vrbo.

1 Reply
Kevin Luttrell
Lender · Orange County, CA · Member since 2019 · 299 posts · 255 votes
3y
I'm surprised by these other comments. I thought VRBO was almost non-existent in the Smokies in general.
Our Smokies cabin is listed on Airbnb, VRBO and Booking.com. Started with Airbnb, then added VRBO and Booking.com within a few months. Our bookings are near 50/50 Airbnb/Booking.com with maybe 1 VRBO booking per year.
Maybe it's just that VRBO algorithms more heavily favor established listings with lots of reviews, making it harder to build up a reputation and appear higher in searches. Idk
1 Reply
Leslie Anne Morris
Real Estate Agent · Smoky Mountains, TN · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 984 votes
3y
My account manager at Expedia Group (VRBO) said VRBO is still reigning supreme in the Smokies, but I am not seeing that either. Check your listing and make sure everything is completely filled out and you are showing up in search. This helped me after I met with them and I suddenly started getting more bookings.
1 Reply
John UnderwoodPro Member
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
3y
What size is your cabin?
I think smaller less expensive cabins do better on Airbnb.
We have a large 6 bedroom cabin and it does very well on Vrbo and very little bookings from Airbnb.
1 Reply
Brandon Gale
OP
Rental Property Investor · Worcester, MA · Member since 2018 · 131 posts · 135 votes
3y
Quote from @John Underwood:

What size is your cabin?
I think smaller less expensive cabins do better on Airbnb.
We have a large 6 bedroom cabin and it does very well on Vrbo and very little bookings from Airbnb.

Its a 4 bed sleeps 10 so I would consider it a larger property for the smokies
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Brandon Gale
OP
Rental Property Investor · Worcester, MA · Member since 2018 · 131 posts · 135 votes
3y
Sounds like others have success on VRBO in the Smokies, Im going to have to do some digging.
Bookings came in fast when we went live so wondering if the lead time on AirBnB is just longer and dates are getting swiped up there before VRBO people have a chance, may start doing some discounts on VRBO to get some reviews and gain some traction.
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John Carbone
Realtor · Gatlinburg · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 957 votes
3y
Quote from @Brandon Gale:

Quote from @John Underwood:

What size is your cabin?
I think smaller less expensive cabins do better on Airbnb.
We have a large 6 bedroom cabin and it does very well on Vrbo and very little bookings from Airbnb.

Its a 4 bed sleeps 10 so I would consider it a larger property for the smokies

The people who tend to not do as well on vrbo list on both air and vrbo. Not sure if vrbo throttles you back on searches if you don’t have a lot of bookings with them, but many people exclusively use vrbo and don’t even bother with Airbnb here and they have been doing exceptionally well with that model. I think your problem is no reviews and getting established. Airbnb pushes new listings to the top temporarily to drive bookings which is good, but it’s only for a month or so.

I have a 4 bed and vrbo is where the money is at especially during peak season and holidays.

3 Reply
Ken Boone
Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
3y
I list on both and am still predominately booked by vrbo. Question would your cabin happen to be in Wears Valley? I say that because when we purchased that on a few years ago the people we bought it from said it was predominately Airbnb which is not what any of my other cabins in that are so. However when we took over we saw the same thing. Hardly got any traction on VRBO for like 9 months. The only thing I could think of that made a difference was the location because all of my other cabins are either in PF or not far outside it.
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Michael BaumPro Member
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
3y
Looks very nice @Brandon Gale, I might add a bit more art in the other bedrooms. Some of the rooms are kinda drab.
The 192 property views is on the low side. We get about 400-500 a month, but there are not anywhere near as many VRs in my area.
The first 3 years we were 90% VRBO. Now we are closer to 60/40 in favor of VRBO.
It seems you are priced pretty fairly, the view is nice, proximity is good. Not really sure why it isn't getting views.
1 Reply
Kerry BairdPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2011 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
3y
In the first two years, I had almost all of my Florida beach-side bookings on VRBO, and I cater more toward families. Now, nearly all my bookings are on AirBnb. I'm not sure what caused this change.
1 Reply
Matt Mertz
Leander TX · Member since 2020 · 179 posts · 150 votes
3y
We're listed on Airbnb, VRBO and our own site. We have a 16 person cabin in the Smokies.
We launched on Airbnb in late 2021 and got onto VRBO 2022 Q1. Our personal site was up and running 2022 Q4.
Booking stats:
2022 - Airbnb 51%, VRBO 49%, our site 0%
2023 (current bookings) - Airbnb 56%, VRBO 33%, our site 11%
Personally I see a lot of value listing on both Airbnb and VRBO in the Smokies.
4 Reply
Brandon Gale
OP
Rental Property Investor · Worcester, MA · Member since 2018 · 131 posts · 135 votes
3y
Quote from @Ken Boone:

I list on both and am still predominately booked by vrbo. Question would your cabin happen to be in Wears Valley? I say that because when we purchased that on a few years ago the people we bought it from said it was predominately Airbnb which is not what any of my other cabins in that are so. However when we took over we saw the same thing. Hardly got any traction on VRBO for like 9 months. The only thing I could think of that made a difference was the location because all of my other cabins are either in PF or not far outside it.
It isnt in Wears Valley so not sure thats the reason. its in the PF area a few miles from the Golf Course
0 Reply
Brandon Gale
OP
Rental Property Investor · Worcester, MA · Member since 2018 · 131 posts · 135 votes
3y
Quote from @Michael Baum:

Looks very nice @Brandon Gale, I might add a bit more art in the other bedrooms. Some of the rooms are kinda drab.
The 192 property views is on the low side. We get about 400-500 a month, but there are not anywhere near as many VRs in my area.
The first 3 years we were 90% VRBO. Now we are closer to 60/40 in favor of VRBO.
It seems you are priced pretty fairly, the view is nice, proximity is good. Not really sure why it isn't getting views.

Yea we are hoping to add some artwork to the basement bedrooms definitely a little dry in there. Ordered a bunch of those metalplex metal decorations for the whole cabin and only 1/4 of the items arrived, been fighting them for months for a refund, horribly run company.
Spent a lot of time yesterday and today filling out more fields in the listing, adding captions to all photos, adding additional details, hopefully that helps us rank higher we will see. Also may try snoozing the AirBnB listing for a bit
0 Reply
Annette Hibbler
Real Estate Consultant · Brighton, MI · Member since 2013 · 607 posts · 251 votes
3y
Your unit is gorgeous! Nicely furnished as well. The view is to die for. My best suggestion to you is don't place all eggs in one basket. We advertise our listings on VRBO, AirBnb and Bookings.com. Consider other platforms. Oftentimes, when bookings are low on one platform, they pick up on another. Since you're just starting out, keep your prices a little lower than you normally would to get the first 5+ bookings and reviews up there. That should help. Also consider doing your own advertising as well through social media.
1 Reply
Brian Dickerson
Rental Property Investor · Delray Beach, FL · Member since 2017 · 102 posts · 44 votes
3y
Quote from @Brandon Gale:

We went live about 3 months ago with our cabin in the Smoky Mountains and have been booking well on AirBnB, . But for some reason we haven't had a single booking on VRBO and not even a single inquiry until today. I just looked at our stats and we have 1,800 search impressions and 192 Property views yet no bookings.

Wondering if there's something I might be missing in my listing as I'm not as familiar with VRBO's platform. Let me know if you guys notice anything that could be holding us back.
Or does AirBnB just dominate the market in the Smokies?

https://www.vrbo.com/3236522?a...

The VRBO algorithm heavily favors you if you are only listed there. I have started my last few properties just on VRBO and they fill up a lot. It slows down a ton once I list on airbnb. Some people only use VRBO and swear by it... I think it's still better long term to be on both.
2 Reply
Brandon Gale
OP
Rental Property Investor · Worcester, MA · Member since 2018 · 131 posts · 135 votes
3y
Quote from @Brian Dickerson:

Quote from @Brandon Gale:

We went live about 3 months ago with our cabin in the Smoky Mountains and have been booking well on AirBnB, . But for some reason we haven't had a single booking on VRBO and not even a single inquiry until today. I just looked at our stats and we have 1,800 search impressions and 192 Property views yet no bookings.

Wondering if there's something I might be missing in my listing as I'm not as familiar with VRBO's platform. Let me know if you guys notice anything that could be holding us back.

Or does AirBnB just dominate the market in the Smokies?

https://www.vrbo.com/3236522?a...

The VRBO algorithm heavily favors you if you are only listed there. I have started my last few properties just on VRBO and they fill up a lot. It slows down a ton once I list on airbnb. Some people only use VRBO and swear by it... I think it's still better long term to be on both.

Thats interesting I have never heard that. I wonder if I snooze my AirBnB listing if VRBO would view that as only listing with them. I may give that a shot
0 Reply
Jay ThomasPro Member
Real Estate Agent · Houston, TX · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 715 votes
3y
I can understand your concerns regarding the lack of bookings on VRBO for your cabin in the Smoky Mountains. While it's not uncommon for one platform to perform better than others in a particular market, there may be several reasons why you are not getting bookings on VRBO.

One potential reason could be the quality of your listing. As you mentioned, you are not as familiar with VRBO's platform, so it's possible that your listing may not be optimized for VRBO's search algorithm. Take a closer look at your listing and ensure that you have high-quality photos and a detailed description that highlights the unique features and amenities of your cabin.
[email protected]832-889-5607
0 Reply
Luka Milicevic
Real Estate Agent · Nashville, TN · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
3y
Quote from @Luke Carl:
Snooze your ABB for a while.

Curious what the benefit/reasoning for this would be. Can you clarify?
0 Reply
Collin HaysBusiness Member
Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
3y
I own a small property management company in the Smokies. We use the VRBO channels for our properties exclusively. We do not utilize Airbnb.

There are economic reasons for this:  We are fully integrated with VRBO, and as such, we pay them an annual subscription fee (at our expense), rather than a 7-9% per-booking-fee that is charged to a self-manager. We are also free to use our own credit card merchant processor rather than VRBO, which shaves off a bit more. These two savers combine to allow us to slip more money in our homeowners' pockets - as much as 10 percent more, as we are able to charge up to 10 percent more in rent and be equal to competitor properties, with the "bottom line" being the same for guests.

We have found that VRBO's various marketing channels, as well as our own website, do quite well in booking each cabin approximately 300 nights per year. This year, occupancy is similar but rates are down, simply because currently, there are more cabins in the Smokies for rent than demand from guests. That places downward pressure on rents in the Smokies, often significantly so.
[email protected]806-672-7102
SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
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Jon Martin
Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
3y
From my limited experience, the AirBnb UI is far more intuitive and user friendly. For example, I was trying to find a guests phone number in VRBO because they were having trouble with the lock, so I clicked on the email where he made the inquiry and it wasn't there. After messing around all over the place I finally realized that if I clicked on the email where he messaged regarding the completed booking I could see it. Stuff like that is just dumb and not user friendly.
VRBO also takes its sweet time to payout. I've been paid for 2 bookings with AirBnb (one who is still there) in the time since my VRBO booking that checked out over a week ago and I'm still waiting for it. Not that I need it that soon, but it's always nice to get paid out sooner given that we are constantly paying vendors who expect to get paid soon as well.
As time goes on and I figure out the nuances on the business side I may grow to favor VRBO but for now they play a distant 2nd fiddle and their Host UI leaves a lot to be desired.
0 Reply
Michael BaumPro Member
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
3y
I find the host interface pretty good on VRBO. I use the app almost exclusively though.
As far as payouts go, they seem to payout about as quick for us.
0 Reply
Collin HaysBusiness Member
Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
3y
Quote from @Jon Martin:

From my limited experience, the AirBnb UI is far more intuitive and user friendly. For example, I was trying to find a guests phone number in VRBO because they were having trouble with the lock, so I clicked on the email where he made the inquiry and it wasn't there. After messing around all over the place I finally realized that if I clicked on the email where he messaged regarding the completed booking I could see it. Stuff like that is just dumb and not user friendly.
VRBO also takes its sweet time to payout. I've been paid for 2 bookings with AirBnb (one who is still there) in the time since my VRBO booking that checked out over a week ago and I'm still waiting for it. Not that I need it that soon, but it's always nice to get paid out sooner given that we are constantly paying vendors who expect to get paid soon as well.
As time goes on and I figure out the nuances on the business side I may grow to favor VRBO but for now they play a distant 2nd fiddle and their Host UI leaves a lot to be desired.

Let's see how you feel about Airbnb until the next COVID or natural disaster, when they arbitrarily and unilaterally define you, the homeowner, as an insurer, and demand that you indemnify all guests of any harm by refunding them. After all, you're a rich homeowner, and all risk from cancelled reservations should be transferred to you, by both Airbnb and the guest. And all whilst pocketing all of the profit from monies that they collected under the guise of "trip cancellation insurance."

One of the most unethical business moves I have witnessed.

Memories are short. If I ever have to do business with Airbnb, I won't. I'll just go out of business.
[email protected]806-672-7102
SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
Website View Page
0 Reply
Jon Martin
Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
3y
Quote from @Collin Hays:

Quote from @Jon Martin:

From my limited experience, the AirBnb UI is far more intuitive and user friendly. For example, I was trying to find a guests phone number in VRBO because they were having trouble with the lock, so I clicked on the email where he made the inquiry and it wasn't there. After messing around all over the place I finally realized that if I clicked on the email where he messaged regarding the completed booking I could see it. Stuff like that is just dumb and not user friendly.
VRBO also takes its sweet time to payout. I've been paid for 2 bookings with AirBnb (one who is still there) in the time since my VRBO booking that checked out over a week ago and I'm still waiting for it. Not that I need it that soon, but it's always nice to get paid out sooner given that we are constantly paying vendors who expect to get paid soon as well.
As time goes on and I figure out the nuances on the business side I may grow to favor VRBO but for now they play a distant 2nd fiddle and their Host UI leaves a lot to be desired.

Let's see how you feel about Airbnb until the next COVID or natural disaster, when they arbitrarily and unilaterally define you, the homeowner, as an insurer, and demand that you indemnify all guests of any harm by refunding them. After all, you're a rich homeowner, and all risk from cancelled reservations should be transferred to you, by both Airbnb and the guest. And all whilst pocketing all of the profit from monies that they collected under the guise of "trip cancellation insurance."

One of the most unethical business moves I have witnessed.

Memories are short. If I ever have to do business with Airbnb, I won't. I'll just go out of business.

Absolutely valid. My comments are specific towards the UI and payouts which I find noticeably clunkier. In terms of business practices they seem like the clear worse of 2 evils.
0 Reply
Cheng Chu
Member since 2021 · 24 posts · 6 votes
3y
I'm in the same boat. New cabin listed a month ago. Got all my bookings from airbnb and none from vrbo. Not sure if it's worth listing on booking.com.
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