Airbnb tools for managing multiple listings

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Airbnb tools for managing multiple listings

Rick Baggenstoss
Developer · Decatur, GA · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

I have three listings and several more in process, so selfishly, I wanted to start a thread where we comment on off the shelf software tools and best practices for managing listings when you have several or many.  

Let's start with tools for managing communication with all parties.  Who is using something outside of Airbnb/VRBO?  What do you like about it and how was it to set up?

Feel free to ask about other tools for managing multiple listings too!

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Andrew Wong
Investor · Milpitas, CA · Member since 2015 · 278 posts · 155 votes
8y

I started using something called Guesty. $500 on boarding fee, and 3% of bookings.

It was cheap, and it did the job. I think across the board, they are all ugly and have hard to use user interfaces. It's like corporate software stuck in the 90s. 

I also looked at Streamline VRS and LiveRez, but they were pretty pricy, like $5000 to onboard.

I just found out about Tokeet recently, and would've tried it out. 

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  • Michael McKay
    Rental Property Investor · Jacksonville, FL · Member since 2016 · 155 posts · 68 votes
    8y

    @Marc Jackson I decided to go with them. I really like the ability to create groups with different settings, as well as the minimum stay and orphan day functions.

    0Reply
  • Simon Collins
    Rental Property Investor · Saint Augustine, FL · Member since 2018 · 102 posts · 58 votes
    6y

    @Marc Jackson or anyone else.  What are you currently using?  I have been researching these all  for months.

    Thanks!

    0Reply
  • Ken Latchers
    Hatfield, PA · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 629 votes
    6y
    There are many.  And  I am sure others have favorites. i like ownerrez and smoobu for many reasons.

    Originally posted by @Simon Collins:

    @Marc Jackson or anyone else.  What are you currently using?  I have been researching these all  for months.

    Thanks!

    0Reply
  • Simon Collins
    Rental Property Investor · Saint Augustine, FL · Member since 2018 · 102 posts · 58 votes
    6y

    @Ken Latchers thanks for the response.  I have been looking into ownerrez also but it seems very pricey for me just starting out with 1 property.  Was researching Logify and IGMS too as I wanted an owner portal feature for when I scale out.  

    I wish some of these software companies would start purchasing each other so I can get everything I need all in one.

    Anyone else have any comments on what they have been using and works well?

    Thanks all! 

    0Reply
  • Ken Latchers
    Hatfield, PA · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 629 votes
    6y
    starting at $20 monthly for a property is pricey (ownerrez?). And i also said look at smoobu.

    I also think you are close to fantasizing about worrying about the need to scale out when you are worrying about your first property. And either of these might have it anyway. All you need to do is use the same password as your property mgr


    Originally posted by @Simon Collins:

    @Ken Latchers thanks for the response.  I have been looking into ownerrez also but it seems very pricey for me just starting out with 1 property.  Was researching Logify and IGMS too as I wanted an owner portal feature for when I scale out.  

    I wish some of these software companies would start purchasing each other so I can get everything I need all in one.

    Anyone else have any comments on what they have been using and works well?

    Thanks all! 

    0Reply
  • Simon Collins
    Rental Property Investor · Saint Augustine, FL · Member since 2018 · 102 posts · 58 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Ken Latchers:
    starting at $20 monthly for a property is pricey (ownerrez?). And i also said look at smoobu.

    I also think you are close to fantasizing about worrying about the need to scale out when you are worrying about your first property. And either of these might have it anyway. All you need to do is use the same password as your property mgr


    Originally posted by @Simon Collins:

    @Ken Latchers thanks for the response.  I have been looking into ownerrez also but it seems very pricey for me just starting out with 1 property.  Was researching Logify and IGMS too as I wanted an owner portal feature for when I scale out.  

    I wish some of these software companies would start purchasing each other so I can get everything I need all in one.

    Anyone else have any comments on what they have been using and works well?

    Thanks all! 

    I think you must have old pricing because to add channel management and owner statements alone it starts at $45/month for 1 property.  

    I get what you are saying but I am just trying to “future proof” and land with a software so I am not hassling with trying to switch to something else once I get more.

    I do have 1 but I have the potential to have 7 more very quickly (all owned by the same person) if I do good work and I am all about top notch service.

    Just wanting to “buy once cry once “ type mentality if you know what I mean.

    0Reply
  • Ken Latchers
    Hatfield, PA · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 629 votes
    6y
    0Reply
  • Simon Collins
    Rental Property Investor · Saint Augustine, FL · Member since 2018 · 102 posts · 58 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Ken Latchers:
    0Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    6y

    VacationRentalDesk.com is quite good for a few properties.  I used it for years.  We outgrew it and had to transition to something with a lot more horsepower.  

    I liked it because it also had a cool website tool that you could use for your properties.  It is way cheap - probably 50 bucks a month.  If I had 3 properties VRD would be my pick hands down.

    [email protected]806-672-7102
    SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Simon Collins
    Rental Property Investor · Saint Augustine, FL · Member since 2018 · 102 posts · 58 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Collin Hays:

    VacationRentalDesk.com is quite good for a few properties.  I used it for years.  We outgrew it and had to transition to something with a lot more horsepower.  

    I liked it because it also had a cool website tool that you could use for your properties.  It is way cheap - probably 50 bucks a month.  If I had 3 properties VRD would be my pick hands down.

     And what are you currently using with all that horsepower ?

    0Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    6y

     And what are you currently using with all that horsepower ?

     Brightside.  I love it.  It is integrated with VRBO which means you get to use your own credit card processing which saved us about $12,000 a year in CC fees, and no more waiting around on our payments or coughing up another 3 points for “advance pay”.

    I am uncomfortable with how VRBO is eating more of the pie as time goes along, so we are actively working on a way to eventually divorce.  Work in progress.

    [email protected]806-672-7102
    SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Simon Collins
    Rental Property Investor · Saint Augustine, FL · Member since 2018 · 102 posts · 58 votes
    6y

    @Ken Latchers  I have been reading a TON about ownerrez (they have so much info on their website) and have come across "limitations" with API for homeaway/vrbo and how you can't use it unless you have 5 properties+ and you have to do a calendar import/export until then.  I am not sure how many properties you have or if you experienced this before (assuming you had ownerrez while having less than 5 properties at some point.)

    Also, it mentions that the calendar import/export feature for this only runs every 30 mins and in some cases 1-2 hours.  This blows my mind, have you ever experienced a double booking?  I would think in a 30 min-2 hour time frame someone could easily book the same spot/dates on airbnb and vrbo before the calendars and bookings get syncd up and that the listing platforms might only update their calendars every 4-6 hours or twice a day......seems very problematic to me.  Any experience with this by chance?

    here is what it says on the ownerrez website:

    "

    Calendar Import/Export - Common Issues & Questions - Calendar Import/Export - Channel Management - Support - OwnerRez

    window.ga=window.ga||function(){(ga.q=ga.q||[]).push(arguments)};ga.l=+new Date;

    ga('create', 'UA-35810891-1', 'auto', { 'allowLinker': false });

    ga('send', 'pageview');

    OwnerRez checks all calendar imports about once every 30 minutes. If there is a change on the channel calendar, our system should notice it in 30 minutes or less, typically much less.

    That being said, the channel may not actually show the change in their calendar export link for awhile. There are times, due to caching or other pending states, the calendar export doesn't actually update for an hour or two. Because of this, it may take longer for OwnerRez to update since the calendar export isn't showing the change.

    On the channel side, we have no control over the import frequency. Our research shows that most channels run every 4 to 6 hours, while some only run once or twice per day unfortunately. So while changes on the channel side may show up in OwnerRez quickly, changes in OwnerRez may take a bit longer to update on the channel."

    0Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    6y

    I don't buy all of that.  Heck I had VacationRentalDesk, a budget system, for several years, and our calendars were synced with Homeaway.  A reservation made on HA was transferred to the "home base" calendar within seconds and we never had an issue.  

    [email protected]806-672-7102
    SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Simon Collins
    Rental Property Investor · Saint Augustine, FL · Member since 2018 · 102 posts · 58 votes
    6y

    Actually just looked and SmooBU says the same thing....no direct API integration until 5+ properties.

    This could be disastrous for anyone under 5 IMO...IGMS software doesn't have this limitation and looks like that is huge for me :/

    0Reply
  • Simon Collins
    Rental Property Investor · Saint Augustine, FL · Member since 2018 · 102 posts · 58 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Collin Hays:

    I don't buy all of that.  Heck I had VacationRentalDesk, a budget system, for several years, and our calendars were synced with Homeaway.  A reservation made on HA was transferred to the "home base" calendar within seconds and we never had an issue.  

     I don't know, just going off what I am reading on the companies websites, I have no personal experience with any of them yet.  

    0Reply
  • Ken Latchers
    Hatfield, PA · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 629 votes
    6y
    The limitations are by the OTAs, not owner Rez. You can't just read and expect To have any real understanding. They have a Forum and you can send them questions if you don't understand something. So do many of the other systems

    Originally posted by @Simon Collins:

    @Ken Latchers  I have been reading a TON about ownerrez (they have so much info on their website) and have come across "limitations" with API for homeaway/vrbo and how you can't use it unless you have 5 properties+ and you have to do a calendar import/export until then.  I am not sure how many properties you have or if you experienced this before (assuming you had ownerrez while having less than 5 properties at some point.)

    Also, it mentions that the calendar import/export feature for this only runs every 30 mins and in some cases 1-2 hours.  This blows my mind, have you ever experienced a double booking?  I would think in a 30 min-2 hour time frame someone could easily book the same spot/dates on airbnb and vrbo before the calendars and bookings get syncd up and that the listing platforms might only update their calendars every 4-6 hours or twice a day......seems very problematic to me.  Any experience with this by chance?

    here is what it says on the ownerrez website:

    "

    Calendar Import/Export - Common Issues & Questions - Calendar Import/Export - Channel Management - Support - OwnerRez

    window.ga=window.ga||function(){(ga.q=ga.q||[]).push(arguments)};ga.l=+new Date;

    ga('create', 'UA-35810891-1', 'auto', { 'allowLinker': false });

    ga('send', 'pageview');

    OwnerRez checks all calendar imports about once every 30 minutes. If there is a change on the channel calendar, our system should notice it in 30 minutes or less, typically much less.

    That being said, the channel may not actually show the change in their calendar export link for awhile. There are times, due to caching or other pending states, the calendar export doesn't actually update for an hour or two. Because of this, it may take longer for OwnerRez to update since the calendar export isn't showing the change.

    On the channel side, we have no control over the import frequency. Our research shows that most channels run every 4 to 6 hours, while some only run once or twice per day unfortunately. So while changes on the channel side may show up in OwnerRez quickly, changes in OwnerRez may take a bit longer to update on the channel."

    0Reply
  • Simon Collins
    Rental Property Investor · Saint Augustine, FL · Member since 2018 · 102 posts · 58 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Ken Latchers:
    The limitations are by the OTAs, not owner Rez. You can't just read and expect To have any real understanding. They have a Forum and you can send them questions if you don't understand something. So do many of the other systems

    Originally posted by @Simon Collins:

    @Ken Latchers  I have been reading a TON about ownerrez (they have so much info on their website) and have come across "limitations" with API for homeaway/vrbo and how you can't use it unless you have 5 properties+ and you have to do a calendar import/export until then.  I am not sure how many properties you have or if you experienced this before (assuming you had ownerrez while having less than 5 properties at some point.)

    Also, it mentions that the calendar import/export feature for this only runs every 30 mins and in some cases 1-2 hours.  This blows my mind, have you ever experienced a double booking?  I would think in a 30 min-2 hour time frame someone could easily book the same spot/dates on airbnb and vrbo before the calendars and bookings get syncd up and that the listing platforms might only update their calendars every 4-6 hours or twice a day......seems very problematic to me.  Any experience with this by chance?

    here is what it says on the ownerrez website:

    "

    Calendar Import/Export - Common Issues & Questions - Calendar Import/Export - Channel Management - Support - OwnerRez

    window.ga=window.ga||function(){(ga.q=ga.q||[]).push(arguments)};ga.l=+new Date;

    ga('create', 'UA-35810891-1', 'auto', { 'allowLinker': false });

    ga('send', 'pageview');

    OwnerRez checks all calendar imports about once every 30 minutes. If there is a change on the channel calendar, our system should notice it in 30 minutes or less, typically much less.

    That being said, the channel may not actually show the change in their calendar export link for awhile. There are times, due to caching or other pending states, the calendar export doesn't actually update for an hour or two. Because of this, it may take longer for OwnerRez to update since the calendar export isn't showing the change.

    On the channel side, we have no control over the import frequency. Our research shows that most channels run every 4 to 6 hours, while some only run once or twice per day unfortunately. So while changes on the channel side may show up in OwnerRez quickly, changes in OwnerRez may take a bit longer to update on the channel."

    Thanks but I do read to have understanding...

    1Reply
  • Taylor Lewis
    Property Manager · Memphis, TN · Member since 2019 · 9 posts · 5 votes
    6y

    We are a property management company, so we're managing more than 1 or 2 units. But we negotiated a rate with Guesty that has been AWESOME. Guesty does so much more than just centralize your calendars and guest communications. I don't know how anyone operates more than 2 or 3 STRs without a similar tool. 

    0Reply
  • Simon Collins
    Rental Property Investor · Saint Augustine, FL · Member since 2018 · 102 posts · 58 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Taylor Lewis:

    We are a property management company, so we're managing more than 1 or 2 units. But we negotiated a rate with Guesty that has been AWESOME. Guesty does so much more than just centralize your calendars and guest communications. I don't know how anyone operates more than 2 or 3 STRs without a similar tool. 

     Thought they didn’t touch you unless you had 5+

    Would love a message if you don’t mind sharing some info on what you have going with them.

    0Reply
  • Ken Latchers
    Hatfield, PA · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 629 votes
    6y

    ownerrez has a tool for people with fewer than 5 units. Guesty is also a fine tool, but pricey.

    0Reply
  • Mike V.
    Rental Property Investor · Campbell, CA · Member since 2017 · 419 posts · 499 votes
    6y

    ownerrez works fine without 5 properties. VRBO requires 5+ properties to integrate. Integration does make things MUCH easier on VRBO but you can still accomplish a lot without the integration. They have a very simple tool to import from both VRBO and Airbnb and it takes literally 30 seconds to export- then import- and everything is imported from both platforms.

    I love ownerrez. I do wish they had a few more features which I’ve emailed them about but overall I can’t live without it at this point.

    0Reply
  • Ken Latchers
    Hatfield, PA · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 629 votes
    6y

    I dont know how to get through to him. 

    0Reply
  • Simon Collins
    Rental Property Investor · Saint Augustine, FL · Member since 2018 · 102 posts · 58 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Mike V.:

    ownerrez works fine without 5 properties. VRBO requires 5+ properties to integrate. Integration does make things MUCH easier on VRBO but you can still accomplish a lot without the integration. They have a very simple tool to import from both VRBO and Airbnb and it takes literally 30 seconds to export- then import- and everything is imported from both platforms.

    I love ownerrez. I do wish they had a few more features which I’ve emailed them about but overall I can’t live without it at this point.

    Yeah they have a lot! I have a demo meeting with them tomorrow at 3 

    0Reply
  • Marc Jackson
    Rental Property Investor · Panama City Beach, FL · Member since 2017 · 44 posts · 44 votes
    6y

    @Ken Latchers I use OWNER REZ now and love it..

    0Reply
  • Valerie Rogers
    Property Manager · Aurora, CO · Member since 2014 · 221 posts · 210 votes
    6y

    My original response on this post was posted over 2 years ago. Lots has changed since then!

    I tested Tokeet first, then ReservationKey but now I am using OwnerRez and I love it! It has everything I need and the price is very reasonable in my opinion.

    I actually have 2 OwnerRez (OR) accounts: a personal one that I use to manage my own properties and a business account that I use to manage my clients properties. I do not use the OR PM module; I don't need "owner statements" since I am not a "property manager" (owner statements include things like maintenance expenses, etc.); my service is a booking management service. I use different accounts because I want the "branding" to be different as well as the "verified email" address to be specific for that brand.

    In my business account I am using their hosted website option. I did have my own business website (created & hosted through iPage) but I love the OR one so much better because the treatment of the properties is so beautifully done compared to my original site. Each of my clients' properties is advertised on my business site on the "Our Properties" page  and has a beautiful photo slideshow, amenities list, reviews list, up-to-date availability calendar, location map, rates tab and an online inquiry or book now form. We can even take payments through the OR listing if the property owner has created a payment processing account (such as Stripe or a PayPal Business account).

    In my personal account I am using their Channel Manager option and am integrated with my VRBO account. I love it! Besides the benefit of being able to manage listing details such as description, photos, rates from my OR dashboard the best thing is being able to process payments for VRBO bookings through my own payment processor. No more am I bound to VRBO's payment terms and waiting for them to disburse the payments to my account; now I am able to process the VRBO guest payments through my own account and receive the payouts quickly.

    OR also has an API that will allow owners of even just one Airbnb listing to integrate with their Airbnb account. It works just like the VRBO integration without the 5 property requirement EXCEPT that Airbnb does not pass the guests' payment information to the property owners; payments are still handled by Airbnb. But you do still receive the benefit of being able to manage listing details once through OR which pushes out to the property's Airbnb (and VRBO) listings.

    One of the best things I love about OR is the super customer support their team provides. I'm not kidding, they are top notch.

    Highly recommend Owner Rez!  

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