Investor · Omaha, NE · Member since 2015 · 366 posts · 184 votes
Hi there.
I am asking this question because VRBO recently added a 6-10% surcharge on rentals filled through their site, which is pretty ridiculous. What other sites have folks had good experience with for filling vacation rentals?
I know some sites work better for different areas of the US. This condo is in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Thanks for the feedback in advance!
Investor · Orange County, CA · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
I saw an interesting thing the other day and am curious if others have seen it too and know how to set it up: some vacation rental PM rigged it up so that their vacation rental properties show up on Google maps, just like a restaurant, hotel, or other business. The "dot" on google maps then links to individual websites setup for each property. That was pretty cool, I though, and would love to know how they pulled it off if anybody knows. They probably pulled some fancy SEO to drive traffic to these sites too ...
Real Estate Investor · Aurora, CO · Member since 2014 · 240 posts · 109 votes
10y
Wow, I heard a few other owners mention a service fee being added, so I looked at the last two quotes I sent out and VRBO did automatically add a service fee! This really pisses me off! The only way I know around this is not to take any payments through the VRBO payment process or and somehow take guest payments outside of the VRBO platform to bypass this service fee.
Investor · Omaha, NE · Member since 2015 · 366 posts · 184 votes
10y
You can bypass it, but they will put you lower on their lists and make it harder to find renters with their website. They have it figured out pretty well and are now starting to squeeze more out from their owners.
Real Estate Investor · Aurora, CO · Member since 2014 · 240 posts · 109 votes
10y
After looking around, the new service fee looks to be (at least for now) lower than the other major listing sites. Looks like is should average about a 6% service fee for those that book their stay through VRBO. AirBnB charges guests between 6% and 12% and Flipkey charges between 5% and 15%. VRBO is going with 4% - 10%. For me, I'm sticking with VRBO and will see how things shake out.
Real Estate Investor · Aurora, CO · Member since 2014 · 240 posts · 109 votes
10y
Here's the Homeaway statement re: the service fee:
"We are announcing changes that enable us to provide the best experience and most value to travelers and vacation rental owners and managers.
We are revising our traveler guarantees to provide even more coverage, reducing prices for owners and managers, and changing the way we monetize our business.
Now, travelers who book or pay directly through HomeAway’s sites will have the full amount of their booking protected against things like misrepresented or double-booked properties. Additionally, HomeAway’s 24/7 customer service team will book a new property for travelers should anything go wrong.
In order to invest in more marketing and product and services, and to cover operational costs, HomeAway is introducing a small service fee that travelers will pay when they book or pay through the HomeAway checkout. The fee will vary from 4 to 10 percent based on the total amount of the rental, but will not exceed $499."
Rental Property Investor · Lincoln City, OR · Member since 2016 · 63 posts · 21 votes
10y
Kyle Godbout Homeaway has a variety of sites including vrbo.com. You can try Airbnb.com, flipkey.com, tripadvisor.com, Craigslist can work, booking.com and Priceline.com.
Investor · Orange County, CA · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
I saw an interesting thing the other day and am curious if others have seen it too and know how to set it up: some vacation rental PM rigged it up so that their vacation rental properties show up on Google maps, just like a restaurant, hotel, or other business. The "dot" on google maps then links to individual websites setup for each property. That was pretty cool, I though, and would love to know how they pulled it off if anybody knows. They probably pulled some fancy SEO to drive traffic to these sites too ...