As of 2021, about 13% of people in the United States have stayed in vacation rentals. That number is expected to grow to 20% by 2025.
Vacation rentals are becoming more popular, so if you own a rental property, now is the time to capitalize on this trend. Think about listing your property on a vacation rental site.
Airbnb is probably the first one that comes to mind, but is it the best one? We'll go over the pros and cons of various vacation rental platforms, including some top Airbnb alternatives. Keep reading to learn more.
Airbnb
Airbnb has become the go-to site for many travelers looking to book a vacation home. With such a vast reach, you could get lots of exposure for your rental.
The platform is easy to use, so you can get your property listed quickly. Airbnb also has an automated payment system, so you don't have to worry about handling them yourself.
One of the downsides of Airbnb is that there's a lot of competition. With millions of listings, your property could get lost in the shuffle. The platform also charges hosts a commission for every booking, which is usually about 3%.
VRBO
VRBO is a great site to list your property on because, unlike Airbnb, it doesn't list individual rooms. As a result, there are fewer listings and therefore less competition. VRBO also offers promotional tools that can help your listing stand out.
Since VRBO doesn't have as wide a reach as Airbnb, you might not get as much exposure for your property. The platform also charges commissions for each booking. Also, VRBO doesn't collect taxes during the booking process, making it the owner's responsibility.
Booking.com
At first, Booking.com only listed hotels, but it's now one of the top vacation rental sites. This is one of the first places that many travelers head to when planning their vacation. So there's the potential for a lot of exposure for your property.
Like other vacation rental platforms, Booking.com charges a commission for each booking. The commission rate is much higher than what Airbnb charges.
If you list your property here, you'll have to compete with other rentals and hotels. However, this might not be a bad thing. This could help you generate interest from travelers who might not have considered a vacation rental in the past.
FlipKey
FlipKey is owned by TripAdvisor, so listing on this site gives you access to a vast number of users. There are fewer listings than on other vacation rental sites, so there's less competition. Owners can also list any type of property, including individual rooms.
Unlike other sites, not just anyone can list a property on FlipKey. Owners have to be verified before they can list their properties. FlipKey also charges a commission for each booking.
Choosing Which Vacation Rental Platforms to Use
We've listed some of the most well-known vacation rental platforms, but there are plenty more out there. Each of them comes with its own set of pros and cons.
When choosing a platform, consider the pros and cons carefully. Do you want more exposure or do you want less competition? If you're having trouble choosing, think about listing on multiple sites.
Need help marketing your Lake of The Ozarks vacation home? Contact us today to learn more about our services.
