Hiring a property manager can help ease the burden of managing your short-term rental property and lead to higher guest satisfaction. From promoting your vacation rental to collecting payments, a property manager oversees the entire process – allowing property owners to reclaim valuable time and even increase their overall rental revenue. If you’re thinking about hiring a property management company for your vacation rental, here is a list of things you can expect from a short-term rental property manager.
Short-Term Rental Property Manager Expectations
Set a Suitable Rate
Short-term rental properties in today’s dynamic market should reflect an equally dynamic pricing strategy. Vacation rental property managers keep up to date on the shifting market in order to price your short-term rental property. They understand the shifting demand for vacation rentals in the area and have knowledge of current trends in the market. This allows them to make an informed decision on price at any given moment. Whether there’s an upcoming festival or sporting event, seasonal activities will be on the radar of any good vacation rental property manager and allow them to set prices accordingly.
Promote your Vacation Rental
Marketing your short-term rentals is a time-consuming job. Whether you’re listing the property on vacation rental sites like Airbnb or simply trying to get the word out via social media, attracting potential guests takes time and energy. This process is a lot easier with an experienced property manager in your corner. Property management companies that specialize in vacation rentals know how to attract people looking to book now. From crafting a compelling description of the property to taking killer photos, property managers know how to highlight your home’s best features, amenities, and overall charm. Ultimately catching the eye of your target audience and engaging potential guests as they scroll through the long list of vacation rental options.
Communicate with Guests
Communicating with current and potential guests is a huge part of managing a successful short-term rental. Once the property is listed online, property management companies are there to respond quickly to inquiries, confirm reservations, and implement communication that enhances the guests’ experience from the very beginning. And in today’s competitive vacation rental market, the sooner the response, the less likely a potential guest will book elsewhere.
Perhaps an even bigger part of managing rentals is open communication with current tenants. With a vacation rental property manager on hand, your guests have one point of contact for around-the-clock guest support. That includes everything from maintenance issues and repairs to restocking requests. They’ll even handle guest complaints and concerns in a timely manner. Many management companies also provide concierge services such as restaurant reservations and information about local transportation and recreation in the area.
Many companies that specialize in the management of short-term rentals use sophisticated property management software that centralizes all guest communication. This is especially useful if you have multiple properties, but the software also organizes inquiries about a single property coming from various online platforms. Either way, it allows the property management company to respond in a timely manner and increases guest satisfaction.
Schedule Routine Maintenance
Day to day operations of a vacation rental goes beyond customer service. A good property manager will anticipate the needs of guests before they ever set foot on the property. That’s why a huge part of their job is hiring maintenance professionals and scheduling routine care of everything from appliances to amenities such as pools and hot tubs. They schedule cleaning crews between visitors and make sure everything is in tip-top shape. Property managers also keep detailed safety information about the properties they oversee – implementing organized alerts for things like fire alarm batteries to ensure the safety of guests.
Oversee Day-To-Day operations
For a full-service property manager, customer support goes beyond the occasional maintenance request. Many property managers offer 24/7 emergency support, so guests know that help is only a phone call away. They also handle daily operations like guest check-in and check-out and immediately take care of issues or questions guests might have the moment they arrive on the property. This is especially helpful if you have a no-contact check-in process. With friendly, timely customer support, your guests are sure to have a pleasant experience (even through any small snafus).
Handle Revenue and Administrative Aspects
Property managers take the headache out of collecting payments. Many management companies have advanced systems in place to not only make sure payments are collected but also to analyze overall rental revenue and asset performance. As the property owner, you just sit back and watch the money come in. Talk about passive income!
Many property managers can also tackle some of the administrative tasks that come with owning a short-term rental. Taxes, insurance, utility payments – your property manager can take all or some of these tasks off your plate, depending on what you’re comfortable with.
Enhance the Guest Experience
Experienced short-term rental management companies know how to enhance the guest experience from the moment the booking is complete. This includes setting up keyless entry, integrating automated home technologies, and sometimes even providing welcome gifts. Many companies draft a detailed welcome notebook that is personalized for every rental they manage. It includes everything from house rules to personalized recommendations for the area as well as important safety information and emergency contacts.
Organizing, cleaning, and ensuring the property is well-stocked are other ways a property manager can guarantee a positive guest experience. However, tasks such as these might not be on every property management company’s list of services. That’s why homeowners should inquire about the specific services any vacation rental management company offers.
At PrimeNest Arizona, the list of property management services we offer goes above and beyond. In addition to handling the day-to-day operations of your vacation rental, our interior design expertise, staging and renovation services, and extensive knowledge of the West Valley’s vacation rental market make it easy for us to enhance your rental’s appeal and elevate the experience for each and every guest.
