Updated December 2023
Making your vacation rental business
personal can have a significant impact on your marketing success. Doing so provides invaluable trust to vacationers, who are booking a home sight unseen online, hoping not only that the home exists as advertised but also that their rental experience with the owner will be a positive one.
With the growth of vacation rental properties on the Cape and Islands and elsewhere, savvy homeowners are striving to make their online listings as competitive and professional-looking as possible, which is great. We caution you, however, not to make your listing so polished and businesslike that it loses its key advantage over public accommodations: the unique ability to offer a personal connection.
So take advantage of the ability to provide information about yourself on your listing’s
About the Owner feature. You can upload a photo of yourself if you wish. And then concentrate on information about yourself, what is special about your property, and what is special about your town.
Recommendations
About You: Share some information about yourself as it relates to your property such as how long you’ve owned/managed the property, what is your personal philosophy or style of managing it, what you do to provide an enjoyable experience for your guests, etc. The point is not to share a personal “bio” about yourself but rather some unique facts about you that would set you apart from your competition and be of interest to a vacationer considering renting from you.
What is special about this home? Although your Property Description and photo captions presumably “market” your home by pointing out all of its amenities and assets, this field enables you to point out anything special about your home, why you bought it or what in particular you and others treasure most about it, how it is unique from other similar homes, what types of vacationer parties are the best fit for your home (e.g., single families, couples, multi-generational families, two families), etc.
What is special about your town? Remember that not everyone who sees your listing will be familiar with your town or area. What is it about your town’s location that you enjoy, and what fun activities and points of interest does it offer?
Exercise Caution
Just be mindful about how much personal information you share on your listing as well as on other social media platforms on the Internet. Sharing such details as your last name, your kids’ and pets’ names, your place of employment, where you live, etc., are the kinds of details that can expose your to greater risk.
More ideas to help make that personal connection with your guests.