Managing Your Vacation Rental • Miscellaneous • Podcasts

Important changes in the vacation rental industry and how you should adapt

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by Tyler Pyburn
Written by Tyler Pyburn
5/5 - (1 vote)

The vacation rental industry is ever evolving, but recently we have seen major disruption as Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) have changed from being advertisers to booking platforms, where they control the entire booking process, including communication between homeowners and prospective guests.  In our latest podcast, our CIO Jim Reese and I sit down to discuss the latest trends in the industry.

 

Here are some of the topics we cover:

  • Why do vacation rental companies now restrict communication between homeowners and vacationers?
  • Why is it important to be able to speak with prospective renters prior to booking?
  • How can homeowners provide their listings with additional exposure?

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About the author

Tyler Pyburn

Tyler Pyburn - I am a newcomer to WeNeedaVacation.com, but am absolutely ecstatic to be part of such a seasoned team as a Marketing Manager. I've spent the past few years as a digital marketing maven helping brands build their online presence and will assume a similar role here. I also had a short stint as a sports reporter for CBS, but now I’d much rather find my way to a bleacher seat at a Cape League game than in the press box. My wife and I live on the south shore with our three dogs; Dale,Trot, and Vinny.Email Tyler

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5 Comments

  • I have a home on MV that goes for 6000 a week. I dropped Homeaway about 6 months ago because of all their ridiculous demands. I have listed on Weneedavacation also for 7 years now. I have noticed that since July, the number of Homeaway homes listed in Katama (Edgartown) has dropped from 246 to 146, so I think many homeowners are as frustrated as me. Unfortunately, I don’t get very many inquiries from Weneedavacation, and my home still has 4 prime weeks open this year and that has NEVER been the case in January before. When doing a Google search of MV vacation rentals, Adds for Homeaway and VRBO top the list on ALL PAGES. Weneedavacation is way at the bottom of the list. How can we move that up? I am so frustrated I am considering selling the house. I know I am just ranting. Don’t know what else to do.

  • We have a house on the coast of Maine. Is there any chance that we could list with you? We have not been able to find a site that allows us to interact with our guests as we want to make sure the rental is a good fit for both the renters and the owners.

  • What questions should I ask potential renters? How do I know if my rental fee is competitive?

  • Are you seeing a lot of big home’s on mv and Nantucket moving from homeaway and vrbo to your site? Also what are property managers, who use to list on those sites doing? I am more concerned with the rental market $8,000 a week and up doing. Thanks