Besides maximizing profits and delegating responsibilities, there are many other reasons why more vacation rental owners are choosing to employ an Airbnb management agency for their business.
Deciding which property manager will take care of your home can be tricky. You want to make sure you fully trust this person or agency to make the right decisions for your company and keep your business running smoothly 24 hours a day.
Read on to find out the six qualities you should look for when choosing your new vacation rental property manager.
1. They’re a “people person”
Above anything else, your property manager has to be a great communicator – after all, they will be the one interacting with your guests from the first moment. You want to pick a property manager who is relatable, friendly, welcoming and good at networking.
This way, they’ll be able to build valuable relationships for your brand. Not only will they be responsible for creating and maintaining relationships with your guests (so that they return or even recommend your property to their friends), but also with other professionals and contractors to ensure the best level of service every time.
2. They’re knowledgeable
Your property manager will likely already be an expert voice in your local area. And as they will be the ones marketing your home to prospective guests, you also want to make sure they will soon become a fountain of knowledge for your individual property!
The property manager should get to know your home inside out so they can instantly answer any questions or inquiries regarding the property’s amenities, location, and so on. The more information you provide them with from the beginning, the easier it will be for managers to learn and relay details back to interested parties.
3. They’re not afraid of technology
Exactly what sets one property manager apart from another often boils down to the tools they use. Modern vacation rental property managers tend to rely more on technology – such as good software – to run their businesses more efficiently. Software can help property managers to automate repetitive tasks, centralize communications and reservations, on top of saving them hours of admin time.
4. They monitor the competition
Given the vacation rental industry is currently experiencing a huge growth, it’s becoming increasingly more important to be aware of your direct competitors – and out-perform them! It is, therefore, your property manager’s duty to frequently monitor any direct competition you have and make decisions for your business based on these findings.
5. They have good marketing knowledge
You want the person in charge of your vacation rental to know what they’re doing – right? That’s why it’s essential the property manager or agency you appoint has good prior experience when it comes to marketing short-term rental properties.
They’ll know the precise ingredients you need to make your website or listing pop, they’ll know which are the right channels to promote your property on, and they will be able to carry out more advanced marketing activities such as Google AdWords or Facebook ads.
6. They work with a well-oiled team
Property management encompasses many different tasks and responsibilities – and they aren’t always carried out by the same person. When contracting your vacation rental property manager, be sure to ask about the different departments and who runs what.
Perhaps there is a specific team for maintenance-related issues, another for guest communications, and so on. Ultimately, you need to ensure your guests receive top-quality service. As a result, the management company team always has to be running like clockwork.
Hiring a property manager for your vacation rental is a smart option for owners who want to start their business, but lack the time and resources to run it themselves.
As well as looking out for these characteristics, there are also plenty of questions you should ask before hiring a vacation rental property manager.
