10 Best Tips to Select a Florida Vacation Rental Property Manager
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Are you planning on hiring a property manager for your vacation rental home in Florida, but are not sure where to begin? It seems there are two options. Should you consider local Florida companies that know your area and the travelers that visit. Or should you go with a national property management company that offers the most services, but you run the risk of being just a number? A qualified vacation property manager is professional and is committed to overseeing your vacation property guests' needs at all times. Ideally, the property manager you choose will attract new guests, increase quality bookings, entice more positive reviews, and make sure every finer detail of your vacation home and bookings are handled professionally. |
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To help you decide which Florida property manager best suits you and your property’s needs and to ensure you are getting the best return on your investment, we have compiled our 10 best tips to help you select a Florida based vacation property manager:
Tip #10 – Avoid the cheapest property manager – you get what you pay for!
One of the biggest mistakes Florida vacation property owners can make is deciding on a property manager based on price. Do you drive the cheapest car on the market? No, of course not! Safety and reliability for your family are paramount. When choosing a property manager for your vacation home, you need to look for a quality fit that ticks all your boxes, not a bargain basement solution.
There is a reason the cheapest is the cheapest - because it’s not as good. The same goes for vacation rental property management. Your vacation home is your pride and joy. You want your property to be well managed. You would like potential travelers to be carefully screened. You want quality guests who treat your place as their own, not riff-raff who have no respect or care for your property.
Maximizing your booking income should be high on your priority list, and the cheaper property managers cannot successfully achieve your goals as well as a middle-market premium quality manager can.
When you’re in the process of finding a property manager for your Florida vacation rental, you’re going to want to do some research to find out what the average fees are for property managers in your local area. Once you know the going rate, then you will have a realistic expectation of the fees that you will have to pay.
A qualified Florida vacation home property manager charges between 20% and 30% for their services. Some traditional local property managers charge as much as 35% to 50%.
Like it or not, your property manager can be the single reason your vacation property is not making much money or is not receiving quality bookings. Therefore, you have to choose the right one. You may be tempted to select the cheapest property manager, but where possible, focus on the deliverables from your vacation property manager and their past results with other comparable properties. Make your decision based on the output you’re likely to receive, not merely on the rate they are going to charge you.
Tip #10 – Avoid the cheapest property manager – you get what you pay for!
One of the biggest mistakes Florida vacation property owners can make is deciding on a property manager based on price. Do you drive the cheapest car on the market? No, of course not! Safety and reliability for your family are paramount. When choosing a property manager for your vacation home, you need to look for a quality fit that ticks all your boxes, not a bargain basement solution.
There is a reason the cheapest is the cheapest - because it’s not as good. The same goes for vacation rental property management. Your vacation home is your pride and joy. You want your property to be well managed. You would like potential travelers to be carefully screened. You want quality guests who treat your place as their own, not riff-raff who have no respect or care for your property.
Maximizing your booking income should be high on your priority list, and the cheaper property managers cannot successfully achieve your goals as well as a middle-market premium quality manager can.
When you’re in the process of finding a property manager for your Florida vacation rental, you’re going to want to do some research to find out what the average fees are for property managers in your local area. Once you know the going rate, then you will have a realistic expectation of the fees that you will have to pay.
A qualified Florida vacation home property manager charges between 20% and 30% for their services. Some traditional local property managers charge as much as 35% to 50%.
Like it or not, your property manager can be the single reason your vacation property is not making much money or is not receiving quality bookings. Therefore, you have to choose the right one. You may be tempted to select the cheapest property manager, but where possible, focus on the deliverables from your vacation property manager and their past results with other comparable properties. Make your decision based on the output you’re likely to receive, not merely on the rate they are going to charge you.
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Tip #9 - Choose a Florida property manager that provides the services you’re looking for
A Florida vacation rental property manager should offer unique and professional services to their vacation property homeowners. Ensuring that the services provided are a good fit for your vacation rental is essential. Some of the services that need to be decided on include:
It is up to you to decide which, or all, of these services are important to you, and ensure that the property manager is dedicated to fulfilling all of these. |
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There may be other services that you require. Make sure that you agree on all of these before committing to a Florida manager. If you’re based in the same town as your vacation property it might be easier to keep an eye on it. However, if you are based out of town from your vacation home you might be looking for a comprehensive service for your investment.
Tip #8 - Find a manager who can respond to traveler guest inquiries promptly
Being available to answer a traveler inquiry at any time of the day is the difference between getting a booking or not. A traveler who has a question is usually sitting down in front of their computer, ready to hit the ‘book’ button. They are keen to plan and book their next vacation at that moment. They will not wait a few hours for a reply from a tardy manager when they can contact the next rental property that is similar to your property and book with them when they get a quicker response.
Ensure that the property manager you choose in Florida is responsive and available around the clock for guest inquiries. While you aren’t expecting the property manager to be up 24/7 personally answering your inquiries, they should be forthcoming with information in a timely fashion and always provide the highest levels of customer service for each and every inquiry.
Tip #7 - Make sure your vacation rental is priced competitively
It is essential to understand how a Florida property manager decides on your rental property pricing. Does the property manager have a pricing strategy they use so they can achieve a balance between the low and peak seasons, wear and tear of your property and any personal stays that you may plan? Will they suggest a lower price to attract attention and positive reviews and then slowly adjust the rate accordingly? These are all things that should be considered and discussed with a potential property manager.
It’s important to be aware of dynamic pricing for your vacation rental property and to price your property to meet the seasonal ebbs and flows of your area. It’s just not good business to have a set rate each and every day of the year. If you focus on determining pricing based on holiday periods, peak times and demand, then you will be able to ensure your property is priced competitively and you get a great ROI.
Tip #8 - Find a manager who can respond to traveler guest inquiries promptly
Being available to answer a traveler inquiry at any time of the day is the difference between getting a booking or not. A traveler who has a question is usually sitting down in front of their computer, ready to hit the ‘book’ button. They are keen to plan and book their next vacation at that moment. They will not wait a few hours for a reply from a tardy manager when they can contact the next rental property that is similar to your property and book with them when they get a quicker response.
Ensure that the property manager you choose in Florida is responsive and available around the clock for guest inquiries. While you aren’t expecting the property manager to be up 24/7 personally answering your inquiries, they should be forthcoming with information in a timely fashion and always provide the highest levels of customer service for each and every inquiry.
Tip #7 - Make sure your vacation rental is priced competitively
It is essential to understand how a Florida property manager decides on your rental property pricing. Does the property manager have a pricing strategy they use so they can achieve a balance between the low and peak seasons, wear and tear of your property and any personal stays that you may plan? Will they suggest a lower price to attract attention and positive reviews and then slowly adjust the rate accordingly? These are all things that should be considered and discussed with a potential property manager.
It’s important to be aware of dynamic pricing for your vacation rental property and to price your property to meet the seasonal ebbs and flows of your area. It’s just not good business to have a set rate each and every day of the year. If you focus on determining pricing based on holiday periods, peak times and demand, then you will be able to ensure your property is priced competitively and you get a great ROI.
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Tip #6 - Focus on quality property management over quantity
Avoiding the biggest Florida rental management corporation can be a wise decision. Quality, not quantity is the better choice when looking for a company or individual to manage your vacation rental property. We all know what it feels like to be treated like a number on the other end of a foreign call center. If you want to get personal support for your vacation property management, you might explore some service-oriented options with a dedicated and personal property management team that is approachable and can tailor your service. Unforeseen issues do arise with most Florida vacation properties. That’s why Florida property managers are needed. When such a problem occurs, the last thing property owners want is to be stuck on hold battling a vast company call center, pounding the “0” key to speak with a real human. No thanks! You should have a relationship with your property manager, and they should be willing to offer you their cell phone number so that should something needs to be discussed or you want to get in touch you are able to contact them directly. Consider going with the boutique property manager who really cares and avoid the larger property management corporations that just can’t give you the personal service you need and deserve. You and your property deserve a lot of care and attention. Do you want to be one of the thousands of homes that large property management corporations manage? Aim for quality and you’ll get a better experience. |
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Tip #5 - Get your property manager to list your property on the top 50 sites
Choosing the right platform to promote and advertise your vacation property on is critical.
When you’re in the process of choosing your property manager ask them which sites they will list your property on. There are 50 sites worldwide that should be considered. We have taken the hard work out of doing the research by providing the top 50 sites to explore.
For your vacation property to get significant exposure and engage with quality travelers, you must ensure that it is being advertised on the right sites, targeting the right audience.
Tip #4 - Find a property manager that will thoroughly screen all potential guests
There is no magic formula to be able to find out if a traveler will be a lousy guest or a good one. However, a property manager with experience and skill and the ability to ask the right questions will help to ensure that your vacation property is always in safe hands.
Talk to the potential property manager about what type of questions they will ask to get to know the travelers better.
Ask questions such as:
- Who else are you traveling with?
- How many people are in your party?
- What are the ages of the people in your party?
- What is the reason why you are visiting?
- Have you stayed in a vacation rental property in the past?
By having a thorough and detailed screening process you’re less likely to get poor rentals and you can avoid issues with noise or guests that aren’t going to do the right thing.
Tip #3 - Beware of a property manager’s conflict of interest
Does the property manager focus exclusively on marketing your vacation property everywhere it should be? Or do they have their own low-traffic listing site they are trying to promote? If so, let’s face it, their incentive is to push their own website.
Property managers who diverge into pushing their own listing site aren’t your ideal candidate for your vacation home. It’s better to look for an alternative manager whose main focus is to drive inquiries and bookings to your door.
These property manager listing sites gain little traffic - a tiny fraction of AirBNB, HomeAway, Google, and top social media sites – so avoid them and focus on the top 50 big guys that are going to get you serious bookings.
If the property manager is making money booking traveler guests, how can their incentive be aligned with the vacation rental property owner? Well, it’s not.
It’s common to hear Florida property owners express the following concerns “it seems like the property manager cares more about the travelers they’re booking than for my property” and “how are they screening quality guests when they’re getting paid to book travelers on their own site?” If this is happening to you or if the potential property manager is putting emphasis on their own listing site, then it is time to look elsewhere.
Tip #2 - Avoid potential property managers that require a term contract
Ask yourself what the reasons are for requiring a contract that locks you in for a year or more? What are the terms of the agreement that you are signing? Be very wary of managers that request a term contract. Once homeowners sign a term contract, some managers seem to just lower your property on their priority list.
Having the flexibility to leave if management is not the right fit is essential for the success of your property. After all, you should be considering your vacation property as a small business.
PLUS+ Vacation Rental is based in Florida and, unlike our competition, will not require you to sign a term contract. We earn your trust knowing that you can discontinue our services at any time. Focus on finding a property manager that is willing to deliver results and not lock you into a long-term contract that gives you little to no flexibility.
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Tip #1 - Marketing matters most and drives booking revenue
At the end of the day, one thing matters most to drive the success of your vacation rental - marketing. Why marketing? It’s simple. It’s the key driver for booking income. The more travelers see your professionally copy written listing, the more bookings and rental income for your property. Nothing drives booking income as directly as marketing, and you need to focus on this element to get the ROI you’re seeking for your investment. It gets better. A well-marketed property will have its calendar filled up sooner and at higher rental prices. Guests paying more are typically the quality guests you want. They are the kind of guests who treat your property as their own. |
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Let Plus+ Vacation Rental market, promote, and manage your Florida vacation rental property.
At Plus+ Vacation Rental we‘re all about making it simple for you to market, promote, and manage your vacation rental property and work for you to get the booking income you’ve only dreamed of.
Our professional copywriters create a compelling listing for your Florida property, listing it everywhere it should be on the global vacation rental listing sites. Then we continue to market your property across social media channels, search engines, and through re-marketing.
We even handle pre and post-stay communication on your behalf. If you’re looking for someone to synchronize your calendars across listing sites, ensuring you get premium property management for your vacation rental listing, Plus+ Vacation Rental is your clear choice. Find out more how Plus+ Vacation Rental works here.
Better Marketing -> More Bookings -> Higher Income -> Better Guests
We do the work. You get premium property management. It's just that simple!
Sit back, relax, and let us maximize your vacation rental booking income. Contact Us today...
At Plus+ Vacation Rental we‘re all about making it simple for you to market, promote, and manage your vacation rental property and work for you to get the booking income you’ve only dreamed of.
Our professional copywriters create a compelling listing for your Florida property, listing it everywhere it should be on the global vacation rental listing sites. Then we continue to market your property across social media channels, search engines, and through re-marketing.
We even handle pre and post-stay communication on your behalf. If you’re looking for someone to synchronize your calendars across listing sites, ensuring you get premium property management for your vacation rental listing, Plus+ Vacation Rental is your clear choice. Find out more how Plus+ Vacation Rental works here.
Better Marketing -> More Bookings -> Higher Income -> Better Guests
We do the work. You get premium property management. It's just that simple!
Sit back, relax, and let us maximize your vacation rental booking income. Contact Us today...
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