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Places to List Your Rental Property (Other Than Airbnb)

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Like Kleenex and Bandaid, “Airbnb” is so popular that the site has turned into a noun. It’s great to have Airbnb as an option for listing your vacation rental property — it’s even better when you have multiple sites and platforms to choose from.

There’s nothing wrong with using Airbnb, but variety is the spice of life. Check out these rental property platforms and see what else is out there — you might just find a better way to maximize your revenue.

HomeAway

HomeAway was actually created 3 years before Airbnb. It was bought by the Expedia group in 2015 whereas Airbnb has continually maintained its independent status.

HomeAway might be a better place to list your vacation rental property due to their hosting fees. Airbnb takes 3% commission out of every reservation — for a one-night $150 listing, their commission is $4.50. HomeAway has two payment options:

  1. Hosts pay an annual $499 subscription
  2. HomeAway takes 8% commission for any reservation made

If you had a $150/night vacation rental that was occupied even for 150 days per year (less than half the year) and opted for Airbnb’s pay structure, you’d pay $675 in commission/fees. With the annual subscription from HomeAway, you’d save $176 with the same setup.

At a certain point, HomeAway’s pay structure becomes more lucrative than Airbnb. That Airbn-being said (I had to), HomeAway is far less known and popular. Even if the pay structure seems better, you won’t save money if your rental property is ultimately ignored.

VRBO

VRBO is probably just below Airbnb in terms of popularity. There’s a chance it might even surpass Airbnb at some point, largely because of the difference in guest service fees.

Anyone who’s booked with Airbnb has felt the initial glee of finding such a cheap vacation rental, only to see that number exponentially increase by the time of checkout. Service fees for Airbnb are sometimes as high as 20% — not counting taxes. Conversely, VRBO is usually between 6-12%. Something that’s more affordable for guests has a lot more potential for finding people to rent out your property.

VRBO was also acquired by Expedia and has the same two payment options as HomeAway.

Home2Go

Home2Go is basically a compilation of the major rental property listing sites. It’s beneficial for people looking to book a rental property because it pulls from Airbnb and VRBO simultaneously, among others. While you can list with Home2Go specifically, you can save yourself the extra step by listing with one of the bigger platforms — it will still likely show up on Home2Go. 

Booking.com

We’ll be upfront: Booking.com is one of the most expensive options for property owners. You’ll have to pay 15% in fees. We bring it up because from a guest standpoint, Booking.com is the least expensive option.

Booking.com has a staggering $0 guest service fee. While still not nearly as known as Airbnb, this could change — especially as more guests tire of paying exorbitant surcharges through Airbnb. Booking.com is a platform to keep in mind. Even if your prices are higher, it might, at some point, not make a difference if more users switch to their platform.

Vacasa

Vacasa has been around since 2009 and serves as a vacation property management company. They cover bookings, housekeeping — a very helpful service in the rental industry — and customer service. These extras make Vacasa one of the more expensive sites in terms of commissions (usually charging between 20 and 40%).

Some things to note: Vacasa was subject to a $3 million lawsuit several years ago from a property owner who felt she was charged fees never stated in her rental agreement. With the pandemic-based halt on travel, Vacasa also recently received over $100 million from a tech investor who similarly bailed out Airbnb.

Other information on Vacasa is somewhat hard to find, especially compared to other platforms mentioned in this article. Reviews from property owners seem to be mixed.

Evolve

Evolve is the middleman between rental property owners and vacation platforms. They market your property for you, offering lucrative services like free professional photography and listing optimization. They take 10% of booking fees (though it’s unclear from their site as to whether this includes fees from Airbnb and the like).

It’s fantastic to research and dream about how you can best generate revenue from a vacation rental property. But the first step to making that happen isn’t signing up with Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway or the like — it’s to buy a property from RealtyHive! Find the perfect cabin, waterfront villa or beachside condo by searching through our listings.

Investing in Vacation Rental Properties: Choosing Location

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Considering more millennial families are traveling than ever before and airlines are expanding to new destinations, investing in a vacation rental property has tons of potential. 

But no matter if you see owning a vacation rental as a fun side project or a full-time pursuit, picking the right property is crucial. RealtyHive is starting a blog series on vacation rentals to help you make the best decision. To kick off this series, we’re covering location.

What should I look for in vacation rental property location?

This all depends on the intent of your rental — in other words, the purpose that it serves.

City

If the city is your guests’ main attraction, you’ll want to own a place in the city — not outside of it. Whereas long-term tenant renters might find a place outside of the city more attractive and affordable, vacationers want to proximity to the heart of the action. 

An exception to this is if your place is close to fast and easy public transport that makes the city super accessible. This can also work if you’re just outside of the city but have a highly appealing property (like this gorgeous home in Florida), something unique that’s not found in typical downtown rentals.

Remote

Sometimes we all just need to get away. A cabin in Upper Peninsula Michigan, a secluded home in beautiful California, or any other property that serves as a place of respite has tons of appeal.

Views, beautiful landscape, and access to outdoor activities (such as canoeing or hiking) are all essential. Most people won’t rent a place in the middle of nowhere. Even if a retreating renter does nothing besides hang out at your vacation rental, they’ll take comfort in having options.

Some other recommendations to make your remote rental a success:

  • Stock up on board games
  • Provide bikes, snowshoes, a kayak, or anything else that’s fitting for your area
  • Include a list of nearby hikes or things to do
  • Keep kitchen essentials like spices and cooking utensils on hand in case guests want to cook in.

Beach or Mountain

It doesn’t matter if it’s a property in Jamaica, a Belizean condo, or a snow-covered chateau. When people want a beach or mountain vacation, they want to be close to that which they seek.

Aim for on the beach or less than 5 minutes away (walking), and if you can get a property with views of the ocean, even better. For mountains, those stunning views and proximity to a ski hill or cross country/snowshoe trails is also essential. If looking to buy near a ski hill, aim for 15-30 minutes or less (driving).

We should also note: lakes don’t always have beaches, but that doesn’t rule out their desirability! If you’re going for a lake property, get one that’s either on the lake (especially true for private/smaller lakes) or walking distance to a lake that’s more public (think beaches, boat rentals, etc.).

Do I need to live near my vacation rental property?

The benefits of living near your rental are that you can manage things yourself, save money (you won’t have to pay a management company), and can quickly respond if an issue arises. You can fix problems instead of leaving the matter in the hands of others. Bad service leads to bad ratings, which affects your potential for future renters (and subsequent profit).

The drawbacks of living near your rental are mostly if you don’t live in a highly attractive destination for tourists. If you’re not in the best vacation spot, finding a more desirable place is in your best interests.

How close should the property be to all the action?

We covered this a little bit in what to look for in a vacation rental property, but the answer is right there or really close. Even if the point of your rental is for people to get away from it all, a property can still be “right there” in terms of a remote location.

Whether looking for your first or fifth investment property, search through RealtyHive’s listings! With properties all over the world, there’s no limit to your vacation rental potential. Look for a perfectly located real estate investment today.