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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.

International Vacation Homeownership Options

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Want to own an international vacation property? Better question: who doesn’t?! The great thing about vacation properties is that they not only provide you a home base for traveling but that you can even rent them out and make money. See the options for owning a beautiful bungalow in Belize or a quaint cottage in Canada—and benefit in the process.

RealQuick: Types of Vacation Homes

“Timeshare” is usually the word that pops into people’s heads when thinking about vacation homes, but there are plenty of other options. 

Cabins, beach houses, apartments, condos, and even hotel suites at resorts all are vacation homes. Virtually any type of property can be turned into a vacation home! And what’s more, these vacation home options are different than timeshares because you get to make the rules.

What to Do With Your Vacation Home

You can use your vacation home in three main ways: keep it just for yourself, rent it out yourself (such as through Airbnb or VRBO), or hire a third party to manage and rent it.

Keep It for Yourself

A lot of people get a vacation home (such as a cabin or lake house) and keep it as a standalone. They only use the property for their vacation purposes or perhaps allow family and friends to use it.

The Benefits:

  • Have a place to escape to.
  • Avoid paying for or finding accommodations while traveling.
  • It’s a financial asset.
  • The memories of spending repeated time in a vacation spot are priceless!

The Drawbacks:

By keeping it for yourself, the vacation property is only being used when you’re there. As is true with any property, it’s a significant investment. Some people also feel like they can’t travel elsewhere—they feel like they have to get their money’s worth. Not to mention, if you think owning one home is a lot of work, imagine owning two.

Rent It Out Yourself

Turning your vacation home into a vacation rental undoubtedly opens the door for additional revenue. With renting it out yourself, you are responsible for finding renters and managing the property.

The Benefits:

  • All the benefits of owning a vacation home, plus… 
  • Generates income off of a rental property.
  • Pays off the purchase over time.

The Drawbacks:

It’s a lot of work to rent out your place by yourself—many consider it a full-time job. It’s more convenient if you live near your vacation rental property, but nearly impossible if you don’t. You’ll have to do a solid job marketing it to ensure you’re getting your money’s worth. 

It should be added that if you don’t feel comfortable with others staying in your vacation home, this is not the option for you and that’s OK. Adding tons of stress for money won’t be worth it.

Rent It Through a Management Company

beautiful patio

Hiring a third party to manage and rent out your vacation rental eliminates a lot of hassle. With this option, a property management company takes over renting processes and also provides cleaning.

The Benefits:

  • All the benefits of owning and renting out a vacation home, plus…
  • Saves tons of time on cleaning and renting it out.
  • Makes it possible to own an investment property without having to live nearby.

The Drawbacks:

You’ll pay a fee for these services—it depends on location but some averages estimate 8-12% of the monthly value. Many who use management companies find it harder to use their vacation home themselves—at that point, they’re paying a fee and want the difference to be covered with extra renters.

Everyone has an option that works for them when it comes to owning a vacation property. But before you plan on laying poolside or start dreaming about what that added income will do for your finances, you need a vacation home! Look through RealtyHive to find your perfect property abroad.