Barefoot Technologies Blog- Vacation Rental Industry News

Preparing your Florida Vacation Rentals to be Ready for Change

Posted by Aj Mudford on Apr 2, 2014 12:44:00 PM

On March 12th we wrote a blog that described state lawmakers in Florida looking to have changes made to the rental properties industry by July 1st of this year. The bill is about the rights of the people who live near the rental properties according to those who support it.To read the full bill click here. If this bill passes, changes would need to be made to your business to abide by these new rules. The community would be able to impose rules on trash, noise, and traffic. This would mean property managers will need to be careful about who is renting the property. A group for a bachelor party would not be suitable for a quiet residential area for three nights but a young couple with small children should be fine. Here are some ways to prepare your business for the potential law changes ahead.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Industry, future of vacation rentals, CRM, Florida, Rental Industry Changes

Six ways to use sporting events to increase vacation rentals

Posted by Aj Mudford on Feb 12, 2014 12:15:00 PM

The FIFA World Cup is coming to Brazil this year for an event that will be watched by billions of viewers worldwide and attract around 600,000 tourists to the country according to International Business Times. It is an opportunity for Brazilians to showcase their culture, food and soccer skills in what is sure to be an amazing spectacle. But how can you use sports teams or events to benefit your business?

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Tags: rental industry, How to market vacation rentals, CRM, Relationship Management, Sporting events

Homeaway.com Launches Communication Management Update

Posted by Adam Zippin on Jan 9, 2014 4:19:00 PM

Over the past few months we have seen some scams and issues coming through a few larger portals because, on some level, the portals leave the deals up to the private parties. This will not be the case much longer as HomeAway.com has launched its newest communication management tool.  This isn’t a tool for HomeAway for professionals, or one that will even really compete with you at this point.  It is a security measure for individual owners.

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Tags: Scams, Vacation Rental Software, VRBO Portal, vacation rental scam, Security, HomeAway.com, Barefoot Technologies, HomeAway Portal, CRM

How to Seasonally Market Your Rental Properties

Posted by Adam Zippin on Nov 14, 2013 5:48:00 PM

Well it’s the time of year up here in New England where rumors of snow are backed up by frigid mornings and mildly warmer days, most call it winter but I am lucky enough to call it hockey season.  Now some may not see the difference between a winter enthusiast and a hockey fan but differences like this can distinguish your business from the rest.  With the winter coming in, the rental market shifts drastically up here, and in any location with winter snow.  So how does this resonate through with your business?  Here are 8 ways to beat the winter with simple marketing tools

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Tags: Vacation Rental Industry, Vacation Rental, Vacation Rental Software, rental industry competition, How to market vacation rentals, Rental Management, Second Home, Property Management Software, Management Software, Competitive Advantage, Rental management Software, rental marketing, Property manager marketing, professional management, rental indusrty competition, Offerings, rental management business, Rental Management CRM, CRM, CRM Tips

The Vacation Rental Merry Go Round – Are You Onboard?

Posted by Adam Zippin on Jul 2, 2013 4:05:00 PM

 The vacation rental industry is changing, almost daily, as you are well aware.  Home Away, Wyndham, Marriot, Trip Advisor and other large companies are moving us to places we have never been before.   It can be a very challenging environment to work in.   The good news is that these companies all bring awareness to our industry that there hasn’t been here before.   PhoCus Wright, which is a travel research company, recently published a report,  PhoCusWright’s U.S. Vacation Rentals 2009-2014:  A Market Reinvented.   It is a very expensive report, but brings some very valuable information to us.  It was said that only 10-15% of travelers knew or considered vacation rentals.  Well in this report, 20% of the travelers surveyed stayed in a vacation rental in the past two years.  An additional 27% considered a vacation rental, but ultimately chose another option.  Why?  Well, part of it is the misconceptions of our industry, that vacation rentals are only suitable for longer trips and larger groups, as well as vacation rentals not having the “amenities” that hotels offer.  Today, this is not necessarily the case. 

So the good news is that more and more folks are looking at vacation rentals, but the bad news is that still, only 20% of travelers are actually choosing our industry to meet their vacation needs.   How did it get from the 10% that it was 5+ years ago, to the 20%?   And how do we get it from 20% to 30% and more?  Most of us will agree that the national economy hasn’t improved that much.  Unemployment is going back up, and so many people are still out of work.  So why is it that our business is so much better?   I would suggest that the marketing awareness created by these large companies, as well as the internet providing more and more innovation, is finding the average consumer, and we need to take advantage of it.  So some thoughts on how you can get on board:

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Tags: Barefoot, Vacation Rental, Rentals, Rental Market, Rental, Rental Management, Property Management, Property Manager, Property Management Software, Management Software, Competitive Advantage, Rental Software, Rental Management CRM, CRM, Break

The Top Ten Reasons You Need To Move Away From FRS

Posted by Adam Zippin on Jun 4, 2013 3:56:00 PM

     Over the past few years, there have been some great advances in the software that vacation rental management companies are using.  At the same time, there are still people using outdated vacation rental software.  All this begs the question of, why are people using Dos based systems still? With all the current trends in software, apps, smartphones, tablets, Wi-Fi, 4g, and all the other technical terms that are no longer limited to an IT department, a business would do just about anything to tap into some of these resources.  But there is more to it than simply being able to tap into the internet to run your business.  Browser based systems offer regular updates, most free; Barefoot updates its system every month.  This means that once you purchase the system, the updates allow you to maintain the best system available without additional cost.  A Dos based system is only as advanced as it was the day you bought it, or that you pay to upgrade to.  It may make you nervous to consider what else you still use every day that is from the same time frame.  Without further ado, here are the top ten reasons that Agent 3.0c is better than your current FRS system.

 

1. CRM Tools- The ability to send quickly and easily email correspondence toprospective owners, prospective and returning customers, and vendors from the software without the need to recreate that database in a third-party provider and send reservation data as an attachment.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Vacation Rental, Software, Property Management, Property Management Software, Management Software, Competitive Advantage, Rental Scam, Rental Software, CRM

A Bold Claim From Homeaway CEO

Posted by Adam Zippin on May 29, 2013 4:25:00 PM

An article published over the weekend has shed a promising light on the vacation rental industry.  In an interview with Carl Shepherd, co-founder of Homeaway, said that he and his company believes that vacation rentals are the future of the vacation industry.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Management, Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Vacation Rental, Rentals, Rental Market, Rental, Rental Management, Property Management, Second Home, Property Manager, Property Management Software, Management Software, Competitive Advantage, Rental Software, Vacation Home, Vacation, Rental Management CRM, CRM

Another Witch Hunt For Vacation Rentals

Posted by Adam Zippin on May 10, 2013 3:23:00 PM

In Las Vegas it has become illegal to rent homes in short term rentals.  Now, a town in Arizona may be making similar strides.  Gilbert Arizona prohibits short term rentals in single family neighborhoods and is considering extending the legislation to multifamily neighborhoods like condo buildings.  As is, short term rentals are only supposed to occur on commercial properties, however this loophole allows people currently residing in multiple family complexes to skirt the law.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Management, Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Vacation Rental, Client Expectations, Rentals, Rental Market, Rental, Rental Management, Property Management, Property Manager, Vacation Advice, Management Software, Rental Software, Vacation Rentals, Vacation Home, CRM

4 Industry Leading Ways To Create Efficient Work

Posted by Adam Zippin on May 7, 2013 3:50:00 PM

Today, through our webpage, a contact us form was filled out and submitted to us.  The main resonating message of this e-mail was simple, I am looking to grow but simply cannot do any more work!  As I spoke to this prospect, her issues resonated with me as mere wants of other prospects and clients.  Things that were "nice" and "neat" or that "Jane from reservations would love" seem to get looked over all too often by those not aware of what a few process could do for their business.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Management, Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Vacation Rental, Client Expectations, Rentals, Software, Rental, Rental Management, Property Management, Second Home, Property Manager, Property Management Software, Vacation Advice, Management Software, Competitive Advantage, Rental Software, Vacation Home, Offerings, Rental Management CRM, CRM, CRM Tips

Homeaway Tightens the VRBO Noose on Property Managers

Posted by Adam Zippin on Apr 30, 2013 3:10:00 PM

Last week I published a blog that boasted 8 things you could do to separate yourself from competitive rentals.  The main goal was to realize that your company offers more than a house to rent, you have the expertise to offer an experience.  This experience is what separates your professionally managed rentals from the VRBO market out there.  However, in the never ending cat and mouse game, homeaway.com is now offering another service to its VRBO clients.  I personally think it is a neat tool but that does not make your life easier.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Management, Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Vacation Rental, Rentals, Rental Market, VRBO, Rental, Rental Management, Property Management, Second Home, Property Manager, Property Management Software, Vacation Advice, Management Software, Competitive Advantage, Rental Software, Vacation Rentals, Vacation, Rental Management CRM, CRM