Barefoot Technologies Blog- Vacation Rental Industry News

Some Musings about Airbnb and the Vacation Rental Industry

Posted by Claiborne Yarbrough on Dec 9, 2014 2:55:00 PM

One of our newer customers is really taking a hard look at Airbnd as a marketing portal for his vacation rental management company. He has been nice enough to share some articles that have impacted his research. I thought I might summarize these articles and provide you with links to them so you can continue your research as well.

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Tags: vacation rental trends, Vacation Rental Software, Property Manager

Airbnb.com Bounces Back: And In Impressive Fashion!

Posted by Adam Zippin on Oct 15, 2013 1:12:00 PM

My last blog got some mixed reviews after I wrote about the subpoena that Airbnb.com received.  Some people liked it and we got a tweet out there, others were not so impressed with my views.  So this week, I am glad to report that Airbnb.com has partnered with Pepsi Next to anchor its newest promotion.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Client Expectations, Vacation Rental Software, HomeAway, rental industry competition, How to market vacation rentals, Property Management, Second Home, Property Manager, Management Software, Competitive Advantage, rental marketing, Property manager marketing, professional management, rental indusrty competition, Airbnb.com

Blog Update: Why Airbnb Has A Tough Road Ahead 2.0

Posted by Adam Zippin on Oct 8, 2013 5:35:00 PM

 Back in May I ran a blog about Neil Warren who had rented his room through the popular site Airbnb.com.  This site has made news headlines a few times for its rental policies and the people who are avoiding laws and legislation while using the site.  One member found renting a room was violating her condominium complex’s policies.  Mr. Warren was in violation of several leasing laws for the city of New York.  He however, decided it was best to continue renting his apartment to quests.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Client Expectations, VRBO, Vacation Rental Software, VRBO Portal, rental industry competition, vacation rental scam, How to market vacation rentals, Property Management, Property Manager, Management Software, Property manager marketing, professional management, rental indusrty competition, Airbnb.com, Vacation Rentals, rental management business

A Successful Year For Vacation Rentals: Beating Hotel Occupancy Rates

Posted by Adam Zippin on Sep 26, 2013 5:06:00 PM

Congratulations are in order to the industry as a whole for a solid summer season.  According to an article by RIS Media, the average rental per week rose 19% over the same time last year.  In this numbers thick report, the stats are in and it was another banner year!  While we are always happy to see your success, we can't help but feel a bit of deja vu.  To add some juice, here are a few of our favorite numbers.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Industry, Vacation Rental, Client Expectations, Vacation Rental Software, How to market vacation rentals, Property Manager, Competitive Advantage, future of vacation rentals, professional management, rental indusrty competition, rental management business

HomeAway Making International Moves

Posted by Adam Zippin on Jul 18, 2013 6:20:00 PM

In the world of Vacation Rentals, there are sometimes too many numbers and trends to search through to find the value.  In these cases, large companies tend to excel and HomeAway is no different.  In a recent purchase, for a yet defined amount, HomeAway is purchasing the majority of travelmob, an online startup with vacation properties in Asia Pacific.  While this may seem like an odd move, HomeAway backs it with strong numbers, reporting that "over 100 million people will enter the Asian middle class each of the next several years, and Asia will have an increasing influence over the world's economic growth" as told by Brian Sharples, chief executive officer of HomeAway.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Management, Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Rentals, Rental Market, VRBO, HomeAway, Rental, Rental Management, Property Management, Second Home, Property Manager, Management Software, Rental Software, Vacation Rentals

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

It's Not Too Late To Capitalize On National Vacation Rental Month

Posted by Adam Zippin on Jun 28, 2013 12:44:00 PM

So its national Vacation Rental month this July and we hope that you are preparing for the blast of business and overwhelming amount of guests.  What’s that you say, you’re not doing anything to push this news to your potential guests?  Surely there is a mistake here as this is some free publicity.  If you have not been publicizing this then you are falling into the shadows of large companies like Wyndham, who are playing on the national level.  Fear not, here are 5 ways you can still make the most of the free publicity of this month!

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

Vacation Rental Scam Avoidance - 101

Posted by Adam Zippin on Jun 13, 2013 2:46:00 PM

The summer is here with warm weather, boat shoes, cookouts, Frisbee’s and family.  Did you notice the one thing missing?  Correct, vacation rental scams are missing this year because you have read this article on 5 steps to avoid a vacation rental scam!

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Tags: Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Vacation Rental, Rentals, Rental Market, Scams, Vacation Rental Software, Rental, Property Management, Second Home, Property Manager, Vacation Advice, Rental Scam, Rental Software, Vacation Home, Vacation

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

Change Your View: Vacation Rental Property Vs. Asset Manager

Posted by Adam Zippin on May 21, 2013 4:55:00 PM

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Tags: Vacation Rental Management, Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Vacation Rental, Software, Rental Management, Property Management, Second Home, Property Manager, Vacation Advice, Management Software, Rental Software, Vacation Rentals, Rental Management CRM, Golden Number