Barefoot Technologies Blog- Vacation Rental Industry News

New Year, Old Scams: More Vacation Rental Scams

Posted by Adam Zippin on Dec 31, 2013 2:44:00 PM

Happy Holidays to everyone and we hope this holiday season treated you well.  Sadly with the ringing in of this New Year, my first post-holiday blog comes with some bad news.  Another market is being targeted by vacation rental scams, Lake Placid and the Olympic village has reported dozens of rental scams this holiday season.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Management, Barefoot, Vacation Rental, Client Expectations, Rentals, Rental Market, VRBO, Scams, Vacation Rental Software, HomeAway, VRBO Portal, rental industry competition, vacation rental scam, RBO, Security, HomeAway.com, rental industry

The Hyperloop and What It May Mean For Vacation Rentals

Posted by Adam Zippin on Aug 12, 2013 3:52:00 PM

With the unveiling of information regarding Elon Musk's latest venture, the Hyperloop, set for 4:30 et today, my mind has been running wild with all the possibilities this could mean for vacation rentals.  It is almost scary to realize how little attention this incredible possibility has garnished in some circles.  If you haven't heard of the Hyperloop, it is a new transportation method that will cut cross country travel to a matter of minutes!

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Tags: Vacation Rental Management, Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Rentals, Vacation Rental Software, Rental Management, Property Management Software, Management Software, Competitive Advantage, Rental Software, Hyperloop, Elon Musk

How to Stay For Profit When Responding to Non-Profits in Rentals

Posted by Adam Zippin on Jul 30, 2013 4:30:00 PM

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Tags: Vacation Rental Industry, Barefoot, Vacation Rental, Rentals, Vacation Rental Software, Software, Rental, Property Management, Second Home, Property Management Software, Management Software, Vacation Home, Vacation

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

10 Things to Look for in Vacation Rentals When Traveling with Kids

Posted by Adam Zippin on Jul 10, 2013 3:53:00 PM

In the constant attempt to bring you new and relevant information, today's blog is coming not from me but from HouseSittingjobs.com.  This article is about what to look for in vacation rentals when children are part of the equation.  One massive perk our industry offers is the ability to tailor better to a family than a hotel room ever can.  We read the article and found it well written enough to reccomend it to you, our readers.  Without much more babble, here is the 10 things to look for in a Vacation Rental when travelling with kids.

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Tags: Vacation Rental Management, Vacation Rental Industry, Vacation Rental, Client Expectations, Rentals, Rental Market, VRBO, Property Management, Vacation Advice, Vacation Rentals, Vacation Home, Vacation, Offerings

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

Barefoot Hits Vacation Rental Tradeshows

Posted by Adam Zippin on May 15, 2013 4:52:00 PM

Most of our blogs have been about some news, trends, or business moves that we learn about.  This one is a bit more generalized but I wanted to take the time to write it out.  Barefoot Technologies actively uses social media, our website, e-mail campaigns, and calls to speak with our clients, both current and future.  However, we also travel to industry tradeshows to meet you, first hand.

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