Should you try vacation rental management software to help you manage your short term rental, or is it better to invest in a professional, dedicated short term rental manager instead? As the demand for short term rentals grows, the vacation letting industry grows as well. For property owners aiming to rent out their villas, houses or apartments to guests, the choice of how to manage the property is a huge one.

A quick look at our comparison of self-managed and managed rentals shows you that it can be a big risk to not manage your rental at all. We have also compared housekeepers to rental managers to show you how much more effective a manager would be compared to a housekeeper. What about vacation rental management software though? Is it worthwhile to attempt to manage your property from a software tool? Let’s take a look.

Vacation Rental Management Software or Rental Manager?

This decision should never be made without weighing up the costs. Some of the things to consider when trying to decide whether to choose vacation rental management software or a manager include the following:

• While software can manage your bookings, it cannot replace a real, live human. The biggest challenge to rental software is that it only provides the ability to manage your calendar. For the modern traveller, excellent service often comes down to the small, thoughtful touches – a person that can be reached 24-7, someone to welcome them on arrival, day to day management, guest concierge and even welcome packs are all features that a software tool is not able to provide. A dedicated manager on the other hand can handle bookings and all of the above as well.
• Many listing sites include calendar management tools. If you are using platforms such as Airbnb to list your property, it will manage your calendar for you, without the need for additional software. If you purchase software, you may find that you are wasting funds that could be better spent on a manager. And, once again, you will not have the benefit of round the clock support, concierge and other personal touches that are typically provided by a manager.
• Software is also limiting when it comes to marketing. Finally, it is also good to consider the bigger picture. A comprehensive short term management service will offer not only bookings management and day to day management and concierge, but also proactive marketing across a diverse range of channels. Be very wary of any software that offers to market your property. While it may be possible, it may also end up putting you at risk of spam, or you may find yourself listed in places that are not suitable for your target audience. A manager will work with you to help you market your property in a way that adds genuine value.

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Interested in learning more about getting started with a short term rental manager? Contact Totalstay today and let us show you how our management solution compares to vacation rental management software.