Self-Managing your Airbnb vs Professional Property Management
Managing a short-term rental property comes with a unique set of challenges, from handling reservations and guest communications to ensuring compliance with regulations. While self-management may seem like a cost-effective option, it can quickly become overwhelming and time-consuming.
At AirKeeper, we’re here to offer a better solution.
With our specialised expertise and comprehensive suite of services, we can help property owners unlock the full potential of their properties. Let us be your trusted partner in short-term rental property management, and we can maximise your income, reduce your stress, and put time back into your day.
Challenges of Self-Management
Time Commitment
Managing a short-term rental property requires constant attention and responsiveness to guest inquiries, bookings, and emergencies or other issues.
Property owners we’ve spoken to who used to self-manage often found themselves spending more time than anticipated on managing their reservations, coordinating check-ins and check-outs, and addressing guest concerns. This time commitment can quickly become overwhelming, especially when needing to work around other work or family commitments, and soon you’ll find yourself working for your property, not the other way around.
And that’s just for one property – once you add multiple investment properties, this workload increases exponentially.
How AirKeeper can help: We do this full-time, day-in day-out. Our end-to-end management services mean it’s our job to manage these intricacies – from guest inquiries, issues, cleaning, and everything in between. Furthermore, while it’s often standard for Long-Term Rental Property Managers to look after 150-200 properties, our dedicated Area Managers might manage 1/3 that amount. This way we can ensure your investment receives the care and attention to detail it deserves.
Guest Communications
Effective communication with guests is essential to ensure they have a great experience and leave a positive review. However, managing guest communications can be time-consuming and challenging, particularly during peak booking periods or when dealing time-sensitive inquiries and or issues.
Common feedback we’ve received from former self-managing clients is that late-night or overnight requests were the most draining to manage, and generally the most impactful to the guest if it couldn’t be resolved.
Responding promptly to guests is vital, and property owners must address any concerns or questions – as well as providing assistance or resolving these issues – just as promptly to ensure their guests have a satisfactory stay.
How AirKeeper can help: We have a dedicated Guest Services team available around the clock, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. You no longer have to worry about missed emails or late-night phone calls from your guests because we take care of all of it on your behalf
Maintenance and Housekeeping
Maintaining a short-term rental property requires regular upkeep and maintenance to ensure it remains in optimal condition for guests. This includes cleaning between guest stays, performing routine maintenance checks, and addressing any issues or repairs promptly.
Coordinating housekeeping and maintenance can be time-consuming if you do it yourself, and can be hit-or-miss if you source contractors or service providers.
How AirKeeper can help: We thoroughly vet and verify our local cleaning partners, ensuring we only work with providers up to our own standards. Given the scale at which we operate as Property Managers, we can also secure discounts and a level of service that may not be attainable for individual property owners.
Compliance with Regulations
Short-term rental properties are subject to various regulations and requirements, and ensuring compliance with these regulations can be challenging for property owners, particularly if they’re unfamiliar.
If self-managing, this means property owners must stay up to date with these fluid laws and regulations, which can vary significantly depending on property type or state – so owning multiple investment properties adds layers of complexity. Failure to comply with regulations could result in severe consequences, including fines or penalties. Additionally, depending on the nature of the non-compliance, it may lead to negative reviews from guests or damage to the property’s reputation.
How AirKeeper can help: AirKeeper doesn’t just manage short-term investment properties – we’re actually also a fully licensed real estate agency. As a real estate agency, we possess all the necessary licences and qualifications required by regulatory authorities to operate in the industry, and hold all required licences in all states in which we manage properties.
Our credentials, experience, and constant engagement with the STR industry means we deeply understand these regulations, and can easily adapt to accommodate and adhere to changes in regulation.
Why Use AirKeeper for Short-Term Property Management?
Expertise in Short-Term Rental Management
There’s no need to try and shoulder it all yourself – partnering with AirKeeper offers property owners access to a team of professionals with extensive expertise in short-term rental property management.
Our team understands the unique dynamics and demands of the STR market, allowing us to provide tailored solutions that maximise the potential of your property. With years of experience in the industry, we have honed our skills in marketing, promotion, and guest management, ensuring that your property stands out in a crowded marketplace.
Cross-Platform Marketing Strategies
One of the key advantages of working with AirKeeper is our expertise in marketing and promoting to improve your occupancy – we leverage a variety of cross-platform marketing strategies to maximise your property’s visibility to potential guests.
Your property isn’t just advertised on Airbnb; it’s showcased across 20 other channels, significantly expanding your exposure and earning potential. Including partners such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Stayz, Trivago, and Expedia, and more, we leverage a diverse range of channels to reach a broader audience.
Additionally, we utilise our own booking platform to further enhance your property’s visibility and boost its occupancy rate.
Professional Photography and Profile Creation
First impressions matter, and our team understands the importance of showcasing your property in the best possible light. We utilise professional photography and expertly crafted property profiles to highlight your property’s unique features and amenities.
By crafting professional listings that beautifully showcase your property, we attract a wide range of guests and increase the likelihood of bookings.
24/7 Guest Support
At AirKeeper, we prioritise guest satisfaction and strive to provide exceptional service at all times.
Our dedicated guest services team is available around the clock, 365 days a year, to assist guests with any questions or concerns they may have during their stay. From booking inquiries to maintenance requests, we handle all guest communications promptly and professionally, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience for your guests.
Dynamic Pricing Optimisation
We understand that pricing is a critical factor in maximising your property’s income potential – that’s why we utilise AI-powered dynamic pricing software to optimise your property’s pricing in real-time. By analysing market trends, local demand, and competitor pricing, we adjust your rates dynamically to maximise your income while maintaining high occupancy levels.
With AirKeeper, you can rest assured that your property is always competitively positioned for success in the short-term rental market.
National Reach, Local Presence
While AirKeeper operates on a national scale, our approach is deeply rooted in the community, thanks to our dedicated and local Area Managers.
Our Area Managers are industry experts who possess intimate knowledge of their respective regions, allowing us to provide personalised support and tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of your property.
Whether you’re located in a bustling city or a tranquil coastal town, AirKeeper has the local expertise and national reach to help you succeed in the short-term rental market.
Effortless Setup – End-to-End Management has Never Been Easier
At face value, handing over the keys of your investment property to a property management company can seem daunting. But we’re here to make things easier, not more complicated.
At AirKeeper we pride ourselves on full end-to-end management – we take care of everything to do with managing your property, from A to Z, so all you need to do is figure out what to do with your newfound free time.
We’ve even streamlined our sign-up process so you can potentially be up and running within just 10 days:
Property Assessment and Custom Appraisal
Get started by booking a call or reaching out to us. Within 24 hours, we’ll provide you with a custom appraisal tailored to your property’s potential, including grounded projections and market analysis. This appraisal will be informed by your goals and what you aim to achieve with your property. Once you’re ready to move forward, simply sign up, and we’ll get to work for you!
Seamless Onboarding and Listing Creation
After signing up, you’ll be introduced to your dedicated Area Manager, who will be your primary point of contact at AirKeeper. Your Area Manager will handle all aspects of onboarding and listing creation for your property. We’ll schedule a property inspection, arrange for professional photography and styling, and take care of all advertising, including creating captivating listings on major platforms. Typically, listings will go live within just 7 to 10 days of signing up.
Start Generating Income
With your property now live and ready for guests, it’s time to sit back, relax, and enjoy your increased income. From this point onward, we’ll take care of everything else, from managing reservations and guest communications to handling maintenance and cleaning.
At any point you can log into your Owner Dashboard to track past performance and see what bookings are coming up.
Take the Hassle out of Self-Managing – let AirKeeper do it for you
Managing a short-term rental property can be complex and time-consuming, fraught with challenges and potential pitfalls for property owners. We understand these challenges because we’ve faced them ourselves, and developed our comprehensive suite of services to ensure we can address them effectively for all our clients
With AirKeeper, you can enjoy the benefits of increased income and reduced stress, knowing that your property is being expertly managed by a dedicated team. So why wait? Take back your time and join AirKeeper today.