Of course you can do it all. You work, look after your family, plan vacations and take the dog for a walk. What difference would it make to add managing an Airbnb to that list? But sometimes the question is not CAN YOU do it all? The question is SHOULD YOU do it all?
And when it comes to managing your own short-term rental the Sydney AirKeeper Team is 100% convinced you SHOULD NOT.
Of course we are advocates of using a short-term rental agency but there are good reasons for it.
Statistics have shown that professionally managed Airbnb listings get on average 20% more bookings than privately managed listings. That’s an average number and most likely refers to the difference between professionally managed properties and people that spend a lot of time on managing their own homes. If you don’t have the time or energy for your listing the difference could be much greater.
Once you look at the situation from that perspective spending 12%-20% on vacation rental management seem not so pricy any longer and could actually mean you are still leaving money for yourself off the table, even after the management fees are taking into account.
Managing your own listing properly, especially in the holiday home rental market that Sydney is, requires time and effort. To maximize your returns you need a professional to take great pictures of your home. You need to create a comprehensive and enticing listing on Airbnb and preferably some other platforms. You need to respond to booking requests rapidly and be able to let people into your property at all times of the day. You need to be able to take phone calls in case your guests have questions and you need to be able to turn the place around in a whiffy if you have guests staying back to back. If you don’t do that yourself you need to find a reliable and trustworthy cleaner. You would also need to become an expert at pricing your property and update your prices at least daily to stay relevant in search results.
One thing is clear, to maximize your properties potential on Airbnb and other short-term rental sites you home needs attention and you need a wholesome understanding of this specific market and how to work it.
If you feel like your listing could archive more call us now and together we can develop a strategy that increases your returns while freeing you up to plan that next vacation.
You can reach us by calling 1800 984 658 or emailing us at info@airkeeper.com.au