How To Find the Right Partner to Manage Your Airbnb Vacation Rental

In order to obtain high ratings from users and encourage more potential guests to move in, it takes quite a bit of effort to handle all the aspects of being an ideal Airbnb property manager. This includes:

• Managing stays and booking schedules
• Handling guest communication
• Maintaining the property in good condition

For some vacation rental owners, the best course of action is to hire a property manager for the job, but what traits should you look for in one?

How To Identify Experienced Candidates For Airbnb Property Management

So what criteria should you be looking at when hiring a property manager? The following checklist is intended to provide guidance on how to start your journey.

Proven Experience with Marketing Vacation Rentals

Airbnb management companies have to know the ins and outs of marketing a short-term vacation rental, including all the tried-and-true marketing strategies for boosting your guest list:

• Search engine optimization for bringing your short-term rental listings to the attention of more people.
• Posting on various rental sites even those outside of Airbnb such as Flipkey.
• Using other marketing channels like email or SMS.

Knowing What Services Are On Offer

An Airbnb property management company can do a wide variety of tasks for you, ranging from:

• Choosing rental rates according to local market demand
• Providing marketing help through online listings and taking pictures
• Guest screening and selecting ideal tenants once they contact you
• Handling home repairs and maintenance
• Ensuring legal compliance with federal housing regulations

Responsiveness To Customer Feedback

Airbnb guests are encouraged to provide reviews and feedback after their stays. Make sure any property manager you hire can manage guest reviews and respond accordingly. For instance, if poor communication gets brought up often, see what corrective actions are taken to improve guest service, from opening up more contact lines to answering guest inquiries more promptly.

Knowledge of the Local Area

They say that the real estate market is all about location, and it’s no different for Airbnb. A vacation rental manager who knows the local area makes it easier to answer any questions a guest may have about local restaurants, attractions and Airbnb local rules regulations

This knowledge also extends to understanding the local real estate market and deciding on how to price the property at different points of the year.

Reasonable Property Management Rates

Services always come with a price, and, while most Airbnb management companies are worth the cost, it’s advised to look into how the business model works. Does the amount charged line up with industry benchmarks?

Most Airbnb property management services charge around 40% of the overall revenue, but there is often a lot of variation in the figures.

Likewise, how are the rental management fees charged? Airbnb can either run on commission or a fixed model where the manager is guaranteed a certain amount every month. Communicate with your chosen property manager to work out the details.

The Takeaways For Hiring an Airbnb Property Manager

Choosing the perfect Airbnb property manager is all about finding one that:

• Has previous experience in the vacation rental business
• Offers the specific services that you need
• Is responsible for customer feedback and can improve the guest experience
• Knows about the local area and can provide recommendations
• Is priced within your budget

Are you a property owner that’s looking for an Airbnb management partner in British Columbia? Then you should list your property on Aisling Baile. We specialize in short-term vacation rental management for a variety of platforms, from Airbnb to Booking.com and Expedia among others.

Our turnkey Airbnb property management services take all the hassle out of owning a vacation rental property. Get in touch to learn more about our services.