6 Vacation Rental Apps That Will Boost Bookings

If you are new to the short-term rental market, your main priority should be to boost the occupancy of your property. This will ensure that you start to earn a profit from your property as soon as possible. There is an array of booking platforms that have their own vacation rental apps used by hosts and travelers alike. 

The following guide will give you a glimpse into some of the best vacation rental apps available for hosts today and some tips and tricks on how best to use them to maximize profits off your short-term rental.

Airbnb

If you have a property that you rent out on a short-term basis that’s either a shared space or an entire property, Airbnb is a great option for you to list your property on. The platform is one of the most popular online accommodation booking sites, and over 1 million property bookings are made daily.

With the stellar reputation of Airbnb and its vast audience, listing your property on the platform is a great way to boost your property’s exposure and sales. You can list any property type on Airbnb, which is why it is so popular among travelers who are on more of a budget. One of the key perks of listing your property on Airbnb is that you will have a direct line of communication with those who want to book your property.

Vrbo

Vrbo is a fantastic platform for any property host who has an entire property available for rental. The platform was recently bought by Expedia, meaning when you list your property here, you automatically have your property listed on the Expedia site too. 

Vrbo provides your property with exposure to a specific kind of traveler, usually those with higher budgets and who are looking to stay in places for slightly longer periods of time. The booking process on Vrbo is also very easy and comprehensive for travelers to use, making it an appealing platform for anyone to book on. 

Booking.com 

Booking.com is a booking facilitator and has one of the largest portfolios of properties in the world. Travelers can filter their searches for accommodation easily and will also have the option to book hotels and other accommodation types. This makes the platform slightly more competitive for hosts who have private properties available for rental. However, the online exposure will certainly help to boost sales and drive traffic towards your property’s listing.

Hospiria

When you list your short-term vacation rental on more than one platform, it can be difficult to ensure that you avoid mistakes like double bookings. It’s also incredibly challenging to keep track of all your finances across the platforms, especially if you have to do it manually. 

From an administrative perspective, Hospiria is one of the top vacation rental apps available as it helps you to manage your property listings effectively. The app syncs with all of the platforms your property is listed on and allows you to manage the income generated from each listing, and helps you keep track of the money owed to each of the platforms as service fees. 

Using the app, you can generate invoices and sync your availability calendar so that your property displays accurate availability dates and ensures that the rates on each of the platforms are in line with the amount of money you need to take home per booking. This, therefore, helps you to manage profits and other aspects like security deposits and refunds if necessary.

Expedia

Property owners can download the Expedia Partner Central app, which is essentially an engagement platform. Here, you can engage with your audience, upload photos, and respond to travel reviews which will help to boost your presence as a host. You can also use the platform to build up your credibility as a host, which will help you to enhance your reputation as a business owner and professional within the hospitality industry. When you download this app as a host, you can boost your sales and property exposure significantly.

Flipkey

As a spinoff platform of Tripadvisor, Flipkey is another property listing platform on which you could consider listing your home if you rent it out. The platform is the ideal place to list properties for those who are looking to boost their sales quickly, as the platform is still relatively new, meaning the marketspace is less competitive, with only 300,000 listings on the platform worldwide. 

The marketplace is also somewhat more luxurious. However, the platform prides itself on having a wide variety of properties for people to choose from. Travelers can choose from anything from beach villas, private apartments, cottages, and city stays. This platform is also driven by reviews, so if you do a good job, your presence and sales will increase.

Using Platforms that Work For You

Whether you are new to the short-term rental market or want to boost sales for a more established business, there are many vacation rental apps out there which can help you manage your business. 
The vacation rental apps we have listed are all great in their own way, but it's worth bearing in mind that they do all come with their own fees, so ensure that you look into the costs associated with each one as this may affect your choice.

Partnering with Hospiria will ensure that you are able to optimize your property management strategies, and our dedicated support team is there for you every step of the way to answer any technical queries you may have surrounding the platform. When you choose to use any of the vacation rental apps we’ve mentioned above, you boost your chances of taking your hospitality business to a whole new level.