What the professionals are saying about vacation rentals

[Monika Haebich]

Hi guys! 

I just returned from the VRMA (Vacation Rental Managers Association) Eastern conference that was held here in Atlanta, and there was some really great information shared! 

I got to learn more about how property managers are recruiting new homeowners, and Tyann Marcink gave a great talk on real estate/vacation rental photography best practices. Bill Furlong from HomeAway also spoke on trends in the vacation rental industry, and here were some interesting statistics:

• 78% of vacation rental buyers consider potential rental income when purchasing the home. 
• 77% of vacation home purchasers in 2013 said they planned to rent out their home to short term renters.
• One third of vacation rental guests are first time vacation rental travelers.
• More than half of vacation rental travelers are 25-44.

Other general trends that HomeAway/VRBO saw:

• "The rate of vacation home purchases had a banner year."
• "Bookings per unit and dollars per booking are up. Cancellation rate is down, and cancel lead time is up."
• "Vacation rental awareness, trial, & overall usage continues to grow rapidly." 

If anyone has any questions about the conference or likewise attended, I'd love to talk! :)