Vacation rentals - EVOLVE - opinions?

[Debbie Bone]

Anyone used EVOLVE? I’m leaning towards using them in combo with a good housekeeper for vacation rentals-anyone jump in if you’ve used them for bookings-positive and negative feedback much appreciated. Local companies are charging 40 to 50% fees and aren’t optimizing various platforms ie. VRBO/AirBnb —— need some feedback if you have used EVOLVE only, thanks!

[John Underwood]

I only use VRBO/HA and Airbnb. Vrbo keeps my calendar full. 

[Michael Baum]

Hi @Debbie Bone! I studied up on Evolve extensively and decided against it. They take 10% off the top. They do all the listings at all the sites. They own those listings and the subsequent reviews. If you decide to leave, you lose all of that and have to start over.

They do all the communication which, from what I have read, can be hit or miss. Mostly hit to be honest. They seem to do a decent job. You don't have to handle things on that end.

Personally, I don't want to lose 10% of my gross. I like talking to guests, making sure they are doing ok and the like. I only have one place. It might get old if I had more.

They say they will boost your revenue but of course that is no guarantee. They do all the variable pricing stuff which can maximize your nightly rate. I don't do that as I hate it myself having to pay a different rate than advertised. I am sure I am giving away some $$$ but I am sticking to it. 

[Ken Latchers]

they also take 10% from your guests i believe. but they dont mention that.

[Marcello Di Gerlando]

I have been communicating with them recently to get my STR property on the market at the end of the this month. So far they are communicating very well with me and have forwarded me a ton of resources, including vetted cleaning and maintenance teams, lodging tax firm, tips and tricks and even stats on other areas they support STRs. I hope they are going to be everything they promise. I will be looking out for updates on this firm.

[Ken Latchers]

again, read what other Forum members here have to say about why they're leaving evolve. What they say what they do are two very different things for the most part

[Jeff Castro]

i used them before.. It seems like they just list it and forget it. Pricing was way too low compared to competitors in my area. I switched to a local company here in So Cal called Home Rentals Group and like them. I think they only work So Cal though.

[Oliver King]

Originally posted by @Jeff Castro:

i used them before.. It seems like they just list it and forget it. Pricing was way too low compared to competitors in my area. I switched to a local company here in So Cal called Home Rentals Group and like them. I think they only work So Cal though.

Can you share contact info to this company? I'm also looking at evolve and want to check different options. Shoot me a PM with contact info/link please.

[Mark Olcott]

Now rethinking my decision to sign on with them in 2018. I am still with them but am looking into other options at this moment. I would have recommended them until I learned of changes they are making.

Now they want to impose the concept of "dynamic pricing" wherein the homeowner allows them to utilize an algorithim that will override the owner's list pricing pretty much at anytime. Its not a new idea in the booking world but in my opinion its not good for most homeowners. Presented or spun as a way to increase your bookings and therefore your income, it will instead, for many or most, erode their margins. I know my market and property and I set my original prices 20% above their initially recommended rates and I'm booked solid, with perfect reviews. By design, the dynamic pricing should work well for them. I'm not a hotel chain with lots of inventory, it will not work for me. 

I primarily signed up with evolve because it allowed for me to have one point of contact (a single company) for multiple websites (AirBNB, VRBO/ Homeaway, Flipkey and their own. Their 10% fee was acceptable to me. Their contract gave me the sole right to set pricing, both list and if I wanted, a discounted rate. (Inevitably, they tried to arm twist me to go with their pricing. Their argument for their forcefully suggested pricing was a bit disingenuous and falsely premised).

Short of my issue with their ability to soon set prices based on their algorithm, I like working with them. They have some innovative ways of dealing with things deposits for damages, insurance, etc. Some of their team can be smarmy or patronizing ( accompanied by extreme ignorance) but most are stellar and have good to great customer service skills. I recently found that key amenities like a spa, heated pool and outdoor gas grill were not listed in VRBO/HomeAway and Airbnb sites. I have no idea how this happened and neither do they but they have promised to correct it. 

[Amable John Aguiluz XIII]

@Jeff Castro Hello, are you still using this SoCal group? Can you send me their info as well? Thank you.