New Host: Air BnB or VRBO?

Question

Hey there,

First time caller, big fan of the forums. Currently, I am waiting to receive my STR certification from the local municipality so I figured I would try and get all my ducks in a row in the interim. I live and invest in Charleston, South Carolina and am new to the STR host experience.

I am looking for some up-to-date insight into the Air BnB vrs VRBO (or other online STR rental service) question. I listed a couple talking points below, but any information / tips would be greatly appreciated.

1) Fees

2) Targeted audiences (older vrs younger renters)

3) Customer Service

4) Leads

5) Automated cleaning services / ability to integrate with a third party cleaners

6) Key policies

7) Onboarding process

Paul Sandhu · Answer

I wonder the same thing every week.  What are some recent highlights?  2 guys processing a deer in my yard. Tenants running the heat and air conditioning at the same time. Seeing a person laying on the ground in front of a property, then calling an ambulance for them.  Turns out that person was a tenant.  He died.  The hospital sent a bill to the apartment of mine he was staying at.  $16,000.  Replacing 3 leaking hot water tanks and the wooden floors underneath them in 3 months.  Walking into an unoccupied place and finding a 2 legged intruder.  Shooting pigeons and squirrels that somehow got into a 3 story house.

Account Closed · Answer

@Paul Sandhu How have you not got a realty TV show yet?

John Underwood · Answer

You should absolutely list on both sites. I have done much better on Vrbo, but other people do better on Airbnb, but I get bookings on both sites.

In my experience Airbnb is more for younger people, but I get middle aged people lately using it to.

Vrbo has been more for people with families going on vacation for me.

I don't thinkneither site has a built in interface to a cleaning service, but you can sync these to a Gmail calendar that your cleaners can use.

Matt Greenfield · Answer

Thanks everyone for the info. Also, solid duck haul Paul.

Luke Carl · Answer

@Sean McDonnell preach

Paul Sandhu · Answer

Do both.  Here's my ducks in a row.  I gave them to my STR tenants.  I had eaten ducks for 5 nights in a row the previous week and was burned out on ducks.

Paul Sandhu · Answer

That's 5 mallards and 4 gadwall.  There were 5 teal not in the picture.  I'm shooting #9 tungsten under #2 steel in the wad out of a 3" Cheddite hull.

Luke Carl · Answer

@Matt Greenfield

Absolutely both.

Airbnb = millennials

Vrbo = boomers

Airbnb the reviews are brutal

Vrbo they don’t leave reviews

Airbnb website and app better

Vrbo customer service better

Sorry I’m walking into a meeting can’t elaborate more

Mark S. · Answer

@Paul Sandhu Thanks for the info!

Onan Dumas · Answer

@Matt Greenfield

Every website that that you can. Why wouldn’t you give yourself more opportunity to get seen and booked. You can sync your calendars across most platforms so that it blocks off booked days.

My STR’s are listed across 6 different STR websites. Of course AirBnB is what most people get on so I get most of my bookings from there but I get plenty from the other websites as well.

You can hire freelance services on Fiverr and have someone create the listing and place them on those websites if you don’t want to do it yourself.

New Host: Air BnB or VRBO?

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