I plan to use sites like VRBO and AirBnB to advertize, etc., but I'd like to drive traffic to my own site so that I don't have to share a cut if I don't have to.  

There is still a very big traditional market, but i believe that companies will be spending less and less on traditional adverting such as radio and tv ads due to things such as the DVR and Pandora/iTunes.

Subsequently, I'm interviewing the 3 "Guru.com" applicants via their profiles on Upwork where they've been adverting for much lower rates.I'd be interested in other members experiences and similar comments.

The one I use charges 8.5% a month, when there is a vacancy they get nothing, when they fill a unit, they get a set amount plus advertizing costs (not one month's rent which seems to be more common in the US), and when there is a problem they deal with it. 

I already plan to post adverts in posltets, but don't have much to go from outside of that.

BP is a real estate content website, adverting is the primary source of income for businesses like this.