Are you ready to get serious about your vacation rental property?
Seven vacation rental experts to follow in 2014.
Wondering where the best source of information is?
I’ve got you covered. Here are the 7 vacation rental experts to follow in 2014. Some of these experts have been sharing their knowledge for awhile, and others are quickly making their mark.
My “go-to” favorites, in no particular order:
1. Heather Bayer at Cottage Blogger
I had the pleasure of meeting Heather at the HomeAway Summit in May 2013 when she spoke about the Power of WOW. Fabulous information that kept me nodding my head in agreement the entire session.
What I like about Heather, besides her accent, is her pleasant and straightforward way of explaining vacation rental owner tips and issues. Watch for her 101 Ways to Creating Loyal Vacation Rental Fans eBook (with contributions from many different vacation rental owners) to release later this year.
2. Matt Landau at Vacation Rental Marketing Blog
Matt is a VR celebrity if were to ask me to name one in the industry. He has had his property featured several times in major publications, including CNN, Business Week, and the US News & World Report. Matt also frequently writes for other industry blogs including FlipKey, the HomeAway group, BiggerPockets, and more.
This year Matt is taking on a crazy experiment, kind of like “Extreme Makeover VR Style.” And, he is writing about each and every step in the process so everyone call follow along to learn from both the successes and the failures. Follow Matt’s Makeover with the introduction of the victim homeowner.
3. Alan Egan at Rent More Weeks
I think what draws me to Alan is that he is also a photographer. And he likes marketing, just like me. But most importantly, Alan shares his opinion on marketing techniques that are based on solid facts. And I like that.
My favorite thing about Alan, and a very good reason to follow him, is his “Photo of the Week” posts. Not only does he just show you a beautiful photo from a vacation rental, but he tells you why it is a good photo.
Just because we like something doesn’t mean we are able to explain why we like it. I love that Alan tells the “why” with his posts.
4. Steve Sasman at VR Owner’s Guide
Steve is one of the “new kids on the block” when you compare him to the others on this list. But just because he’s new doesn’t mean he doesn’t have some good stuff.
What I like about Steve is that he shares via video. You can read the info, but he also takes the time to walk you through things step by step. For instance, his latest post about electronic rental agreements…Steve’s videos show you exactly what to do.
And, he does video interviews of vacation rental industry experts. I hear there is one with a pretty blonde lady talking about photography. ;)
5. Antonio Bortolotti and David Prescod at Vacation Rental Secrets
I just stumbled across Antonio and David and am excited to follow them this year. Just browsing through their blog post titles, I have noticed that they have many different tips that I have not seen elsewhere.
The secrets they share focus on the marketing side of the VR business. Marketing and social media are areas that many vacation rental property owners struggle with, so this should be good!
6. Industry Blogs
Several of the vacation rental industry leading product websites also have blogs full of tips for homeowners. One of the bonuses about these blogs is that the posts are written by a variety of authors.
A few good ones are MyVR, Web Chalet, and Villa Marketers.
7. Communities, Groups, and Forums
Have a question about keyless entry locks? Or maybe wondering how to respond to a guest that raises some red flags?
Head over to one of the vacation rental groups, and you’ll receive answers from other vacation rental owners from all over the world. There is the HomeAway Community Forum, the Vacation Rental Owners on Facebook, and several groups on LinkedIn, including Vacation Rental News and Information and Vacation Rentals.
So in 2014, you don’t have an excuse for not doing better with your vacation rental property. Do you have another information source that we should follow this year? Please leave a link in the comments below!
Do me a favor? Don’t forget to subscribe to the email newsletters of the above industry experts to make sure you get all of their goodies.
P.S. If you want a few good business tips and articles in your email a few times a month, sign up for my email newsletter also. I promise not to send too many emails.
Tyann Marcink
Business owner. Artist. Photographer. Writer. Amazing wife and mother according to reliable resources.
