Creating your first vacation rental listing can be a daunting task. Should you be on Airbnb? On Vrbo? On both? Don't stress; this blog has the answers you need to list and manage your rental business like a pro.

Listing Your Vacation Rental on Multiple Platforms: Everything Hosts Need to Know | AirDNA

Getting your property booked is the name of the game when it comes to vacation rental management. So you may be wondering exactly which vacation rental platform (also known as an online travel agency or OTA) will result in the most bookings. Should you be on Airbnb? On Vrbo? On both?

Just like design styles and pricing strategies, there isn’t one right answer. But the five tips below will help you decide which OTAs are right for your properties.

Before diving into the OTAs discussion, let’s take a second to highlight some of the popular booking platforms vacation rental owners are using today.

Airbnb and Vrbo are by far the most well-known brands, but they’re not the only options. Major travel players like Travelocity and Expedia (the parent company of Vrbo) also offer short-term rental (STR) search engines, and companies like Vacasa, FlipKey, HomeToGo, and other niche booking platforms ensure your options are virtually endless. (If you’re wondering what happened to HomeAway, it merged with Vrbo in 2019.) Rental operators can also opt to take direct bookings, either through their own website or by using a platform like Houfy. 

Some hosts choose to list on a single platform, while others want to advertise their property across a number of OTAs. Just remember: You can always change your mind and try something different if your current approach isn’t working.

#2 - Ask yourself: Should I list my property on multiple vacation rental platforms?

There are pros and cons to listing your property on multiple vacation rental platforms. The most obvious pro is the potential to attract more bookings, and the most obvious con is the fact that juggling multiple OTAs can complicate things. In other words: It's up to you to manage bookings across different platforms. At a minimum, this means budgeting time to learn various interfaces, policies, etc.

For many first-time hosts, it’s best to start with one platform. By focusing on one OTA, you only need to learn one company’s technology and rules. (Think terms and conditions.) Focusing on a single platform also allows you more bandwidth to become comfortable with hosting guests, quick communication, and managing household needs—like stocking goods, dealing with wear–and-tear, overseeing housekeeping and maintenance, etc.

#3 - It's time: Choose which vacation rental platform(s) to use.

While some hosts prefer not to deal with Airbnb or Vrbo, they do account for a large portion of today’s vacation rental listings. As of November 2022, AirDNA data showed a roughly 90/10 split in terms of global market share, with Airbnb on the higher end (88.21%) and Vrbo on the lower end (11.79%). In 2018, the split was closer to 80/20, but Vrbo hasn't gained as many new listings as Airbnb over the last four years. And Airbnb also claims far more listings outside of the United States than Vrbo.

For you, the main question is: Which one to choose, and do you need to be listed on both?

Start by studying how each platform operates. Airbnb and Vrbo offer different terms and conditions (the rules you need to follow in order to maintain listings on their sites), fee structures, cancellation policies, etc. It’s important to remember that, yes, while we're talking about your property, you must agree to how the listing platform operates if you want to advertise with them. It's essentially a contract; they approve of your property, and you approve of how they do business.


Beyond understanding how Vrbo and Airbnb operate, you also need to understand where your potential guests are. Do a quick search on each platform for your area and property type to see how many listings pop up. You can also use AirDNA’s MarketMinder™ to see the exact split in your market. The MarketMinder™  Overview feature (which is free!) shows you the percentage of STRs listed on Airbnb, Vrbo, or both platforms in your target area.


You can use this information to strategize your listing approach:

List on the more popular platform in your area because that’s likely where the most guests are.

List on the less popular platform so you have fewer competitors.

List on both Vrbo and Airbnb to capture the maximum amount of attention.

#4 - If you're listing on multiple platforms, do so like a pro.

If you decide that listing on multiple platforms is the right decision for you, these tips will make the process a bit simpler. 

The single biggest challenge of listing on more than one platform is the risk of double bookings. Syncing your calendars across platforms is imperative to preventing this major mistake, and a channel manager is an easy way to manage this challenge. Guesty for Hosts, Lodgify, and Hostaway are some popular solutions, but there are many options that offer different features, so do some Googling to find the one that’s right for you.

Whether you’re listing a room in your primary residence or a standalone home, running an STR is a business. Your location (country, state, county, and town) has specific tax requirements, so it’s important to understand what the listing platform remits, what information you need to provide to them, and what you’re responsible for.

Each platform also has their own fee percentage and structure. Before you go through the effort of setting up a listing, be sure you understand and are comfortable with these fees.

We already mentioned that each platform has their own terms and conditions you need to abide by, and reading this fine print is critical to deciding which platform to use. But another thing to pay close attention to is the cancellation policies of each platform. As our VP of Research Jamie Lane likes to say, the strictest cancellation policy on one platform is equivalent to the laxest on another. 

Read the cancellation policy details carefully and choose the one that speaks to you. Don’t worry about making cancellation policies “match.” Each platform is unique, and your listing details should be tailored to that platform.

Create an eye-catching listing—every time.

The more information you can provide, the better. Pay attention to all the areas you can fill out on each listing platform. Take advantage of the information options the platform provides, from identifying what size bed is in each room to making sure your listed amenities are up to date. And be sure to check back regularly, as OTAs often add new features. And keeping your listing fresh will help you appear higher in search results.

(And no matter what platform you list on, high-quality professional photos are a must for your STR listing.)

#5 - Don't stress; use data to list with confidence.

Creating your first listing can be a daunting task, but it’s best to just jump in. Do some research, pick a platform, and start listing! When you’re ready to expand to listing on multiple platforms, revisit the tips in this guide to make sure the process goes smoothly.

There's no denying that 2023 will be a year of economic uncertainty. Which is why it's more important than ever to leave guesswork behind and start relying on data to confidently price and scale your vacation rental business.

Host your vacation rental with confidence—and industry-leading data.

Listing Your Vacation Rental on Multiple Platforms: Everything Hosts Need to Know | AirDNA

Host your vacation rental with confidence—and industry-leading data.

ARTICLE SUMMARY

Sign up for our newsletter

Solutions

Industries

Resources

Company

Contact Us

USA

Spain