Navigating Vacation Rental Marketing and Growth with Rebecca Lombardo

Meet the Experts: Jamie Lane and Rebecca Lombardo

The STR Data Lab podcast brings together industry leaders to discuss the latest vacation rental market trends for 2025. Jamie Lane, Chief Economist at AirDNA, is joined by Rebecca Lombardo, a fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) and seasoned marketing strategist with deep expertise across travel, SaaS, and media.

Rebecca’s unique role as a fractional CMO means she provides high-level marketing leadership to multiple companies on a part-time or contract basis. As she explains, “A CMO takes the business strategy and works with the team to ensure they use the right tools in the right places.” This leadership is crucial for vacation rental businesses aiming to connect business goals with effective marketing execution.

Rebecca’s background includes leading marketing at True Place, a company specializing in photography and virtual tours for vacation rentals. “The people. I love the people in this industry. It’s unlike anything else,” notes Rebecca on where her passion for the industry comes from.

The Evolving Landscape of Vacation Rental Marketing in 2025

In 2025, vacation rental marketing is no longer optional—it’s essential for both property managers and independent hosts. The industry has matured, with more competition, higher guest expectations, and a proliferation of marketing channels. This year, property managers must be proactive, data-driven, and strategic to stand out.

Key changes shaping vacation rental marketing in 2025 include:

• Increased competition: More properties are entering the market, making differentiation critical.
• Sophisticated guests: Travelers expect personalized experiences and seamless booking processes.
• Channel diversification: Success requires a mix of OTAs (Online Travel Agencies), direct booking marketing, and social media.
• Data-driven decisions: Understanding audience demographics and behaviors is vital for effective property management marketing.

Understanding Vacation Rental Marketing: Beyond Listing in 2025

Listing vs. Marketing: What’s the Difference?

Many hosts and managers still rely solely on online travel agencies (OTA) like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. However, as Rebecca Lombardo points out, “Airbnb and Vrbo are not marketing your properties—they’re listing them.” Listing simply means uploading photos and descriptions to a platform. True vacation rental marketing strategies in 2025 go much further.

Rebecca clarifies, “Marketing is about generating demand for your product—making it appealing to your target audience.” This requires:

• Market research: Understanding guest personas, motivations, and booking behaviors.
• Tailored messaging: Creating photos, videos, and headlines that resonate with your ideal guests.
• Full-funnel measurement: Tracking everything from top-of-funnel awareness (e.g., Instagram video views) to bottom-of-funnel conversions (e.g., bookings or calls).

In 2025, successful property management marketing hinges on knowing your audience and crafting experiences that fulfill their needs—moving beyond basic listings to strategic demand generation.

Key Marketing Channels for Vacation Rentals

Vacation rental marketing in 2025 spans a variety of channels. The main options include:

• OTAs: Still essential for reach, but increasingly competitive and commoditized.
• Direct booking sites: Allow for brand control, guest data ownership, and higher margins.
• Social media: Both organic social media for rentals and paid social for vacation rentals are critical for audience engagement and acquisition.

Choosing the right channels depends on your audience data. Rebecca emphasizes a data-driven approach: “You have to ‘fish where the fish are.’ This is where I use data: What does the audience look like on TikTok? What’s the demographic profile on Instagram?” By aligning your marketing channels with where your ideal guests spend their time in 2025, you maximize your reach and ROI.

Building a Winning Vacation Rental Brand in 2025

The Power of Niche Branding

Generic brands no longer cut it in 2025. To stand out, vacation rental branding must be specific, memorable, and authentic. Rebecca Lombardo is unequivocal: “You have to go niche and be very specific.” She explains that a niche focus not only attracts a dedicated audience but also makes every branding decision easier—from your website and logo to your property descriptions.

For example, a “dad joke vacation rental company” could infuse humor into every guest touchpoint, instantly resonating with a particular demographic. As Rebecca notes, “If you don’t start with a niche and show expertise in a specific area, it’s nearly impossible to appeal to broader audiences later.” In 2025, specificity is your superpower.

Steps to Develop Your Brand Identity

Building a strong vacation rental brand in 2025 involves several key steps:

1. Identify your unique value proposition: What makes your properties different? What emotional need do you fulfill for guests?
2. Define your audience: Who are your ideal guests and owners? What communities or interests unite them?
3. Align your properties and owners: Ensure your inventory matches your brand promise. Rebecca explains, “Until you have a brand, you don’t know what about your product is attracting guests.”
4. Create consistent touchpoints: From your website to your in-property experience, every detail should reinforce your brand identity.

A well-defined brand not only attracts guests but also appeals to like-minded property owners, making owner acquisition more efficient and sustainable.

Owner Acquisition Strategies for Property Managers in 2025

Building an Owner Acquisition Funnel

Growing your inventory is just as important as guest acquisition in 2025. The most effective owner acquisition strategies start with tapping into niche communities and personal networks. As Rebecca Lombardo points out, “Nothing converts better than a recommendation from a friend in your community.”

Actionable steps include:

• List all your communities: “Write down all the communities you’re part of, even Facebook groups, and look at what everyone has in common,” Rebecca advises.
• Start with warm outreach: Leverage personal connections in clubs, online groups, or local organizations.
• Track your efforts: Use simple tools like a Google spreadsheet to monitor outreach, referrals, and conversions.

By focusing on communities where you already have trust and credibility, you can build momentum before expanding to broader, more proactive owner acquisition strategies such as direct mail or digital advertising.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Many property managers fear that focusing on a niche will limit their growth. In reality, the opposite is true. Rebecca emphasizes, “The more you stick to your specific area of expertise, even if it feels too niche, the better your chances of success.” Trying to appeal to everyone dilutes your message and makes it harder to stand out in a crowded market.

Another common pitfall is failing to track owner acquisition efforts. Rebecca reassures newcomers, “A Google spreadsheet is fine when you’re just starting out.” By documenting which communities you’ve approached, who you’ve spoken with, and the outcomes, you build a repeatable process that can scale as your business grows in 2025.

Marketing During Downturns: Lessons for 2025

Why You Shouldn’t Cut Marketing in a Recession

Economic uncertainty is a reality in 2025, with many experts predicting a possible recession. History shows that cutting marketing budgets during downturns can be a costly mistake. Drawing on lessons from 2020 and 2021, Rebecca Lombardo stresses, “Don’t stop marketing. You have to be there when the gates open to capture that demand.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, brands that maintained or increased their marketing efforts were able to grow their audiences at a lower cost. When travel demand surged again in 2021, these brands recovered faster and captured more bookings. Rebecca also highlights the impact of staying active on social media during crises: “Everyone lost bookings, but if you were active on social media... your losses were less.”

Organic vs. Paid Social Media Strategies

Understanding the difference between organic and paid social media is crucial for effective short-term rental marketing in 2025:

• Organic social media for rentals involves posting photos, videos, and messages on your channels without paying to promote them. As Rebecca explains, “Organic social means you’re not running paid ads. You’re just posting content—photos, videos, messages—on your social channels.”
• Paid social for vacation rentals includes boosting posts or running targeted ads to reach new audiences beyond your existing followers.

Both strategies have their place. Organic social builds trust and engagement with your current audience, while paid social can accelerate growth and reach new potential guests or owners.

Investing in Future Demand During Slow Periods

Downturns and slow booking periods present a unique opportunity to invest in future demand. Rebecca notes, “Doubling down on marketing during downturns... helps you grow your audience for when demand returns.” By collecting email addresses, building your social following, and staying top-of-mind, you position your business to capture the next wave of bookings.

Rebecca advises, “Go into any downturn with the mindset that there will be another spike on the other side.” In 2025, this means maintaining a consistent marketing presence, even when bookings are down, and focusing on building your audience for the inevitable rebound.

Actionable Takeaways: Vacation Rental Marketing Success in 2025

Top Tips from Rebecca Lombardo

To succeed with vacation rental marketing strategies in 2025, Rebecca Lombardo offers these actionable recommendations:

• Start with guest understanding: “You have to start by understanding your guest really well.” Know their motivations, preferences, and booking behaviors.
• Leverage your communities: Tap into your existing networks for both guest and owner acquisition. “Odds are, someone knows someone who needs your services right now.”
• Embrace niche branding: Don’t be afraid to specialize. Specificity attracts both guests and owners who resonate with your brand.
• Track your efforts: Even a simple spreadsheet can help you measure what’s working and refine your approach.
• Stay the course during downturns: Maintain your marketing efforts to build future demand and recover faster when the market rebounds.

Start implementing these strategies today by:

• Conducting guest and owner persona research
• Auditing your current marketing channels and identifying gaps
• Defining or refining your brand niche
• Setting up simple tracking systems for outreach and conversions
• Planning a content calendar for both organic and paid social media

Where to Learn More and Connect

For ongoing education and expert insights on vacation rental marketing in 2025, connect with Rebecca Lombardo directly. As she shares, “I’m on LinkedIn all the time, and also on Instagram—my handle is Rebecca Lombardo, all one word, traditional spelling.” Follow her for updates, or reach out to Jamie Lane at AirDNA for more resources.