Airbnb and VRBO are two of the leading competitors in the vacation rental market. Both companies offer travelers a variety of rental options, from apartments and condos to villas and cabins. But what exactly makes each company different?
With the proliferation of vacation rentals, many hosts and property managers are asking which platform to use for their rental business. To make an informed decision, you need to be aware of the pros and cons of each platform. Let’s take a look at the differences between Airbnb and Vrbo when it comes to vacation rental hosts and property managers.
One of the biggest advantages of using Airbnb is that it has a huge reach, with over 6 million listings in more than 81,000 cities around the world. This makes it both easier for potential guests to find your listing, and provides you access to a larger pool of travelers. Plus, Airbnb is known for its user-friendly interface, making it easy to list your vacation rental property and manage bookings.
The downside to Airbnb is that they tend to have higher fees than other platforms like Vrbo or HomeAway. They also don’t offer any promotional tools that help hosts promote their listings or stand out from the competition. Additionally, hosts don’t have as much control over who books their properties since there are not as stringent screening processes in place like there are on some other platforms – however there are some levers you can pull on your own to stand out from the platform.
Vrbo is owned by Expedia Group and offers access to more than 2 million listings worldwide. This platform also allows hosts more control over who books their properties because they can set standards for guest qualifications such as age requirements or the number of occupants allowed in each unit. Additionally, Vrbo offers a variety of promotional tools that allow hosts to stand out from the competition, including discounts on bookings or special promotions on certain dates.
The downside to using Vrbo is that they have much lower visibility than Airbnb since they have fewer listings overall (2 million compared with 6 million). This means you may not get as much exposure for your listing as you would if you used Airbnb instead. Furthermore, Vrbo charges high commissions ranging from 8% - 15%, which could significantly cut into your profits if you’re not careful about how you price your units. Additionally, Vrbo does not offer any additional services such as cleaning or maintenance support like some other platforms do which could be beneficial for busy hosts looking for extra help managing their properties.
As a vacation rental host, you should consider listing your property on multiple platforms, including Airbnb and Vrbo. By doing so, you can potentially reach a wider audience and increase your chances of booking guests. Each platform has its own unique user base and features, so it's worth exploring both to see which one works best for you. Additionally, listing on multiple platforms can help you diversify your income streams and reduce the risk of relying too heavily on any one platform. However, keep in mind that managing listings across multiple platforms can be time-consuming and will require additional tools to help streamline and manage tasks like pricing, automated seasonal pricing, and channel management.
It's clear that both Airbnb and Vrbo have their own unique pros and cons when it comes to hosting a vacation rental property or managing one on behalf of another party. Ultimately, it's up to each individual host or property manager to decide which platform (or both) best suits their needs based on factors like cost savings, visibility/exposure levels, booking flexibility/controls, and available services offered by each platform. No matter which platform you choose though, understanding the differences between them will help ensure that your vacation rental business succeeds! Beyond is here to help your vacation rental business succeed too. Sign up today to see for yourself!
