Why It's Important to Get Reviews for Your Vacation Rental

If you plan to list your Orlando vacation home on a rental website like FlipKey or HomeAway, there are several things to do to ensure that your listing stands out from your competition, such as having good photos and a good description. But it's also important that you have a process in place to collect guest reviews.

Why Guest Reviews Matter

Here are a few reasons why it matters for you to acquire guest reviews for your Orlando vacation rental. 

#1 - Plain and simple, guest reviews help you rent out your property. Studies have shown that 81% of travelers find user reviews important on travel booking sites.* Prospective guests read reviews to see how much other visitors have liked a particular property, and whether there were any problems with their rental. And in particular, renters look for trusted reviews from their personal network of family, friends, or co-workers. When two properties are similar, the one with more positive reviews will generally enjoy higher demand. 

#2 – Positive reviews can get you more exposure on the vacation rental websites. Since positive reviews generate more demand, vacation rental websites will give higher priority to vacation homes that have more positive reviews. More exposure on the website means more people will see your listing.

#3 – Since every Orlando vacation rental is different, reviews are even more important for attracting guests. That’s because a traveler isn’t deciding between two or three brand name hotels, they’re comparing vacation homes rented by individual owners.

How to Secure Guest Reviews

  • Ask for them! The best way to do this is request feedback from your guests within a day or two of their departure. You can send a thank you email that asks for a review. Or even better – mail a hand-written thank you note that includes a review request. Your guests will surely appreciate that extra personal touch! 
  • Make sure you personalize your requests by mentioning something specific about the guest’s experience. And stress how important reviews are to the success of your vacation home rental. 
  • Provide excellent service! Have a fruit basket or plateful of homemade goodies available (for free) for your guests upon arrival. If you allow pets in your home, leave some doggie treats out for those four-legged guests as well.  Include a welcome packet with detailed information about how to get to each of the area theme parks – whether by car or via public transportation. Include a few park brochures too. Keep in mind that little touches can make a huge impression. 
  • Be kind and polite throughout the whole rental process. Respond promptly to inquiries and make the entire booking process and stay as pleasant as possible. 
  • Always provide a link to the reviews page on your listing. The goal is to make it easy for guests to leave a review. 

Follow these suggestions, and you should be able to collect plenty of positive reviews to make your Orlando vacation home appealing to prospective holiday visitors. 

In the market for a vacation home in the Orlando area? Contact the real estate experts at Team Donovan at 407-705-2616. We are the leading Central Florida real estate firm that specializes in the sale of properties for a second home, investment or both. 

 

*Source: eTrack, eMarketer, Alexa.com; 2014
Posted by Team Donovan on

Tags

Email Send a link to post via Email