Positive reviews are a gold mine for landlords of short-term rentals. The market is saturated with short-term rentals, so landlords need to take extra measures to ensure that they stay competitive.
They need to make their property attractive to more people and market their property well enough to draw attention. Of course, there are many ways to draw more attention to the property, but no matter what, you’ll never beat “word of mouth” marketing.
Whether it’s through former visitors sharing their experience with friends and family or it’s in the form of reviews, word of mouth marketing has real power. That’s why it’s essential to get positive reviews online for people to see. But, how do you do that?
Make sure the property is up to par
First off, you need to make sure your property is up to par. The description and pictures should match the reality of the property so you meet your guests’ expectations. If you post pictures from several years ago, but your guests show up to an outdated property, you’ll likely receive negative reviews.
Speaking of updates, you want to make sure your property is well-maintained. If a guest stays in your short-term rental and the toilet is leaking or the bedspread is outdated, they’ll be less likely to come back or give you a good review. Your goal is to make sure your property is always maintained, this means doing preventative maintenance as well as cleaning it thoroughly between guests. You don’t want tenants seeing dust on the coffee table or dingy curtains, for example.
Take extra measures
To really score positive reviews, you want to not only meet expectations but exceed them. Leave a gift basket for your visitors in the rental. Provide a guidebook for local hot spots and restaurants. You can also leave some extras in the rental such as standard pantry goods like coffee, tea, sugar, herbs and spices. You can put eggs in the fridge and/or granola bars by a coffee bar. And, don’t forget to give them an easy way to contact you if there is an issue. Remember to always be professional and helpful when working with any guests that reach out to you. Overall, you want guests to be so satisfied with their stay that they want to tell others about it.
Ask for reviews
Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews. In fact, you should do it with all of your satisfied guests. Guests are more likely to leave reviews when they’re prompted to do so.
Positive reviews can do wonders for your occupancy rate. Take steps to ensure your guests have a pleasant experience and then make sure to kindly ask that they give you a good review online.
If you’d like help managing your short-term rental property, contact us at PMI: https://www.ashburnpropertymanagementinc.com/.
