Growth Engine: Marketing to Build and Keep a Strong Property Portfolio

Kelly Garbarino
11/5/2024

In the ever-evolving world of vacation rentals, property managers face an increasingly competitive landscape. It’s no longer enough to simply maintain properties; you must evolve into a brand focused on delivering exceptional guest experiences. Success hinges on the ability to attract and retain both guests and property owners, and at the heart of that success lies a strategic, multifaceted marketing approach.

From showcasing a professional online presence to leveraging owner relationships and community engagement, effective marketing is key to growing a strong, sustainable property portfolio. This article will walk you through proven tactics that will help property managers build trust, drive bookings, and enhance overall business performance.

First Impressions Matter: The Value of a High-Impact Website

In the hospitality industry, a well-designed website significantly impacts brand perception. It conveys who you are, what you offer, and why you’re different. Today’s property management companies are expected to be more than just caretakers; they’re expected to deliver a full hospitality experience. Your website needs to reflect that transformation. Research shows that by 2028, around 76% of travel and tourism revenue will come from online sales. The hospitality experience starts long before the stay; it begins the moment someone lands on your site. If your website is engaging, user-friendly, and well-branded, it sets the tone for every interaction moving forward, helping you win over property owners and guests.

On the flip side, if your website looks DIY or cheap, it will reflect poorly on your services and your brand. Owners may doubt your ability to market their properties if you can’t showcase your own business professionally. Remember, just because you build a website doesn’t mean people will find it. Pair a high-quality site with a strong search engine marketing plan to ensure you’re visible to prospective clients and owners. It’s not just about having a beautiful site; you need to ensure the right people can find it.

Website Health Check for Property Managers

When was the last time you looked at your website? Here are a few simple steps you can take to assess where it stands today.

• Page Load Speed: Use free tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check how fast your website loads against their grading tools. A faster site creates a better user experience and increases the likelihood of site visitors sticking around.
• Mobile Friendliness: Given that many users will first encounter your site on their phone, your site must be mobile-optimized. Check how your site looks on a mobile device. Is it easy to navigate? Are the images clear, and is the text legible without zooming in?
• Clarity of Messaging: Spend a few minutes reading through your homepage and key landing pages. Ask yourself: Is the value proposition clear? Can someone easily understand what services you offer and why they should work with you? Does it have a wow factor over and above your competitors?

Why List with Us: Crafting Compelling Value Propositions

Your value proposition as a manager is critical to attracting new property owners, and it deserves a dedicated page on your website—clearly visible in the main navigation. After all, many of the services you offer to owners, like proactive maintenance and exceptional guest communication, can reassure guests of the high-quality experience they’ll receive.

Here are some ideas of what you could include for a compelling “Why List with Us” page:

• Dynamic Pricing Strategy – Make sure you emphasize any use of dynamic pricing strategies that help owners maximize their earnings. Property owners want to know that you’re not leaving money on the table.
• Comprehensive Guest Communication – Guest communication is a major selling point. Talk about the platforms you use to ensure a smooth guest experience, which, in turn, leads to better reviews for both the property and your management company.
• Reviews and Reputation – Speaking of reviews, highlight your company’s aggregate review ratings across all properties. This gives property owners confidence that their investment will be in good hands.
• Guest Experience Enhancements – Mention any special touches you offer, such as concierge services or curated experience packages. Elevating the guest experience reinforces your position as a full-service hospitality provider.
• Marketing Investments – Property owners want to know that their properties are being marketed effectively. Are you working with a marketing agency? What platforms are you investing in to drive bookings? Make sure you talk about these efforts to demonstrate the active role you play in ensuring their property stays booked.
• Property Maintenance and Housekeeping – Detail the logistics you handle for property owners, from cleaning services to stocking linens. Be specific in showing the full value of your management services.
• Owner Portal for Transparency – An owner portal can be a significant value-add, so don’t forget to mention it if you have one. Owners appreciate transparency and the ability to access their booking calendar, review financial statements, and book their own stays easily.

Finally, include a strong call to action that encourages potential owners to reach out. Also, consider automating an initial response to inquiries with some interesting market data and more details on your services. This can provide instant gratification, ensuring that leads don’t grow cold while waiting for a personal follow-up.

Engage and Inform: Leveraging Email Marketing for Owner Relations

Email marketing is one of the most effective and affordable channels property managers can activate, yet it’s often underutilized. If you’re not already using email as part of your marketing strategy, now is the time to start. It’s highly scalable, and it helps keep you top of mind for both guests and owners.

Here are a few strategies to maximize this channel:

• Regular Outreach with Market Stats – Consider a monthly or quarterly newsletter for property owners that includes updates on market trends, upcoming marketing campaigns, and any other service updates. This reinforces transparency and positions you as a market expert.
• Add Owners to Your Marketing List – Include property owners in your guest-facing marketing emails so they see firsthand how you’re promoting their properties. This increases the number of touch points you have with them, helping build stronger relationships without extra effort.
• Stay Top of Mind with All Inquiries – Don’t just stop at current clients. Add any property management inquiries—active leads or those that have gone cold—to your marketing list. Even if they don’t engage immediately, the consistent presence in their inbox makes it more likely that they’ll think of you when they’re ready to revisit their property management options.

Spotlight and Celebrate: Promoting Featured Properties

Featuring specific properties in your email and social media campaigns is an effective way to boost engagement and traffic. For property owners, seeing their listing featured adds an extra layer of satisfaction, reinforcing their decision to work with you.

When selecting properties to feature, don’t fall into the trap of only promoting new or flashy listings. A well-rounded rotation is key. Be sure to include a mix of long-standing properties alongside newer ones, ensuring all owners feel valued. We often recommend looking at booking pace over the next 90-180 days, depending on your unique booking windows, and prioritizing underperforming properties for extra visibility. This proactive effort can help boost bookings for properties that need a push, while also reassuring owners that you’re actively working to maximize their revenue.

Seasonal or thematic organization can also help you make the most of your featured property promotions. For instance, as the holidays approach, you might focus on properties that cater to multigenerational gatherings—those with larger gathering spaces, extra bedrooms, or family-friendly amenities. By matching your featured properties to seasonal demand, you not only increase their visibility but also align them with what guests are likely searching for during that time.

Harnessing Reviews: Building Trust Through Owner Engagement

Guest reviews are essential to the success of vacation rentals—59% of travelers rely on them when booking their trips. As a property manager, harnessing this power by actively engaging owners in the process is key to building your reputation.

Encourage owners to request reviews from friends or family who have stayed at their properties, especially for newer listings. Beyond individual property reviews, it’s essential to build reviews for your own brand as a property management company. Properties may come and go, but your brand needs to be a consistent, trusted source for quality experiences. To this end, if you haven’t already done so, make sure you’ve set up your Google Business Profile. This is one of the best places to collect reviews that you own and control and will influence how you appear in search results.

Finally, be sure to ask your owners to leave reviews about your property management services specifically. New AI-enhanced search features can pull out those mentions and showcase them when people search for property management services.

Community Champions: Building Positive Local Relationships

As property managers, it’s essential to recognize that there can be public misunderstandings about the impact of short-term rentals on local communities. As an industry, we have an opportunity to combat these perceptions by becoming active community champions. Actively promoting and showcasing local festivals, events, and area businesses through your marketing efforts can have a significant impact. Social media is a great platform for this. Publicly share and tag local festivals, events, and businesses in your posts, ensuring that they see your promotion efforts. Not only does this help support the community, but it also enhances your visibility and shows that you’re invested in the area.

You can take this a step further by partnering with local businesses in a way that benefits both parties. For example, sourcing locally made soaps or other amenities for your properties can add an authentic, local touch to the guest experience. Additionally, collaborating with these businesses to create curated experiences—from purchasing local chocolates for a romance package to partnering with a tour operator—elevates what you offer to guests while driving business to your local partners. These collaborations are a win-win: They strengthen relationships with local businesses and enhance your offerings, potentially adding to your bottom line.

Shaping the Future: From Management to Memorable Experiences

As a property manager, your role goes beyond maintaining properties. You’re responsible for crafting memorable guest experiences, building trust with property owners, and fostering positive community relationships. By elevating your marketing efforts—whether through a high-impact website, effective email marketing, curated guest experiences, or community partnerships—you can create a lasting impact that sets you apart from the competition. These strategies don’t just help you attract new properties; they keep your portfolio strong, ensuring long-term growth and success.

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