What's the Difference Between a Property Manager and Airbnb?

When talking with prospective Lake of the Ozarks vacation rental owners, one question I get a lot is, “What is the difference between you and Airbnb?” The answer: A LOT! It’s like comparing apples to oranges; while they’re both fruit, they’re still completely different.

Airbnb and VRBO

There seems to be a common misconception about Airbnb and VRBO. These companies are just marketing platforms, or advertising websites, for vacation rentals, not full-service property management solutions. Airbnb was originally designed for individuals to offer rooms for rent. VRBO was originally designed for individual owners to offer their properties for rent. Both have evolved over the years, but they are still just marketing platforms, of which many vacation rental companies and property managers now use as another marketing avenue.

Airbnb and VRBO are well known around the world, and therefore, many people start there when looking for a home or condo to stay at during their upcoming vacation. By utilizing these platforms, individual owners and property managers alike are able to get their properties in front of a larger group of prospective renters.

Property Managers

While individual owners can use Airbnb or VRBO to market their properties for short-term rental, they would still be “managing” them on their own. Owners would need to find housekeepers and provide them with a schedule of check-ins and check-outs, find maintenance people to take care of issues and repairs, and communicate with guests about check-in, check-out and everything in between. While Airbnb and VRBO offer a platform to connect and communicate with guests, you’re on your own for everything else. And if there’s a problem at 2 AM, you’re the one getting that call!

This is where a professional vacation rental management company at the Lake of the Ozarks can be beneficial to you, especially if you live out of town. Not only do they handle all of the marketing for you, but they would be the ones handling the housekeeping, maintenance and guest services. And they would be the ones getting that call at 2 AM, not you. They also have the resources to act quickly when issues do arise.

Marketing vs. Management

Many owners think they can make a lot more money by managing their vacation rental themselves, and while this may be true, many of them don’t understand just how much work goes into managing and marketing a short-term rental property at the Lake of the Ozarks. Several of our current owners tried managing their properties on their own first and then realized just how much time they were putting into it. How much is your time worth? That’s something to consider when you’re debating between using Airbnb or VRBO instead of a local, full-service vacation rental management company.

If you’ve tried Airbnb or VRBO and have found that you need more help managing your vacation rental than what those platforms can offer, give Your Lake Vacation a call! We are a full-service property management company serving the Lake of the Ozarks area from Rocky Mount to Camdenton, as well as Sunrise Beach. We’ll handle everything from guest services and accounting to maintenance and housekeeping. Give us a call at 573-365-3367 to learn more about our vacation rental management services today!