What are the best platforms to rent your home?
You have an apartment that you don’t occupy all year round (if at all) and you would like to make it profitable. Good idea! But where to start? What are the best platforms to put my house up for sale and make the most of it?
Many platforms exist to rent your home. But there are criteria to analyze to choose them: the price (commission, subscription…), the security (secure payment, insurance), the notoriety of the platform…
StyQR has therefore concocted a selection of the best platforms to offer your property for seasonal rental.
AirBnB
a must-have
AirBnB is certainly the most famous platform for renting accommodation between individuals. If you choose to post your ads there, you will have great chances to succeed in renting your property if it is attractive and at the right price.
In addition to being the most popular, this platform is also one of the cheapest: AirBnb charges a commission of only 3% (called “service fee”) to the owner when renting.
AirBnb offers great flexibility, with the possibility of renting a private or shared room, or even the entire accommodation.
The ergonomics of the site makes it very pleasant to use, the navigation is simple and intuitive. Putting an ad online is very fast, a child’s play!
Last but not least, AirBnB is a secure platform, since the payment is secured, and the platform includes an insurance for the accommodation and for the travelers, up to 800 000€ each.
Homeaway Abritel
its alternative
Abritel Homeaway,a platform also designed across the Atlantic, is the main competitor of AirBnB.
The site also has a very nice ergonomics which makes the navigation simple and fluid.
The pricing policy differs from that of AirBnB, offering two formulas:
– A commission rate of 8% (HT) on each rental
– Or an annual subscription of 249€.
Attention, the platform only allows to rent “whole” houses, it is not possible to propose rooms to rent. Abritel does not offer insurance coverage to owners and tenants either.
Booking
the tourism giant
Booking is one of the most renowned travel sites in the world. Some 1,550,000 nights are booked every day on this platform, which makes it an undeniable asset in terms of traffic.
However, the site is better known (and more suitable) for the business of hotels and other accommodation professionals. The commissions charged are high compared to AirBnB or Abritel: 12 to 15%. Finally, the ergonomics of the site makes it sometimes complex to understand.
Guest to Guest
a desire to travel ?
Are you interested in a home exchange? This is what we offer Guest to Guest,the world’s first home exchange network.
This system allows you to go on vacation at a lower cost and live a rewarding experience!
The main advantage is flexibility. You can keep your “Guest Points” earned from renting out your home to go away at another time of the year if you wish. Guest to Guest also offers optional insurance, so you can exchange your home without any worries, for both the host and the guest.
Our advices
These different platforms all have their advantages and disadvantages. If you want to have a very high occupancy rate of your accommodation, do not hesitate to cumulate different rental platforms, but this requires a certain organization to avoid getting tangled up between the different rental dates.
Finally, to welcome your guests in the best conditions, StyQR allows you to create a free digital welcome booklet that centralizes all the useful information about your accommodation (wifi, digicodes, useful numbers, your instructions for the accommodation, good addresses nearby…). Your customers can easily access your welcome booklet by scanning a dedicated QR code with their smartphone. This QR code is shaped to fit perfectly in your environment, for example in the form of a photo frame.
Surprise your customers to improve your reputation
No matter what type of accommodation you manage (hotel, camping, guest house, B&B, rental between individuals…), it is essential to focus your efforts on the satisfaction of your guests.
Indeed, a satisfied customer represents a lot of value for you: he will be able to book a stay in your accommodation again, but he will also be able to benefit to your reputation, either by word of mouth towards his direct entourage or through a much larger community thanks to Internet. More and more internet users are leaving their opinion after a stay, either via the booking platform they used, or via social networks or rating sites (Tripadvisor, Google…). It is therefore in your best interest to satisfy your customers as much as possible.
In this article, we will present you several tips to exceed your customers’ expectations and improve your reputation.
Looking for the effect
“waouh”
The key to customer satisfaction is to exceed your guests’ expectations. Look for the unexpected, the “wow” effect. This “wow” effect can be a small detail, but it will make your guests remember you for a long time and recommend you. You must then transform their stay into a real experience, in order to enchant the customer.
Our advices
To improve customer satisfaction, the first fundamental step is to reduce the number of dissatisfied customers, as these are the ones who have the most impact on your reputation.
“Consumers tell their peers twice as much about a negative experience as they do about a positive one” White House Office of Consumer Affairs
Pay attention to the
customers satisfaction
In order to improve the experience of your customers, it is obvious that you must be attentive to their satisfaction. You should therefore not hesitate to ask them questions when they leave to find out how their stay went, and also send them a satisfaction questionnaire by e-mail later on. If a customer is dissatisfied, you should try to understand the cause of the problem and implement means to solve this element, and you should not hesitate to offer compensation to the dissatisfied customer if necessary.
Beware of
the irritants
It is important to pay close attention to all the elements that could affect the quality of your services. For example, the cleanliness of the room, the proper functioning of the appliances. Don’t neglect details such as a leaky shower, a cracked wall, malfunctioning heating or air conditioning… Don’t leave anything to chance!
Your customer service must be impeccable
Your customers must be welcomed in good form: with efficiency and good humor. In case of problem, intervene quickly and propose alternative solutions.
The waouh effect :
our ideas
Si vous le pouvez, pensez à surclasser vos clients. Ils bénéficieront alors d’une chambre qui surpasse leurs attentes et se souviendront longtemps de leur expérience chez vous
Offrez des gourmandises à vos invités (par exemples quelques chocolat, des boissons, ou encore mieux : des produits locaux)
Offrez des services annexes gratuits (par exemple une navette pour l’aéroport ou pour un lieu touristique)
Fournissez à vos clients des équipements supplémentaires non indiqués lors de la réservation (par exemple des chaussons, peignoirs, échantillons de produits de beauté)
Proposez sur demande (à l’avance) la mise en place d’une ambiance romantique dans la chambre (fleurs, bougies…)
Soignez votre livret d’accueil : il vous permettra de faire une bonne première impression à vos clients, alors pourquoi ne pas en faire un effet waouh ?
The must
StyQR
StyQR offers you to create your digital welcome booklet. In a few clicks, you can configure your digital welcome booklet in order to record all the necessary information: the wifi code, the digicode(s), practical information, useful numbers, or good addresses nearby. The design of your welcome booklet can be customized with your logo and your graphic charter (colors, fonts…).
Your customers will easily access your welcome booklet by scanning a QR code dedicated to you with their smartphone. This QR code is shaped to fit perfectly in your environment, for example in the form of a photo frame.
The digital welcome booklet will surprise your customers by its modernity and simplicity of use. It will facilitate the life of your customers; while adding a touch of decoration to their room.
How to become a Superhost on Airbnb?
What is a
Superhost ?
If you’ve ever rented out your home on Airbnb, you’ve probably heard of Superhost. But what is a Superhost?
It’s an exceptional host, who is experienced in renting out his accommodation, and whose travelers have been very satisfied. In short, a Superhost is a sure value, he will be recognized in the community and will be a pledge of confidence for the customer who books his trip.
The Superhost benefits from a better visibility with a better placement in the search results, a “Superhost” filter and a dedicated badge. Thus, according to Airbnb data, a Superhost earns 22% more than other hosts.
What are the criteria
to become a Superhost ?
Being a Superhost has undeniable advantages, but how do you become one? Here are the criteria to obtain this badge:
- Have rented your accommodation at least 10 times.
- Have at least 50% of your travelers leave a comment.
- Have a response rate of 90% or more.
- No cancellations (except for force majeure policies)
- Have an overall rating of at least 4.8 (out of 5).
These criteria will be evaluated automatically by Airbnb every quarter (it is not necessary to apply to become a Superhost).
Our advices to
become a Superhost
- To succeed in renting your accommodation at least 10 times, it must be attractive: your ad must be complete and neat, your photos must highlight your accommodation, and your price must be adapted (according to the surface area, the location, the equipment, the number of beds…).
- An excellent communication with your guests is essential, before, during or after their trip. Reactivity is the key!
- Be reliable! Update your calendar regularly to avoid cancellations.
- Be professional! Even if you are not a tourism or hotel professional, you can take a cue from the industry’s best practices. Your accommodation should be clean and tidy, and your guests should feel supported during their stay.
- Surprise your guests and exceed their expectations. Small gestures can significantly improve your travelers’ satisfaction: a small treat (chocolate, candy, local specialty…), a welcome note or even better, a digital welcome booklet.
The digital
welcome booklet
The digital welcome booklet will allow you to surprise your guests with the modernity of your methods, while providing them with all the practical information they may need during their stay.
With StyQR, you can create your digital welcome booklet for free and in a few clicks, then add all the necessary information (wifi code, digicode, good addresses, advice on how to use the appliances, useful numbers…). Your guests will access it very easily, by scanning a QR code dedicated to you. This QR will be shaped as an elegant photo frame that will fit perfectly into the decoration of your home.
Focus on Welkeys concierge service
A concierge service
for what purpose?
You want to rent your accommodation on the rental platforms between individuals but…
- You don’t live on site and you need help to welcome travelers, to hand over the keys, to clean the house, to manage the linen…
- You don’t want to bother with photos, writing the ad, paperwork…
We have the solution you need: call a specialized concierge.
Focus on
Welkeys
Today we present you Welkeys,a high-end concierge service that will help you effortlessly maximize your rental income.
Welkeys is a service dedicated to short-term apartment rentals. Their team is 100% connected and dedicated to their clients to offer them a tailored experience in unique properties in the heart of major cities.
Welkeys places technology at the heart of its development with :
- the creation of a marketplace that connects owners and experienced concierges
- the development of an income simulator accessible directly on the platform
- the development of mobile applications and management software to enhance the experience of owners and the organization of concierge logistics throughout France.
Thus, Welkeys stands out from the competition by its technological edge: the team has developed the best tools to improve the experience of its clients and concierges.
Maximize your
incomes with Welkeys
Welkeys maximizes rental income with a team dedicated to developing a pricing strategy called Revenue Management. Their experts define the price per night for each apartment based on its type, location, events in the area and taking into account the seasonality. In this way, Welkeys can optimize the price per night throughout the year, achieving an average occupancy rate of 80%.
The property owner can easily monitor rental activity via their dashboard. They can view the calendar, the profile of travelers, and obtain monthly rental payments.
Finally, Welkeys offers clients a high level of service thanks to a personalized welcome, amenities (vanity, hotel slippers, etc.) and the promotion of the accommodation through the ad and photos.
Practical
information
Welkeys‘ services are already available in many large French cities (Paris, Marseille, Lille, Cannes, Aix-en-Provence, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse…).
Of course, these services have a cost. Welkeys offers two packages:
- Welkeys Premium: an all-inclusive service, starting at 20% commission (all taxes included).
- Welkeys Classic – à la carte: prices vary according to the services required.
To discover the complete price list, clic here!
So, convinced?
GuestReady, the BnB concierge service
Renting your home,
it's not that simple !
To propose its housing in hiring as private individual became simple thanks to platforms like Airbnb, Booking, or Homeway Abritel. A description, a few photos and that’s it!
But you must not forget certain constraints: be present at the arrival and departure of your travelers for the handing over of the keys, do the cleaning or wash the linen. And it gets even more complicated if you don’t live on site or if you have several accommodations to manage.
It’s not that easy to rent your accommodation: customers are demanding and their opinion will be crucial for your reputation on the different platforms. So how can you make the management of your rentals easier?
The miracle solution: entrust your management to a BnB concierge! We met one of the most famous concierge companies : GuestReady, with its solid experience and its international presence. Pierre Rouleau, the French market manager of GuestReady, explained us the history, the functioning and the assets of this 2.0 concierge service.
GuestReady,
How does it work ?
Founded in 2016 by Alexander Limpert, Patrick Degen, Josef Nevoral et Bertrand Desies,This startup is the first BnB concierge company with a global presence (Europe, Asia, UK). Short-term rentals have no secret for them as they are among the market leaders in some cities, like London and Paris.
GuestReady takes care of the complete management of your accommodation:
- Creation of the ad (professional photos and price optimization thanks to an algorithm)
- Selection of travelers’ profiles (to secure the rental of your property)
- Communication and after-sales service with travelers, before and during their stay
- Reception, handing over of keys and check-out
- Professional maintenance (24-hour problem-solving service)
- Provision of linen and bath products
- Cleaning and laundry services
Satisfied
Customers
GuestReady offers a premium service for homeowners who want to avoid the hassle of renting and maximize their revenue through higher occupancy rates. Its main advantage: a personalized customer service, as each owner is accompanied by a member of the GuestReady team.
Using GuestReady will allow you to obtain a high rate of satisfaction from travelers and thus reach the status of Superhost ! The management remains totally transparent for the owner thanks to the existence of a dashboard.
Customers are very satisfied with GuestReady’s services as it has a rating of 9.4 (out of 10) on Trustpilot !
“It’s great to be able to generate additional income without having to worry about the hassle of Airbnb. GuestReady works with my schedule and makes sure my place is in perfect condition when I return home from a business trip.”
Mathieu, Paris VI
Source : www.guestready.com
How much does it cost ?
GuestReady charges a commission on the amount of bookings, which is usually around 20%.
The concierge also offers owners a fixed income for their rentals each month, under certain conditions.
To learn more about GuestReady’s rates, clic here !
Please feel free to contact GuestReady via the link below.
Key exchange: MyLoby simplifies Airbnb key exchange!
Rental management Airbnb, it’s quite a job! While some people use concierge services to put up their property for rent and maintain them, the majority of Airbnb rental owners manage their own properties themselves. And beyond the maintenance of the rental, one of the most tedious tasks of Airbnb management is the key handover stage. We wanted to come back to it together in this article and explain to you how MyLoby revolutionizes key management for Airbnb owners!
Airbnb rental key management:
an ordeal for the owners!
If there is one thing that many Airbnb rental owners find painful to deal with on a daily basis, it is the issue of handover the keys.
Whether it is at the arrival of the vacationers or at their departure, the handing-over of keys often implies the presence of the owner to entrust then receive the set of keys. However, when they are prevented from doing so, some owners have to find ways to hand over their keys. This is how some Airbnb rental owners find themselves hiding their sets of keys under the doormat or the flower pots, thus putting their accommodation at risk. Fortunately for them, companies such as MyLoby are here to help !
MyLoby, an innovative start-up
that simplifies key management!
Indeed, MyLoby is revolutionary in the market of Airbnb seasonal rental. Developed around a mobile application and a network of relay points throughout France, MyLoby allows homeowners to avoid having to go to the property to hand over the keys to their Airbnb guests. How does it work? Thanks to an innovative guarding system whose complete process is described below.
Step 1: You download the MyLoby application
As a homeowner, you download the MyLoby application and subscribe to the service.
Step 2: find the nearest drop-off point to your Airbnb rental
So that your Airbnb guests don’t have to look for your keys too far away, you look for the nearest drop-off point. All you have to do is drop off your spare keys at this relay point and tell your guests that they have to download the MyLoby app to pick up your spare keys at this same relay point.
Step 3: Share the flashcode associated with your key set with your Airbnb hosts
They will then be able to authenticate themselves at the relay point and pick up your set of keys. The owner will then be notified of this authenticated pickup and will know that his key set has been picked up by his hosts. Note that the MyLoby relay is not a classic relay point, the shopkeeper takes the time to welcome and advise your guests during their stay. It’s a complete key delivery service!
How much
the service MyLoby cost?
Are you convinced of the usefulness of the MyLoby service to simplify your key delivery? You should know that the Myloby service is available from 3€ per month and per set of keys to Airbnb rental owners. However, if you are likely to receive a lot of Airbnb guests per month, you can turn to the MyLoby premium offer at 20€ per month and per set of keys, with an unlimited number of guests and key withdrawals. This makes it ideal for large Airbnb rental managers, but also for large families who are short on key sets, or if you hire a home cleaning company to maintain your apartment or Airbnb rental.
Either way, we highly recommend this MyLoby service. It’s really the ideal way to simplify your management and key delivery. And on top of that, it saves precious time, time you can spend on other activities, while staying informed in real time of the drop off or pick up of your keys in your MyLoby relay point.
A breakfast in bed for your guests? Here is Baguette à Bicyclette.
Make the difference and pamper your guests with a breakfast in bed! Yes, when you say a romantic stay, you mean a breakfast in bed. An extra service in your guest house (or your rental) Airbnb) is always synonymous with customer satisfaction.
Baguette à Bicyclette,
a gourmet start-up
That’s why StyQR offers you today to discover Baguette à Bicyclette, a flourishing start-up born from a fusion between a passion for sports, entrepreneurship and a taste for good things! An innovative concept that consists in the delivery of good breakfasts at home. Why not let your travelers take advantage of this precious morning time to relax far from stress and agitation? A great way to start the day and enjoy the activities planned.
The concept
The concept of Baguette à Bicyclette is based on 3 core values:
Proximity : Baguette à Bicyclette selects natural products while taking care to respect the local or at least French economic fabric
Quality : They bring a wide range of quality products including “organic” breads labeled Ecocert, all to delight your taste buds!
Ecology : The deliveries are made by bike, the respect of the environment is guaranteed. If you are in Lyon or in the Lyon region, you will soon be able to meet one of the delivery men wearing the Baguette à Bicyclette colors or the flocked cargo bike!
Otherwise, don’t worry! Baguette à Bicyclette will soon be available in all French cities.
The formula
A large choice of quality local products selected with care will be proposed to your guests (fresh bread, seasonal fruits, pastries, fruit juices, butter, jam, granola…). Create and compose your own formulas including your own resale prices. With a guaranteed uninterrupted service, you will place your order in the evening until 7pm. Your travelers will be delivered the next morning on time, by bike, and with a big smile.
To please your customers, two solutions are possible:
- Surprise them and order for them!*
- Offer a gift voucher so that they can order whenever they want.
What’s up? Ready to surprise your travelers? It’s here :
Style Guest Home : relook to rent better !
You find your home rather dull? You would like to give it a fresh look to rent it better, but you have no idea. The designer in you has let you go. Don’t panic! We found you the professional of the relooking of the guest houses. Style Guest Home, at the forefront of the latest trends in decoration and interior design.
It's time to
redesign
Motivated by a taste for beauty and a passion for contemporary art, the team Style Guest Home is mobilized to offer you decoration and relooking services for guest rooms and vacation homes. They also offer a selection of beautiful and exclusively contemporary style vacation homes. From photos, sketches, and plans that you will provide them, Style Guest Home will remotely clean your room for more pep and style and for very accessible rates.
The concept
Following a personalized coaching, get plenty of ideas that you can put together yourself. Embellish what already exists with an inspiring shopping selection adapted to your interior and your budget. Extremely simple and effective!
Adventurers in search of
the more creative guest houses
The team also challenges itself to collect the most inspiring and creative guesthouses, apartments, eco-lodges and slowlife-farms. The ones that make you want to get lost for a while.
Places ranging from 80 € / night for 1 room to 600€ / night for a whole house. That is to say an average price of 150€ per room / night. Thus, they always validate their selection after reading the reviews and positive experiences of travelers. “This allows professionals and owners to be listed in a collection of places combining modernity, art of living, design…”
Maybe their next destination will be your guesthouse?
Collectors
and art lovers
Thanks to art, we create our own universe. Being curious and expressive, Style Guest Home likes to tell stories, but also to give rhythm and life to them with unique and iconic pieces or exceptional works of art: contemporary art objects or design deco. The reinvented pieces must be embodied in your interior.
Art is the best source of inspiration. So integrating it into your home makes it even more accessible.
Style Guest House collects works of art of all shapes, small or large, contained or contained, hanging on a wall, or lying on the floor. Whether they are in series, unique, new or vintage… You can buy them on their website.
Homerez : an intermediary for your rentals
Create in 2014, Homerez is Europe’s leading service provider for vacation rental owners. A real time-saver, Homerez helps them increase their rental income (by increasing the number of bookings) and accompanies them during the rental process, even guiding them in pricing by estimating market prices. As the offices are based in Paris, everything is managed from France. In particular, the company has created its own revenue management platform to optimize rates. With more than 6,000 active owners, Homerez has managed to raise 10 million euros. Discover the advantages of registering on this successful platform.
Your ad is broadcasted
on 20 international sites
Are you struggling to manage the multiple ads for your vacation rentals? Whether you have one or several properties for rent, it is true that putting ads online on different platforms can be a real headache. But no more worries ! Homerez takes care of the management of your advertisement and its publication on more than 20 sites throughout the world thanks to their partnerships: Airbnb, Homelidays, Tripadvisor, Expedia…
Therefore, by becoming a member of Homerez you will gain on average 50% more bookings.
Say good bye
to language barrier
You may not speak English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic or Russian? Homerez team is polyglot and has your back. She will respond to your international travelers in their own language and in the shortest possible time. Thus, several telephone calls are made for a better guarantee and a maximum conversion rate!
All your bookings
on one calendar
With each new reservation, you are obliged to update your availability on all your platforms. At present, Homerezallows you to synchronize everything on a single calendar from a single application. Practical, isn’t it?
A price of
optimal location
You may be new to rental property investment or simply unsure of how much to rent. You can consult our article can help you to fixe the price of your rental.
Otherwise, Homerez can do it for you by elaborating a detailed study of the geographical location of your accommodation, of the competition, and of the market conditions on the chosen period. Thus, you will maximize your future bookings for sure!
Nuki, a connected lock to welcome travelers... remotely!
Have you ever had to welcome a traveler who arrives very late and leaves very early in the morning? This is a common situation when you own a seasonal rental. Whether you have a guest house, a B&B or an Airbnb rental, it is sometimes difficult to manage the arrival of travelers as well as the handing over of keys. Fortunately, for such situations, a connected lock to welcome your travelers has been made, with the aim of being able to welcome them remotely, without moving.
Discover Nuki, this lock that comes at the right time!
How
does Nuki works ?
First of all, it should be noted that Nuki is a lock solution adapted to seasonal rentals in several cases. It is a secure and modern lock solution, for the well-being of both the traveler and the accommodation manager. Everything is managed remotely, in order to facilitate the smooth running of your Airbnb rental or your lodging. Nuki adapts to your lock and turns the key on the inside of the door. In fact, from an app, the door is opened and closed remotely, without requiring your presence.
It’s that simple! If you have a guest arriving at a very late hour in your accommodation, thanks to Nuki you will be able to open the door remotely, or allow him to open the door alone from his smartphone, via an app. The process is the same when the traveler leaves!
In fact, when your lock is installed, you need to pair it with your phone. Once this is done, the calibration process is automatically started. From the All smart Lock app, you can remotely control the lock and allow anyone to enter or exit. A perfect solution!
A solution
secure ?
This is a question that interests many people. In fact, it is very often difficult to trust electronic locks, so the question is very logical. But rest assured, the communication of the Smart Lock is encrypted. In fact, it is like an impenetrable tower, a real protection.
If you trust online banking security standards, it’s just the same. You are guaranteed that your door is secure to the highest degree. The proof is that many security experts and even independent organizations have tested the system and found that everything is done to ensure that your security is at its peak.
How much
Nuki cost ?
This is probably one of the most important questions: how much does it cost? And it is true that it is an essential question, because the seasonal rental is often an investment.
The most suitable product for your seasonal rental needs is Nuki Keypad Combo. It allows keyless access for your guests, autonomous arrival 24 hours a day thanks to the Nuki App or by entering a 6-digit security code, and allows your guests to enter wherever you are, and finally the automated sending of time-limited access authorizations.
The Nuki Keypad Combo is offered at 375 euros at the moment. It’s an investment, but it will make your life and your travelers’ life much easier, and it will give you a wow effect thanks to your modernity! So, treat yourself to Nuki and guarantee the security and remote reception of your tenants.
If you are a professional interested in purchasing several products, do not hesitate to contact Romain Giacalone, représentant de Nuki France.