Whenever your guests check out, rest assured—that won’t be the last you’ll see of them. That is, if you play your cards right. Successful vacation homeowners know that each booking is more than just that initial stay. It actually marks the beginning of what could be multiple bookings.
Guest retention benefits both you and your guests. It’s easier (and cheaper) to nurture relationships with previous guests, versus acquiring new ones. And, your return guests get to book a stay at a vacation home where they already know they’ll have a wonderful customer experience.
You work hard to increase your vacation rental bookings. Now, let’s show you how you can get even more out of every stay.
Guest retention, similar to customer retention, involves gaining additional value from every guest. The goal? To ensure each guest books again (and again)—multiplying the revenue generated beyond their first booking. Here’s why retaining guests should be a top priority for every vacation homeowner:
Your home is a success waiting to happen. We'll show you how.
Those guests who wrote 4- and 5-star reviews for your vacation rental? They’re prime to become repeat guests. So, a lot rides on their first experience at your home. After all, no incentive or discount will be enough to bring back guests who didn’t have a stellar experience in the first place.
Some ways to get 5-star guest reviews on Airbnb and Vrbo:
After stocking your home with all the vacation rental essentials, offer comfy beach chairs, umbrellas, and roasting sticks at your beach house. Or sleds, snow tubes, and plenty of cozy throw blankets at your mountain cabin. It pays to invest in extra amenities. They can make you stand out amongst the competition and entice guests to return.
A detailed record of each guest’s booking will make it easier to personalize any gifts or communications, and make relevant recommendations for future travel. For instance, you can boost pet-friendly stays by sending out an email touting nearby pet-friendly restaurants and dog parks to your guests who previously stayed with their dog.
At Vacasa, all of our marketing is powered by data. We send out marketing communications to past guests based on their travel behaviors, preferences, and information. For example, we regularly:
Sending out emails to your previous guests can help keep your vacation home top of mind. One way to boost your email open rates? Make sure every email is relevant. In other words, always have a good reason to reach out. Here are some ideas:
Discounts don’t have to be steep, but just enough to inspire previous guests to book another stay. For instance, offer 5% off to returning guests. Or, offer a gift or amenity exclusively for them—such as a $5 gift card to a local coffee shop.
Another way to get even more value out of every stay—especially from a satisfied guest—is to encourage word-of-mouth marketing. With a referral program, you can offer a discount to previous guests when they recommend your vacation home to friends and family. Plus, a discount for whoever they refer—creating a win-win for everyone.
Every stay lays the groundwork for even more bookings and more rental income. Boost your guest retention rate by better understanding what inspires guests to come back and how to tailor your marketing assets for repeat bookings.
Call 844-518-0967 to speak with a Homeowner Consultant, who can answer preliminary questions and see if we’d be a good fit for you.
If you'd like to move forward, we’ll put you in touch with our market expert in your neighborhood to explore the financial potential of your home, outline our management fee, and introduce your local team.
California licenses
Vacasa Seasonals Inc.
California DRE #02160171
Vacation Palm Springs Real Estate, Inc.
California DRE #01523013
Vacasa offers property management and other real estate services directly through Vacasa LLC and through Vacasa LLC's licensed subsidiaries. Click here for more information about Vacasa's licensed real estate brokerage/property manager in your state. Vacasa’s licensed real estate brokerages/property managers include: Vacasa Alabama LLC; Vacasa Arizona LLC; Vacasa of Arkansas LLC; Vacasa Colorado LLC (Micah Victory); Vacasa Delaware LLC, 302-541-8999; Vacasa Florida LLC; Vacasa Illinois LLC 481.014072, Micah Victory Managing Broker Lic# 471.021837; Vacasa Louisiana LLC, Dana MacCord, Principal Broker, ph 504.252.0155 (Licensed in LA); Vacasa Michigan LLC, 602-330-9934; Vacasa Missouri LLC, Vicki Lyn Brown, Designated Broker; Vacasa Nevada LLC; Vacasa New Hampshire LLC,45 NH-25, Meredith, NH 03253, Susan Scanlon, Broker of Record; Vacasa Minnesota, Broker: Micah Victory, license #40877637; Vacasa New Mexico LLC, 503-345-9399; Vacasa New York LLC, 888-433-0068, Susan Scanlon, Real Estate Broker; Vacasa North Carolina LLC; Vacasa Oregon LLC; Vacasa Pennsylvania LLC; Vacation Palm Springs Real Estate, Inc., California DRE #01523013, Mark Graham, California DRE #00700720; Vacasa Real Estate LLC (licensed in Texas, Debra Brock, Designated Broker); Vacasa Real Estate LLC (licensed in Washington, Robert Brush, Designated Broker); Vacasa Seasonals Inc., California DRE #02160171, Lisa Renee Stevens, California DRE #01485234; Vacasa South Carolina LLC; Vacasa South Dakota LLC; Vacasa Tennessee LLC; Vacasa Vacation Rentals of Hawaii LLC, 69-201 Waikoloa Beach Dr. Ste. #2F17, Waikoloa, HI 96738; Vacasa Vacation Rentals of Montana LLC, Terah M. Young, Licensed Property Manager; Vacasa Virginia LLC; Vacasa Wisconsin LLC; Vacasa Wyoming LLC. In Canada, this advertisement is provided by Vacasa Canada ULC, CPBC lic. number 75826, 172 Asher Rd. V1X 3H6 Kelowna, BC.