What to look for in a luxury property management company

Luring luxury travelers requires a more nuanced approach to vacation rental management. There are more details to consider, more emphasis on a phenomenal guest experience, and more money at stake.

These high-paying guests are looking for the best of the best. And, as an owner of a luxury vacation home, you should only work with the best. Here, we’ll examine what luxury property management companies do and what to look for when choosing one.

What is a luxury vacation rental?

While the term “luxury" could be subjective, in the vacation rental industry it most often refers to vacation homes with top-of-the-line decor, furniture, appliances, bedding, and linens. Plus, private outdoor spaces and pricey amenities, like a pool and hot tub.

Some vacation rental management companies inherently understand what it takes to market these luxury homes and how to attract the high-paying guests that will book them. Let’s explore how they do it.

What does a luxury vacation rental management company do?

For luxury property managers, it’s all about the details and understanding what drives luxury travelers before, during, and after their stay. Here’s what to look for before you hire one.

Deliver high-touch guest service

Luxury guests have high standards. This means, they expect their calls to be answered, their requests completed quickly, and their stay taken seriously. Look for a vacation rental management company that offers 24/7 guest service in many forms—in-person, email, call, and text (like Vacasa).

Also important: proactive communication. Your vacation rental manager should be adept at communicating with guests:

• before their stay to outline all the details (upcoming weather, parking, door codes, etc)
• during their stay to make sure everything is going smoothly (and to get ahead of any mishaps)
• after their stay to thank them and ask they leave a review

Offer luxury interior design

Design not only attracts high-end guests, it can help dictate how much they’ll pay for a stay. After all, luxury guests are often willing to pay more for a sophisticated and appealing interior over a home filled with bland colors and mismatched furniture.

Designing to boost luxury bookings requires more than just choosing pretty colors and patterns. Some top tips from the Vacasa Interior Design team (who exclusively work with Vacasa homeowners):

• Don’t buy cheap plastic and particle board furniture.
• Do invest in high-quality, sturdy materials like solid wood or POLYWOOD® lumber for outdoor furniture.
• Don’t get matching bed ensembles (bed-in-a-bag sets) or generic art.
• Do blend various textures to create a luxurious, layered design.

Understand which amenities boost bookings

High-paying guests usually aren’t impressed or drawn to basic amenities. But, you don’t need an underground wine cellar or private yacht dock either. Your property manager should know which luxury vacation rental amenities draw top dollar. In our research, we’ve found that most luxury travelers are drawn to:

• Pools
• Hot tubs
• Game rooms
• Home gyms
• Smart home technology
• Indoor fireplaces
• Outdoor firepits
• Outdoor living spaces
• Dedicated work spaces
• Central air conditioning

Offer modern in-home technology

With so many people installing smart home devices in their own homes, it’s not unusual for guests—especially luxury travelers—to expect them while on vacation. Smart home tech delivers a bunch of benefits—mainly, a seamless stay for them, less worries for you.

Some devices to consider:

• Keyless locks
• Smart thermostats
• Smart lights
• Smart speakers
• Smart TVs
• Noise monitors (these devices tip you off to a potential noisy gathering by measuring overall noise levels)
• Seamless WiFi connectivity

When vacation homeowners work with Vacasa, we’ll cover the costs of a keyless lock, customized WiFi router, and a noise monitoring system.

Market effectively to luxury travelers

Even with the most upscale of homes, ultimately it’s marketing that communicates its value to potential guests. If your vacation home is luxurious, every detail of your marketing should convey that. This includes:

High-end photos that grab attention

Your property manager should know how to take vacation rental photos that make high-paying guests stop scrolling. Stay away from stock images or cell phone photos— they’ll only make your property look cheap and your guest experience amateurish.

At Vacasa, professional staging, photography, and virtual 3D tours are included with our full-service management. This means every vacation home is intentionally shot to make luxury travelers click more, look more, and book more.

Copywriting that sells

Our copywriters at Vacasa know that we’re not here to simply win bookings, but hearts. And, they do this by telling a story when writing your vacation rental listing. They draw out the details that make each vacation home unique and rare. Whether that’s historic architecture, an outstanding view, or the special amenities that could turn into cherished memories. This isn’t just about selling a 3-day stay in a vacation home, but a getaway packed with special moments.

Clean between every stay

Luxury guests notice the details. They arrive ready to scrutinize and because of that, cleaning your luxury vacation rental is far more extensive than cleaning your own home. It requires more attention to detail, more efficiency, and more cleaning tasks. Plus, your housekeepers also have to adhere to your high standards.

At Vacasa, we manage 2000+ professional housekeepers who follow our rigorous cleaning checklist in between every stay. Plus, they’ll also restock your vacation home with all the essentials, including hand soap, paper towels, and more.

Want to achieve that level of pristine on your own? Download this vacation rental cleaning checklist.

Keep your vacation rental in top condition

Chipping paint, a broken oven, and even a light bulb out in the hallway. All of these things don’t add value to the stay, but diminish it. Your vacation home should be in top condition for every stay. So, it’s important to have a vacation rental manager who prioritizes maintenance. At Vacasa, we inspect your home, appliances, and amenities regularly.

After doing an initial, thorough inspection, (and after taking care of any issues), a luxury vacation rental manager will map out a regular maintenance schedule throughout the year.

Items to check up on include:

• Major appliances, like the washer and dryer
• Big mechanical systems, like furnace, ventilation, and air conditioner
• Attics and basements
• Plumbing
• Roof
• Fireplace
• Walls
• Exterior landscaping and decks

Protect your home, guests, and neighbors

Luxury vacation rental managers take a proactive approach to safety. This means taking the right precautions and offering the right safety essentials to ward off potential risks. Here’s how Vacasa safeguards your home, your guests, and your neighbors.

• Safety equipment: Vacasa requires all homes to have working smoke detectors, a first aid kit, flashlights, a fire extinguisher, and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Smart locks: Vacasa provides every vacation home with a digital lock and will install, program, and maintain it.
• Noise monitors: Vacasa provides every vacation home with a noise monitor that measures (not records) the decibels of sound in your home, detecting any potential parties.
• Guest screening: Vacasa’s guest screening procedures include setting minimum rental age restrictions, confirming guest-provided information, and flagging risky bookings.

Understand any local short-term rental rules and regulations

Luxury vacation rental management companies look out for their homeowners. This includes understanding—and staying updated on—any local rules and regulations around renting out your vacation home.

To make things easier, Vacasa has local staff in all of our markets who can assist you with staying in compliance.