Luxury Villafinder's Keys to Being or Becoming an Ideal Property Host

Marketing and Managing Your Property with Style: how to write an advertisement for your villa

Whether a property rental is your primary residence or an investment, it is important to attract those quality clients who will appreciate and respect the home. It is necessary to market your property in just the right way to reach qualified individuals who will love your home. At the same time, your marketing allows you to discreetly screen out those who won’t like it.  Actual management of the property is uniquely yours.  Below we offer our insights and ideas for helping make your vacation rental the best it can be.

Remember — you set the standard for how your property will be treated. By presenting the home in its best possible light, and living up to your guests’ expectations, the transaction between host and renter can be smooth all around. You will have happy guests who may return year after year, and send their friends! Please consider the benefits of marketing your property on Luxuryvillafinder — the world’s most comprehensive site for attracting quality guests.

How to write an ad to advertise your villa

The following is a list of things to do to prepare the marketing of your property:

Advertise your villa with Beautiful, Professional Looking Photography.

Nothing says more about your property than attractive pictures.  A one-time investment in a good collection of photos will be incredibly useful to you as a host in all aspects of marketing your property.  A good collection of pictures that are ready-to-go (digitized and kept in an appropriate file size) can be very handy for submitting to advertising websites such as Luxuryvillafinder, creating print ads, or as a part of the portfolio or CD you or your manager shows or sends to potential clients.
Once ready, consider using these photos in an attractive lightweight album that your happy guests can take home and show their friends who may be considering a villa rental in the future. (We like the charming colored paper photo albums in the “Vineyard” style available from www.Kolo.com and using old-fashioned corners to secure the photos).

Develop a virtual tour to advertise your villa.

Using the services of a professional, a 360 degree virtual tour is an ideal selling tool to help potential renters make a final decision about renting your property. A virtual tour is created by a still camera with a wide angle lens mounted on a tripod taking several photographs, which are then knitted together to make a full 360 degree picture. This can then be put into your advert or we can link to your virtual tour on YouTube to allow visitors to your ad to literally “look round”.

Create a Charming Title and “Tag Line” for your Property.

Giving your property a Title (even just for advertising use) gives it an identity and personality which can attract potential clients. The Tag Line is a one-line zinger that lures them further. Think Title: “Barefoot Beach Bungalow,” and Tagline: “Casual Chic in Costa Rica’s Hideaway Coast.”

Ensure your villa advert includes a detailed description of the property.

Take the time to write an enticing and accurate description of your property. Because you may live there all the time, you may not have the same appreciation (as your clients will) for its architectural details, amenities, location, neighborhood, or ambiance. To get started, begin with the larger picture and get smaller. Describe what you love about your country, then move into what’s special about your particular region, city, and neighborhood.
Next, write about how it feels to enter the home and move around it. What will one see from the windows (is there a particularly beautiful view, or the sound of a fountain or birds)? Clients are interested in what style of décor is in the home, the general color scheme, and what kind of flooring there is (wood, tile, carpet?). What are the best amenities you can brag about on the property (a gorgeous pool, a butterfly garden, an outstanding outdoor kitchen?). Describe the sleeping arrangements and how they might be altered or changed to accommodate various numbers of people. Make a frank suggestion about the maximum number of persons that can be accommodated comfortably in the home.
Don’t forget to follow up by pointing out other special aspects of the property and the area (the swimming hole down the road, the delicious breakfasts served at the golf course nearby, the DVD collection you’re willing to lend to visitors). To see how other properties have been described, visit Luxuryvillafinder’s Sample Portfolio Ads and Descriptions.

Gather a full list of features, amenities, and “things to know” about the property.

If advertising on Luxuryvillafinder, you will be given a “click-by-click” questionnaire that will prompt you to provide great detail about the property. Later, this information is included in the database which helps our users quickly find your property if it meets their search criteria. Consider having your property featured in our Home Page Top 20 properties section.
Taking the time to prepare the well-thought-out and image-rich presentation of your property will repay you not only with more bookings, but will attract quality clients who themselves pay attention to detail, and are more likely to treat your property with the care and respect it deserves. To get started on your portfolio ad now, read more about advertising with Luxuryvillafinder.

Communicate Your Policies Clearly and in Writing

Take a moment to write out your policies so that you can present them in your advertising, as well as documents your renters may be required to sign as a condition of renting your property. You may already have legal documents prepared by an attorney, but extract the key points and present them to your clients in an easy-to-understand form.

Consider outlining the following facts for your clients:

• Your Cancellation Policy
• Your Damage Deposit Policy (We suggest having photos or a video of the property “as it was” before the renters arrived, for comparison later if there is a dispute).
• Your Pet Deposit Policy
• Your List of Restrictions, if any, in the property (i.e. no children should be unaccompanied in the Jacuzzi, no loud music after 9pm on weeknights, and so on).
• A Breakdown of Extra Fees and Commissions (extra fees for daily housekeeping, linen rental costs, commission structure to the agent representing the property, and so on).
• A Suggested Tipping Guide for your household staff, and service people in the local area. Many people coming from other countries may have no idea what the local custom is with regard to tipping. Your staff will appreciate an informed client.

Luxuryvillafinder.com allows and encourages its advertisers to post their policies in full in their Porfolio Ad. Users can review any of the above policies to see what their host expects. Later, upon booking, these policies can be downloaded and signed as part of the Villa owner’s booking requirements.

Household as more than a Hotel

Too often Villa hosts don’t take into account that while their guests may be staying for many weeks or months, they are still travellers and as such, have special needs. Walk through your property as if it were a hotel. What would a hotel offer that you don’t? What can you offer in a home that a hotel can’t?

The following list can you prepare your property for rental to the kind of guests a Luxuryvillafinder advertisement will attract:

Basic Needs: Consider having travel adapters (for every country) available for your guests, in addition to blow dryers, extra toothbrushes, charming guest soaps, travel-size products, and the like. Make sure that you have adequate linens available for everyone staying, and those linens are soft and fluffy. Offer separate extra-large beach and pool towels, too.

It goes without saying that better hotels provide their clients with adequate ways to adjust the temperature, alarm clocks with CD players, a manner to prepare a cup of coffee or tea, and extra pillows and blankets in the room if needed.

Bathrooms: In the bathrooms, have you provided adequate storage and/or a table where they can leave their toiletry kits? Have you provided no-slip, rubberized bathtub covers so your clients don’t slip and fall getting out of the tub? What about small bath rugs so they can dry off without making the bathroom floor slippery?

In the bedrooms and other public areas, have you provided adequate lighting for reading, and a desk with a comfortable adjustable chair near an outlet for those who want to compute? What about a selection of various pillows because not everyone likes the same kind of head pillow.

Home Office: Is your internet speed and service of a good enough quality for a business person with a lot of work to do? Have you installed wireless internet access so that your visitors can work from any part of your property? Have you installed a phone system which allows your clients to make free local calls but which limits their long distance use? Consider suggesting or offering them telephone cards so they are not left without long distance phone access. Make sure your printer, fax, copy machine, scanner and other equipment is easy to use and supplies are at hand for your guests.

For a truly upscale property, offer a computer loaded with all the software they could ever need (just in case they forget their laptop computer at home). The home office can truly be a deciding factor for those families that have the resources to spend on a long stay, yet want to be well-equipped to run their businesses from a remote office. Make it easy for them to choose your property over others!

Kitchen: In the kitchen, consider offering a high quality juicer, a powerful blender, waffle or crepe machine, food processor, and electric grill, rice steamer, chef quality pots and pans, and a set of high calibre, sharp knives. For those who love to prepare meals at home, these items are indispensable. The promise of an outstanding kitchen can be one of the great deciding factors in a client booking your property for a long period (or not). In areas where the water quality is questionable for tourists, be sure and warn your guests beforehand. Consider installing a specialized filtration/purification system in the kitchen, so that even the rinsed foods will stay harmless for your guests. This is really something to brag about and can also make the difference in your property being booked (or not).

Extras: Have you thought about what your clients might do on a rainy day? Consider providing a closet filled with a selection of board games, children’s books, art supplies, and anything else that may provide some entertainment. Don’t forget umbrellas, various sizes of rain boots (inexpensively found at a local thrift store), and rain slickers for a walk outside.

For homes near the beach, make sure that you offer your clients use of adequate beach equipment, and a manner to carry everything to and from the beach comfortably. In certain areas where it’s possible, consider taking a membership at a local cabana club, which might allow your guests access to their facilities.

For homes with tennis courts, bocce ball, badminton, ping-pong, a pool table, or other amenities: make sure you have adequate supplies and equipment available for your guests to actually play the games. It’s very disappointing to guests to have to go out and buy supplies for their games when they booked the home with the hope of enjoying these amenities right away.

Security: If theft of your ‘extra’ items is a concern, have your clients sign a checklist and “check out” the items from you, and offer locks to the supply closets by checkout. Later, have a staff member verify the items and receive the keys before their departure.

Make sure any potentially dark areas, hallways, and stairs have adequate lighting, automatic night lights, or lights which come on automatically when motion is detected. Consider lighting the underwater of your pool area for a romantic ambiance and security as well. Make sure your pool area is child-proofed with a gate system if this is a concern.

Offer your clients the use of a large central safe, or individual safes in each suite. They will appreciate the extra feeling of security in leaving their more valuable belongings in the home. Make sure that your fire alarm system is up to date and the batteries are current. Also, in the case of individual smoke detectors, provide a ladder which is handy in case the alarms go off by accident and your clients need to reach up to turn them off!

Little Ones: Consider your clients who are parents. Offer baby equipment such as high chairs, cribs, a changing station, and other necessities that parents may need. Perhaps you might dedicate a small room to being a nursery or playroom. A wide selection of toys can usually be found inexpensive at local charity shops. To appeal to the vast number of couples travelling with small children, consider having your home “baby-proofed” by a professional who can assure that all areas of the home are safe for the smaller guests.

Your vacation rental is a hybrid between a hotel and a home, and the details do matter. The more amenities you can provide your guests (and do feel free in charging something extra for the privileges) the more clients it will appeal to, and the more likely your property will be booked, enjoyed, and returned to, again and again.

Offer Little Extras

Communicate that you value your clients by offering or leaving them something special upon their arrival. How nice it is to discover a large bottle of spring water in the refrigerator, and a basket of snacks and fruit together with a kind welcoming note. Write the notes by hand, and spell your guests names correctly.

Here is a list of other little surprises that will leave your clients feeling impressed and pampered.

For Their Welcome:

• If your clients may be arriving too late to go out for dinner, leave them a nice selection of quality frozen dinners in the freezer. Leave one for each person arriving.
• Provide a small selection of “sampler” size bottles of wine to accompany their arrival. These are inexpensive but a first-class touch.
• Provide a basket of essential items like toothpaste and toothbrushes and other essentials in case their luggage was lost for the first night.

For Their Stay:

• Call your guests the day after they arrive to make sure they arrived safely, and that everything is to their liking, and everything they may need is working.
• Provide an album of local restaurant’s menus with driving instructions attached to and from the house (in case they need them), so they can peruse selection, prices, and locations before heading out.
• Provide a laminated list attached to each telephone, with important numbers (the host or agent, doctors, emergency medical services, etc.)
• Provide an album filled with personal descriptions and brochures of your local favorite hangouts, can’t-miss sights and attractions, secret shops and local specialties, personal recommendations of excellent service people in the area (a beautician, esthetician, barber, masseuse, private chef, caterer, etc.).
• Offer a “hotline” to a household assistant, a hired “household concierge,” or local friend that they can call if they have any problems of any nature whatsoever. There will be great comfort in knowing there’s a local person on the other end that may help them quickly locate a doctor, translate a need in the local language, aid them if their car breaks down and the rental agency isn’t picking up, etc.
• Provide fresh flower bouquets in every room, even if they are small arrangements or single buds. This is a wonderful way to communicate your appreciation and to set the right ambiance.

Consider Offering Extra Services

Offering extra services can not only enhance your guests’ stay, but can be a deciding factor between a client renting your villa vs. someone else’s. Consider offering the following extra services to your clients for their stay:

• Offer car rental. Consider purchasing or leasing an extra good-quality and spacious car (or a sports car to zip around in!) which your clients can have for their use during their stay. Charge them a slightly better rate than a local car rental, offer them free pick-up and drop-off at the airport (you may need to account for their excess baggage with a separate trip) and see how happy they will be to choose your car rental over any other. Consider cars installed with keyless entry systems, which may cut down on lost keys, and offer better security for you as owner.
• Offer Babysitting. Connect with a network of local qualified babysitters, so that you can offer this service to your clients upon request. Be sure to interview each one, take notes, copy their ID’s, order background checks if necessary, and get to know them so that you or your agent can make an informed recommendation to your clients.
• Offer Private Chef Services. Find out if your clients would like meals that are freshly prepared and frozen for their stay, so they can prepare them at their leisure. Or, do they wish a chef to arrive at set hours to prepare certain meals? Interview private chefs, or even student chefs, in the area that you can recommend to your guests who don’t wish to cook during their stay. Perhaps the chef can also shop for their groceries and snacks, offer them private cooking lessons, or lead your clients on back kitchen tours of great restaurants in the area.
• Offer Private Concierge Services. In addition to your hotline to someone who can help your clients in their most basic or emergency needs, consider offering them the services of a local concierge who can give them “something extra.” A talented concierge can arrange their tours, transportation, private guides, get them into sought-after restaurants and nightclubs, and in general get them VIP services and treatment at local venues.
  How? Enlist the help of a respected local hotel concierge at a luxury hotel who can be available to your clients by cell phone, and clearly state to your clients his/her hours and limitations. Clearly state to your clients his/her fees, either broken down by service or hour. It may be best to offer them the services of this individual for a flat fee, leaving him/her at their disposal for the entirety of their stay.
• Offer Dry Cleaning and Laundry. Locate a dry cleaner and launderer in your area who may offer to visit your property on their daily pick-up and drop-off “route” or by special arrangement by telephone.
• Offer services that might appeal to people with special interests. Is there a local artist that also loves to teach, and would your clients like to paint the stunning view from your Italian terrace?
  Consider the unique aspects of your property and try to fit them to a special interest group, and then find a local person who can enhance their stay either through private lessons or tours. When your guests book your villa, ask them a few questions about special interests they have. You may be able to offer them something special that will make their stay truly unforgettable.
• Offer Private Fitness Training. Locate a local personal trainer with a flexible schedule and flexible skills who can use your property as his/her training ground. Have a beautiful yard for yoga? Are you near a walking path and playground? Use these to your advantage and market your property as a place to get fit, meditate, or follow a strict diet without outside temptations (your private chef may come in handy for this).

There are truly a myriad of ways to get the most out of your property, and convert your property into multiple revenue streams. You have only to get creative and explore the options. Your guests will appreciate a wide selection of services and activities, and most likely take advantage of the extras you’ll have to offer.

The Organized Host

There are some simple principles we here at Luxuryvillafinder suggest to our advertisers to make a stay at their property stand out among the rest:

• Return calls and e-mails promptly. Don’t leave your potential client with a chance to change their mind or find another property because you didn’t get back to them in a timely manner.
• Provide all important information and transactional documents in writing. Don’t make verbal agreements or assumptions. Both renters and hosts should communicate their needs clearly, and sign off on additions or deletions to details in contracts and policies.
• Keep careful records of financial transactions with clients, and keep copies of receipts/contracts, etc. if they may need them later on.
• Offer detailed, honest descriptions and then over-deliver on the client’s expectations of service, amenities, and the quality of the property, the staff, and their stay.
• Take great care to maintain the home after each arrival and departure. Each guest should feel that the home is uniquely their own for their stay, without reminders of previous guest’s escapades. In general, maintain the home’s exterior grounds and interior amenities to the standard to which it has previously been advertised.
• Have a system in place for any eventuality or emergency that may arise (where will you send your clients to stay if the roof starts leaking?) and have the contacts/people in place to serve your guests.
• Have multiple copies of extra keys made in case guests lose them, and consider offering a coded lockbox in the event your assistant can’t make it to the property to let your guests in.
• Consider using computerized keypad entry systems which enable you, as host, to change the code for each different set of guests. This will ensure their safety and peace of mind that previous guests cannot access the property during their stay. Speak with a master locksmith in your area regarding keyless entry systems.

Smooth Exits

Day of Departure: Call your clients the day before their departure to make sure their stay went smoothly and if they had any questions, complaints, or comments you should be made aware of. In addition, leave them an envelope with a comment form (or e-mail it to them and bypass your manager) which they can either leave behind or put in the mail (give them a stamp) when they get home. Their answers may help you further refine the quality of the home and services offered.

Feedback: There may be issues that came up which they were too shy to discuss with you and/or which they don’t want your property manager to see. Always find a way to give your guests the discreet opportunity to reach you directly, as your property manager may not be managing well. Registering as an advertiser on Luxuryvillafinder (link to registration page) allows you access to keep track of your bookings and the contact information of your clients. It’s easy enough for property managers to circumvent your knowledge of problems if you are an absentee owner. Before a bad manager damages your property’s reputation further, consider ways of maintaining quality control with a little effort.

Finding Your Property Again: If there would be no conflict of interest with your property manager/agent, consider leaving a business card or brochure with your contact information for your guests to keep for future stays. You never know when you may decide to discontinue your advertising, but still wish to rent to people you know were good clients. Knowing that your previous clients can still reach you will be a good thing.

Official Check Out: If at all possible, make sure your guests have contact with you, a housekeeper, or your representative upon their departure, to make sure the home is left in a condition to your liking, and your equipment and supplies are all there. Check to make sure no important items are missing, or left behind by your clients, and have both parties sign off on the condition of the home. Verify the correct address where their damage deposit should be sent in case they’re travelling on to a new destination and want it sent there.

Return of Deposits: Send back damage deposits promptly and with a pleasant note thanking them for their stay. Send the deposit back in a trackable way via return receipt requested, UPS or US Mail with Tracking or other service which offers the ability to follow up on the location of a “lost check.”

We at Luxuryvillafinder hope that renting your property will be both a pleasure and a profitable enterprise. Let us be an integral part of helping you attract quality clients. Consider advertising with Luxuryvillafinder