Have you considered investing in a vacation property in Columbia, SC? It's no doubt a popular tourist destination with activities and excursions that cater to all travelers.
However, even if you buy a great property, you might not book tourists that easily. It's a competitive market and you'll need to work extra hard to advertise your home.
The solution is to promote your home on the best vacation rental platforms. This guide will share the vacation rental websites you should use for your Columbia property.
Here's what we suggest:
Airbnb
Marketing a vacation property can be a challenge, but Airbnb takes out much of the hassle for you.
Airbnb remains one of the most popular vacation rental websites. As a result, if you've got a property on Airbnb, tourists will see it as a viable option. You won't have to do much extra work if you advertise on Airbnb.
Airbnb doesn't charge a fee to promote your property. They'll take a commission fee from every booking. They'll also charge a service fee for each booking. With Airbnb, you can also rent out part of your property, such as a room.
It's important to conduct a rental analysis before posting on Airbnb. This gives you an idea of your property's value.
Booking.com
While you'll have to compete with hotels, Booking.com is still one of the best places for ordinary landlords. Booking.com often offers discounts to regular users, which means you'll attract responsible guests.
You'll pay a commission fee for every successful booking. With Booking.com, you can offer your entire home or a portion of it. It lets you serve as a live-in host or allow full privacy.
As with Airbnb, you can meet your guest during check-in. You can also allow check-in processes. Booking.com is especially great for attracting international travelers. Many professional real estate investors like to use Booking.com in addition to Airbnb.
VRBO
VRBO is the perfect option if you want to rent out your entire property. You can opt to pay a commission fee per booking. Or you can pay an annual fee of $499.
One challenge with VRBO is that it attracts premium tenants. As a result, you'll have to be a premium landlord. You must offer a property that has high-quality amenities if you want to succeed with the platform.
It should be noted that VRBO doesn't collect taxes on your behalf. Make sure you hire an accountant and lawyer to help you cover your tax and legal obligations.
Use These Vacation Rental Platforms
Now you can decide which of these vacation rental platforms works best for your Columbia property.
Take your time to work on improving your property for your guests. Give them the best experience to succeed with these platforms.
Of course, you can't do this on your own. Make sure you hire a property management company to assist you with your vacation home.
PMI Palmetto has helped many Columbia landlords and has received five-star ratings throughout. We'd be more than happy to help you!
