Compare Your Options - Is It Time to Houfy Yet?
Houfy is it! Houfy is a new site, with great functionality, clean looks, thousands of listings and around the world! It works like the OTAs of the past. Your listing is a money maker for you, not for the site! You decide how much you charge, when you collect funds and when you charge for damages. Your business. Your rules. Your decisions.
Have you had enough yet? It is time to get serious about adding a book direct site for your vacation rental, not just an OTA!
So the news is that Expedia (Vrbo and friends) will move all owners to their new payment system soon. With the move for some owners comes after check-in payments. This is a step too far. So what will you do? Pay extra for access to your own money in a timely fashion? Or just wait until your guest arrives and the 3-5 business days the payment will take to clear your bank?
Service fees, after check-in payments, refusing to withhold for damages, and the feeling of losing control of your own business haven't been the only changes we've seen in the VR business. And some platforms that promise a better return or lower cost to owners mean you have to change how you do business or who you rent too. All of these changes are making people look for alternatives to Vrbo, AirBnb, HomeAway and the rest of the big OTAs. So where do you go?
Before you look at any alternative, consider the cost. Many owners have paid for a listing on an alternative site only to either get very little or no return on the investment. You might pay a subscription, pay for hosting a website, pay to have a site built, or just spend hours doing it yourself. So are they worth it?
You know the big OTAs will work for you. But there is a real, significant cost. Most of the costs can't even be quantified. OTAs won't let you can't cancel an unresponsive future guest. They make you take payments the way the OTA says is best (and earns them more), instead of the way you have always done in the past. They tell you having a minimum age for renting to guests is discriminatory. Or they decide what is the correct way to run your business, regardless of your own rules, preferences, HOA or locale requirements. The sites tell you when you get your money, who will pay your taxes, and when they will refund a guest and why. And if you don't like it, or disagree, they remove you. So what are the real costs?
A New Approach to Vacation Rental Sites
With More Control Comes Responsibility
Houfy doesn't tell you how to run your business, but is a listing site only. You can attach a payment processor, like Stripe, if you want, and get paid online. Or you can take checks if you want. You determine your unique cancellation policy and house rules. Instead of making renters AFRAID to deal with owners, Houfy lets you build a relationship of trust with guests.
This can mean you need to have a rental agreement, and encourages you to do so. And if something goes wrong, you will have to solve the issue on your own. In the case of a renter misbehaving booked through the OTA, you may or may not get help and reimbursement. When you book guests direct, through Houfy, you set your own security deposit, collect the funds and hold them and return them as needed. Houfy won't get into the middle of your interaction with the guest. This is the way it should be when 2 parties engage in business.
You set the rules, enforce the rules, and choose your renters. Not Houfy. And reviews are still important. There are rules of conduct to protect renters and owners from scammers. But Houfy doesn't tell you how to operate, how much toilet paper you must provide, or punish you for getting a less than perfect review.
Getting Off the OTAs
Being on Houfy doesn't necessarily mean you can leave the OTAs ... yet. The OTAs are spending millions of dollars on promotions in some cases. And that is what you are paying for. Others see you as a means to attract guest and collect money from them. Individually you are unimportant. You are only inventory that can come or go. Houfy is building a network of owners/guests, looking for great people to stay in great lodgings.
Once you list on Houfy, you can share your link with repeat guests you want to book again. Save them fees or split the savings with them. You can share the listing however you want. Many owners have a FaceBook page with a link. Some are listed on Google Business and on Google Maps with a link to their Houfy site. Many use Houfy like a website with "stories" and "posts" to help guests get the most from their stays. Others use Houfy to enhance their own websites with plugins for price quotes and booking calendars. The are even a few who just use Houfy, for now, as a back-up for their reviews, photos, and calendar in case the OTA decides to remove them, or experiences another "glitch." How ever you want to use Houfy is fine.
Import your listing to Houfy and save your reviews. Sync your calendars and get ready to book direct. The more direct booking you get through Houfy, the less you have to rely on the big OTAs. Houfy can help you if you want total listing independence.
Developing Independence
The Houfy community, Houfies, have a wealth of book direct experience and are willing to share and help each other. Working as a community, Houfies are working to make the site an alternative to the OTAs. Join the Say Yes To Houfy Facebook group for help with listing, managing your site, and technical help. They are a generous and knowledgeable group! And the group is monitored by the Houfy team for technical help and questions.
Learning More
Still need more information? Join "Say Yes to Houfy" and start asking! Once you join the Facebook group, you can ask real Houfies what they think. And if you decide not to list, just leave the group. No hard feelings! Houfies are a very nice and civil group.
Once you do join Houfy, and back up your listing, you can decide for yourself. If you decide it isn't for you, just delete your listing. Unlike some listing sites, they won't keep you there if you don't want to be. You are always in control of your listing! No calls to Customer Service, no auto-renew that keeps getting turned on.
And if you change your mind or decide it isn't for you, you haven't lost a thing!
Take a look for yourself. There are so many listings on Houfy. Check out your location... and join the Houfy Party!
Add Your Place to Houfy
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As this very well put together article is a year old one should mention that VRBO now does not hold security deposits anymore and has gone to payout after Check OUT!
You are right! I haven't updated it yet! On my to-do list!