How to ensure guests understand what makes your property special
Your listing should help a guest feel they’re making a wise and safe choice by staying with you. Use your property’s best features and most unique details to show them why they want to choose you above all other options.
The tips below will get you started towards having a stand-out listing. For a deeper dive into what makes a winning listing, learn more with the Futurestay Method.
Include every feature you offer
You’ll be asked to confirm the popular amenities your property offers, like air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and parking, when you sign up. Once registered, you can add dozens more amenities. Review the full amenity list and add everything your property has: the basics are just as important as the special features to make sure a guest has a comfortable, enjoyable stay.
A few reasons to do make sure you've got a comprehensive, accurate amenity list:
- Many booking channels will boost listings with specific amenities, like accessibility features. This means properties with certain features are given more prominence in guests' search results, even if guests don't explicitly seek out properties with those amenities.
- When travel searching, guests filter for properties that contain certain features. If your property has a pool, but you forgot to tick the "pool" amenity checkbox, your property will be hidden from that filtered result list. Double-check to make sure you've listed every amenity your place offers. Something in your property that you may take for granted could be the key piece of someone else's travel search.
- It's a good idea to refer to key features and amenities in your property's description, in addition to ticking the amenities off in the list. Over time, guests leaving you reviews will also refer to the things they loved. Detailed guest review and property description content, along with great photos of your place, will help to boost your listing on booking channels and in search results.
- Along with making sure you mention your key features in your description, it's always helpful to make sure your photos reflect the amenities you offer. A completely bare countertop may leave guests wondering if you really do have a "fully-stocked kitchen". Photos, descriptions, and amenities work together to set guest expectations.
Check out the competition
Google the term “vacation rentals near {your property's location}” to see what else is out there, and which properties catch your eye. Make note of the amenities they offer, how hosts describe their properties, and the highlights they call out for travelers. Also note how their properties are priced -- specifically properties with similar bedrooms, bathrooms, and guest capacity as yours.
What do they offer that you don’t?
You can’t compete with everything, but a few simple upgrades could put you in the conversation with more guests looking for added amenities. For example:
- Upgrade or add small kitchen appliances to attract families.
- If you consider your property a great choice for families, consider keeping a portable crib/pack-n-play, and a safe, sturdy high chair in a closet to help parents traveling with small children.
- Stock puzzles, board games, and books for indoor activities if your property is in a location with unpredictable weather that might impact guests' ability to spend time outside.
Expand on the benefits of select features in your description
As you host guests, you'll learn hat features they really appreciate -- they might tell you directly, or they'll note them in their reviews. You can highlight the amenities that get great feedback in your listing. For example:
- If you allow pets in your place... you might mention the dog park down the street in your description, and stash dog waste bags in a visible location near the door.
- If you have a great kitchen... hang a couple of reusable shopping totes on a hook, and make a note of farmers markets and food shops in your welcome note.
- If you have activities for kids... include pictures of the games, and the coffee table with an in-progress puzzle.
- If you have sports equipment for guests to enjoy... mention (and include pictures of) your kayaks, bicycles, and sleds.
Highlight what makes your place different
You can highlight practical things, like a driveway that has room for multiple cars in an area with challenging parking. Or you can share the things that give your place a certain something, like custom artwork collected over the years. As long as what you describe is accurate, highlight the things you think are important and that give your property its unique character.
Guests looking for short-term rentals are often in search of an experience that's specific to the property or the area; help them picture their stay at your place by making note of all the great features they'll get to enjoy during their stay.