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Getting Reviews for your Vacation Rentals

Getting Reviews for your Vacation Rentals
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Why reviews for vacation rentals are so important 

There’s also a lot of psychology that goes into online reviews, namely something called social proof. This happens when someone is influenced to do something based on what he or she sees others do. When it comes to vacation rental reviews, it’s quite simple. When a potential guest sees that others enjoyed your vacation rental, they’ll assume that they will too. Long story short, your reviews generate trust. Trust plays a big role in guests booking your property. Good reviews also validate that the host is doing something right. This gives hosts more leeway to charge a higher price per night. After all, if an expensive rental keeps getting great reviews, it has to be worth it right? 

4 tricks to get guests to review your vacation rental

There aren’t any quick hacks or silver bullets to guarantee all guests will leave reviews after every stay. However, there are still a few ways you can increase the odds:

#1: Ask for a review right at checkout The best time to ask is when the vacation is fresh in the guest’s mind. So why not take that final communication where the guest tells you checkout is complete and ask for a review? Most of the time, guests will agree and review your vacation rental within a few moments. But if you want to increase your odds, you can end your request by appealing to the guest’s sense of kindness. Explain to the guests that reviews are important to you because they help you improve the rental and attract great guests like them in the future. If you wait until guests get home, the vacation will already be a faded memory. That’s where you risk getting a generic review like “great place” instead of a more heartfelt, genuine or emotional one (which looks better on your review page).

#2: Make it easy for guests to review you The modern traveler is used to having everything they need at their fingertips. If you want to increase your chances of a review, make it easy for your guests to do so. One easy way to do this is to leave a mention in your digital or physical guidebook asking for a review in the checkout instructions section. 

#3: Review your guests the same day they checked out

Guests aren’t the only ones that should be leaving reviews. As a host, you have the option to leave a review on the app about how the family treated your home during their stay. Leave this review a few moments after you completed your inspection and the guests have checked out. They’ll be notified that you left a review about them, but won’t be able to see it unless they reciprocate. This simple trick appeals to the guests’ curiosity and is an extra incentive to get them to leave their own review

#4: Boost review counts across multiple platforms A problem any vacation homeowners and property managers face is that they manage numerous online reviews across different platforms. This means that if a guest leaves a positive review on one site, it’s only visible to those who visit that site. If you get a positive review, share it with the world. Post it on social media, share it on your company website. Let others know that you offered a guest an incredible experience and this in turn will drive traffic back to your listing and build trust. Reviews are one of the best ways to market your vacation rental. They give interested guests a real-world account of what the home has to offer. With just a few tricks, you can boost your review count. So get out there and start collecting!