Mark Simpson and Tatiana walk through getting direct bookings for short-term rentals. Start with professional photography, use property management software, list on Airbnb and VRBO, then call your network directly on WhatsApp and Facebook to find guests who skip the platform fees.
So with that in mind, what would you say is a good strategy for someone new? So let's say they're just getting started and their property is ready to go. What do you think is like the step by step strategy of them, like, starting to do, like ending up in direct booking?
Well, yeah, I mean, hundred percent. You've got to get professional pictures done. And I know when you're just starting out and you've maybe spent two to four grand decking out your property, the last thing that you want to do is spend a little bit extra on a professional photo shoot. But I think, Tatiana, you'll agree one of the most important things is that people don't read. People don't read anything.
No, they don't.
They see the pictures. They see the pictures first. And those five or six pictures are key. And if you've got your iPhone, take taking pictures as good as your iPhone or your Samsung or whatever camera you've got is, you know, it's going to get lost in all the other hosts that are taking professional pictures. And it is key, number one. Number two, I've already mentioned it. Property management software. And again, you may think, oh, I mean, I disagree with a lot of people, good people that I know, but I've got to know this year on this because there's people saying you don't need to do anything until you've got seven properties. You know, I politely disagree. I think you need to be doing it as soon as possible because again, when you get listed on Airbnb, for example, you can also get listed on vrbo, also get listed on booking.com, you can also then take direct bookings. And it's just for a pms. So it's so simple to do. And the final one, just backing on from what I've just said, get listed everywhere. Get listed everywhere. And then just, you know, start the slog of building a business, building a brand, like talking about yourself. One of the things that I love to encourage people to do, and I've spoken about this a lot, is that when you first open up your business and your property, you literally. There's two types of people. There's proactive and there's reactive. Reactive, they just literally sit and wait for the phone to ping with a booking, which is bananas. Or you've got the proactive ones who will go out and try and get bookings. One of the simplest things you can do, and it works so many times, is you have got thousands of potential revenue sat in your phone, in your contact list. 100%. All you got to do is pick up the phone and just send WhatsApp messages, Voxer messages. Or pick up the phone and just say, hey, I've started a hospitality business. Do you know anyone who is coming to the area needs accommodation? You do that. 5. You know, you do that for maybe an hour every day for the first week and send a message to everybody that you know. Any Facebook friend that you've got, I guarantee you, you will get responses back. Now, the responses back will go one of three ways. One, they'll ignore you, which is fine. Number two, will reply back saying, amazing. Unfortunately, I don't. Or you'll get a reply back saying, yeah, I do. Actually, John's coming to town for a work thing. He needs accommodation. What have you got? Now? That one's amazing. So then you can go, yeah, sure, send me John's details or start up a group chat. And, you know, I'll be more than happy to have a chat with them, because that is a friend recommended a friend. It's such a warm lead, as they say. And again, so many people at this point come back to me go, oh, I don't think I can do that. If you can't pick up the phone and speak to the people who know, like, trust and love you and how are you going to market your business? It's just. It's madness. So, you know, it may be a little bit icky, it may be a little bit different, but my whole job, my whole thing that I try and do is I try and make people feel comfortable about doing uncomfortable things like that. And again, it's free. It costs nothing but your time. And when you first start a business, the one thing you have to pour into it is time, if you haven't got the funds or the money as investors to do it. But if you do that, I guarantee you, you will get some form of booking inquiry or just contact relationships built. So that's a great way to start having a blast.
Gonna get it on the Bruce Lee podcast. Bruce Lee, like Bruce Lee. Cause it's so hard and the tea is loose leaf Making up those rhymes don't write it, just do it loosely.
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