Bookerville Vacation Rental Software

02/05/2020

VRM Intel

VRM Intel

Just a final reminder that #BookDirect Guest Education Day is tomorrow. Vacation rental guests are more likely to stay in vacation rentals. For example, a PM in Colorado has guests on their email list and in social networks who also stay in beach houses or condos in CA, OR, FL, or NC. And vice versa. If all vacation rental providers were to send an email and post on the same day about the value of booking directly, then a huge majority of proven vacation rental guests and shoppers would see the message from multiple companies. With frequency, the message resonates and spreads. But it takes everyone chipping in a little time to send an email to guests and/or post on IG, FB, and Twitter. This is a group effort that benefits your company directly. Being independent doesn't mean doing everything alone.

01/10/2020

Bookerville's New Maintenance App

Richer, more automated Work Orders await you!

You've had the ability to create, manage, and report on Work Orders for a while now. But Bookerville has now produced a Maintenance Mobile App that your maintenance personnel can use to navigate to the property, see any photos of the issue(s) submitted for that work order, provide estimates, final amounts, and report as completed.

https://www.bookerville.com/Vacation-Rental-Maintenance-Mobile-App

Bookerville's vacation rental maintenance mobile app makes managing your work orders a breeze!

06/25/2019

Interested in a one-on-one demo/phone call: Select a day and time that fits your needs: https://my.timetrade.com/book/BT5NM

05/04/2019

Oh dear

05/02/2019

Yes please....

04/12/2019

Best Vacation Rental Software

Bookerville in the Top 10: We're doing something right. :) https://www.softwareworld.co/vacation-rental-software/

Find authentic ratings and real user reviews about the Best Vacation Rental Software. SoftwareWorld has curated a exclusive list of Top Vacation Rental Property management software.

04/02/2019

Good morning! Today's "Is Bookerville Right for You?" Webinar (Tuedsay April 2, 2019) is being postponed! Sorry for any inconvenience. We do have one planned for Thursday at 10:30 am EST if you can wait!

Got any ideas for training or webinars that you may need? Let me know. - Cindy

10/30/2018

VRM Intel

A lil FYI about the state of our industry.

Simon Lehmann penned an article in the latest issue of VRM Intel, Vacation Rental Software: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. He wrote, "Without naming names, it’s time we take an honest look at some of the core issues and inefficiencies on the software side of the space, which from a bird’s-eye view has remained largely unchanged for the past five-plus years (with the exception of revenue and yield management tools, which are frankly still maturing)."

10/07/2018

VRM Intel

VRM Intel

A note (from Amy) on the inaugural Vacation Rental Women's Summit...I know there is a lot of political discourse that is pitting us against each other--so much so, that I want to say to all of you that the Vacation Rental Women's Summit is in no way a political or divisive event. The objectives of the event are to 1) celebrate the women who have worked to build the vacation rental industry; 2) discuss topics and challenges that women in our fast-growing sector face and are interested in; and 3) motivate and inspire each other in a way that is accepting and empowering.

VRM Intel and the other sponsors are extremely excited about bringing together this group for the first time ever--not to divide--but to unify, to acknowledge, and to give a voice to women industry leaders who don't often share at other events. And our speakers are hand-picked to reach out to and inspire the many strong, successful women--veterans and newcomers, young and seasoned--in our industry.

We want to help build an industry that women are encouraged and proud to be a part of for years to come.

The vacation rental industry is truly special in that it is not a "men vs. women" industry. In fact, our readership at VRM Intel is right at 50/50% men and women. We are lucky in that way. And we are not going to let anything that is going on in the rest of the world turn our amazing industry into something we are not.

And yes--men are totally welcome to attend (Just over 10% of those registered so far are men, so you won't be alone), and we encourage you to come.

What I can tell you is that this event will celebrate the achievements of women in vacation rentals, that we will talk about topics we don't often discuss in our industry, that you will learn new ways to grow your business, that you will be accepted and inspired at this event, you will be wined and dined, and you will walk away with new friends and mentors that will likely last a lifetime.

And a new announcement: We booked the award-winning Redfish Grill for our Tue night cocktail party, less than a block from the Ritz-Carlton.

In short--at the inaugural Vacation Rental Women's Summit--YOU are welcome.

And I very much hope to see you there.

-Amy Hinote
http://vacationrentalwomen.com/

10/01/2018

"Is Bookerville Right For You?" demos this week are scheduled for: Wed Oct 3 at 2:30 pm EST, Thurs Oct 4 at 10:30 am EST. (There will be no demo on Tuesday Oct 2.)

Sorry for any inconvenience. Please reach out to me directly if you'd like to schedule a one-on-one demo. [email protected]

09/17/2018

TED

I always nag my kids with, "Boredom is the mother of creation."

“The average person checks email 74 times a day, and switches tasks on their computer 566 times a day.” — Manoush Zomorodi

Is staving off boredom actually ruining your creativity? Watch the full TED Talk here: http://bit.ly/2NRqbqz

03/13/2018

Bookerville Webinars

Did you know: We have webinars twice a week, and one is starting in about an hour, if you'd like to join us. This one is called "Is Bookerville Right For You?" Here is a page with more detail: https://www.bookerville.com/Webinars

Bookerville's regularly-scheduled webinars can help you get started, answer questions, and get an overview.

08/16/2017

That awesome feeling of giving a software demo to a potential client... And they're really impressed!

06/18/2017

We're back up now. There was an issue with our hosting company. We're very sorry for any inconvenience!

06/18/2017

Uh oh, we're experiencing some technical issues this morning. I'll post here to let you know our status of when we're back up.

03/16/2017

What I love about this job: Meeting amazing property managers who are excited to share their properties with guests! It's fun helping you guys get set up. #lovemyjob

03/10/2017

New feature, one I've been so excited for: If you haven't see it yet, look in your email templates for some nice surprises - You can now set criteria to send out certain emails when bookings come in from certain listing sites. For example: If you get a booking from Airbnb, no need for Bookerville to send that good ol' payment reminder email since payment in full is already collected by Airbnb. But, for those booking.com bookings, then yes, the payment reminder is important. To handle this, you would set the payment reminder email template to go out for booking.com bookings but not for Airbnb. Enjoy! - Cindy

01/07/2017

Bookerville LockBoxCode ManualSetting

New video posted to you tube: How to enter a lock box code for a booking, and how that can be sent out to guests automatically. This is for when you manually reset your lock box codes, and you know that codes ahead of time. https://youtu.be/Vl1BKjrl1-c

This video shows how to enter a lock box code for a booking, and how that can be sent out to guests automatically. This is useful if you manually reset your ...

07/19/2016

Thursday, July 21, 2016 at 10:30 pm Eastern Standard Time, we will be having scheduled maintenance. Our hosting company is updating software at this time. It could be for up to two hours, but is more typically about 40 minutes. We will post more here if there is more to share. We regret the down-time, but it is out of our control.

02/21/2016

Matt Landau's Latest Inner Circle Digest - Vacation Rental Marketing Blog

Those 10% HomeAway/VRBO fees got ya down? Tips on how to be listing site independent: http://www.vacationrentalmarketingblog.com/inner_circle_digest/

4 Top Listing Site Independence Tactics Each week, I create a digest or presentation (like the one above) of the best information from the Inner Circle and share it with members who are short on time. Living my “Help, Don’t Sell” mantra, I’m posting the video portion of that presentation above for n…

02/18/2016

VRS114 –Channel Management Uncovered with Vanessa de Souza Lage

What's Channel Management? Here's an interview with Vanessa from Rentals United. A "tell all" about distribution and channel management... http://www.cottageblogger.com/vrs114-channel-management-uncovered-with-vanessa-de-souza-lage/

When I got into the vacation rental business in the 1990s, it was simple. You just advertised in a local paper or put a sign outside the property. That worked pretty well. After all my place was on…

02/16/2016

Wilmington City Council: Tell the Wilmington City Council: Keep Short-Term Rentals Legal

Ohhhhh, we're definitely signing this!
https://www.change.org/p/wilmington-city-council-tell-the-wilmington-city-council-keep-short-term-rentals-legal?tk=rd_w6kzxMfZTZhrZlwqI5HvdVyxo2vhfPva1-LwvpNw&utm_medium=email&utm_source=signature_receipt&utm_campaign=new_signature

Visitors have used short-term rentals for as long as Wilmington has existed. Short term rentals also serve as homes for Wilmington families during remodels, between leases, and during emergencies. They serve as guest bedrooms to welcome grandparents visiting grandchildren, and for parents and siblin…

02/12/2016

Pinterest Trumps Facebook For Vacation Rental Promotion

As expected, Matt has some good stuff here. Pinterest is a goldmine. Those pictures get me every time.

Thanks to it's user demographic, Pinterest is perhaps a better place to find vacation rental guests than Facebook. Read the interesting case study why...

01/23/2016

The 18 Most Common Missing Gadgets in Vacation Rental Kitchens (And How to Fix Them) - 1 Chic...

One Chic Retreat is right on target with this one. Kitchens are one of the biggest reasons people chose vacation rentals over hotels. If you're a PM and "don't like to cook" so you don't stock your kitchen, get some help from someone who does. This article is a great place to start. http://1chicretreat.com/2016/01/20/the-most-common-mistakes-in-equipping-your-vacation-rental-kitchen/

Once in a while, I stumble on something that makes me want to pull my hair out. And it’s often when vacation rental owners make a huge, glaring mistake. A mistake that should be obvious, but they make it anyway. Here’s a recent one… The other day I came across an article wherein I made …

01/22/2016

The service fee is a fee for travelers only that will begin rolling out in February 2016.... - Upgra

Have yall heard about HomeAway's new "service fee" that they'll start charging all guests sometime in February? They say it will be anywhere from 4 to 10% of rent. That can be a hefty fee...
#goodtimes

For travelers who pay through HomeAway’s checkout, we plan to provide more complete coverage at no additional cost for things like fraud and double-booked or misrepresented properties. These traveler protections will begin rolling out in February in the U.S., and will roll out globally to additional…

01/08/2016

Tip Tuesday: How to kick off your meetings with a jam session - join.me Blog

"They’re late or you’re early
There’s only two ways this can go
They’re late or you’re early
‘Cuz you’re listening to the music on hold
At join.me. At join.me!"

I'm getting ready to do a demo and while waiting on the conference call, "Join.Me" is playing their Join Me Funk On Hold Music. It's cracking me up. Click here to see rest of lyrics:

“join.me funk” is the antidote to the same-old elevator music. And it’s easy to add for you (and your attendees’) listening pleasure: 1. Next time you’re logged in to join.me, click on “meeting settings”...

12/28/2015

My 3 Words For 2016: By Matt Landau

Ready to get ready for 2016? Here are some great tips by Matt... I agree with his advice here. Coming up with three words or feelings gets you closer to your "why" - why you want to do the things you do, why is it important to you, why are you drawn to something. Chase down your "whys" and you will be unstoppable.

Choosing three (and only three) words as you New Year's resolution can be difficult but also powerful for your vacation rental business. Matt's three words for 2016...

12/28/2015

Coming Soon - Vacation Rental Formula

Do you all know Heather Bayer? She's starting up her "Vacation Rental Formula" and it looks like it has a tremendous amount of information. It's on sale now. http://vacationrentalformula.com

12/16/2015

7 Steps To Creating Remarkable VR Marketing

"The beauty of the best success stories was diametrically opposed to the vast majority of most owner/manager marketing efforts in today's market." That means it involved NO LISTING SITES and very little money spent. Matt Landau's latest:

We studied the most successful vacation rental marketing campaigns and distilled a way to recreate the results in 7 simple steps.

11/14/2015

‘Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival’ To Debut At Epcot’s Magic Eye Theater

‘Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival’ To Debut At Epcot’s Magic Eye Theater

We know how much Disney Parks fans love our animated films and shorts. So today, we’re happy to share that coming in December, Epcot guests can experience beloved Disney and Pixar animated shorts in a new 4D experience located in Magic Eye Theater in the Imagination Pavilion. “Disney & Pixar Short F…

11/06/2015

One reason guests pay for their vacation with credit cards is the points you get from the credit card company. :)

11/05/2015

And tucked in that article about Expedia buying Homeaway was this little nugget: Simultaneously, HomeAway announced it will be adding a variable “traveler fee” adding approximately 6% for guests for all online transactions. (Starting Mid-2016)

10/27/2015

Buying software for your business is complicated and overwhelming. Attending a training event today to learn how to make it easier for you. -Cindy

09/01/2015

Got Questions? Need a Bookerville Demo? Click here to schedule a 30-minute Bookerville Demo. https://www.timetrade.com/book/BT5NM

08/19/2015

The Smell of Success: A Brand-Building Strategy That Does More Than Make Scents

Ever thought of using scent as a part of your brand strategy? Just read about a company helping hotels do this, so why not vacation rentals, right? Now, I know, before you tackle scent you've got to get your basics done, like decent mattresses and good kitchen supplies, but this could really ratchet up your game. Here's a quote from the article below: "The advantages of using scent are many, including its ability to differentiate a brand, create positive mood and emotions, and evoke and create strong memories and meaningfulness." Sounds good to me.

Official Full-Text Publication: The Smell of Success: A Brand-Building Strategy That Does More Than Make Scents on ResearchGate, the professional network for scientists.

07/27/2015

Perspectives from a guest: Let's discuss the kitchen, shall we! Our house did not have enough plates (only 7). We had to buy a stack of paper plates to accommodate our party of 8. I think you need double the amount of plates that you say your house accommodates in people, am I right? You use 8 plates for breakfast, and now they are dirty for dinner! There were only 3 wine glasses. What? That was enough for me. :) Knives were dull, but I know, that always happens. Pans were just okay, some mildly scratched. I know, that happens a lot too. No serving bowls to speak of. It's nice to serve a nice dinner in a nice bowl. We used the two plastic mixing bowls. I think a "non-cooker" stocked this kitchen! When you are in a vacation rental, the kitchen is so important. It's one of the big reasons you stay there, as opposed to a hotel. I know it gets all out of whack throughout the season, with people taking stuff home, accidentally of course, items getting broken, dulled, scratched, and stored in the wrong place. For those reasons, I'm pretty forgiving. So let me share what it did have that was nice: easy to use coffee maker and a large stack of filters for it (yay), a great dishwasher, nice large sink, large refrigerator with ice and water, pitchers, cookies sheets for our chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies, and storage containers. Best feature: it had a gas grill on the back deck. You don't ever see that! But, downside, we ran out of propane half-way through the week. We replaced it. Consider it "paying it forward" for the next guests! What are your challenges with your kitchens!? I'm sure a lot more goes into than meets the guest's eye...