I currently update regularly the availability calendar on both the rental sites that I use, but I notice that a lot of home-owners in my area prefer not to - I guess their reasoning is that if people contact them and the dates they want are not available, the owners have a better chance of selling an alternative date. However, they miss out when it comes to being moved towards the top of the listings in the search engines - and may have to field loads more inquiries that way than are strictly necessary.
What do you think?
Availability Calendars
- Giddy Goat
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Availability Calendars
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
I understand the desire to have anyone contact you whether you have their preferred week open or not.
However, as a vacationer I would appreciate knowing up front whether a property is available. And, as a rental owner, I appreciate not having my time wasted by multiple inquiries for the same booked week. So I think it's important to provide an availability calendar.
Having said that, I think it's actually more important to keep it up to date. If I'm not going to keep it updated, best for me not to make it available at all!
However, as a vacationer I would appreciate knowing up front whether a property is available. And, as a rental owner, I appreciate not having my time wasted by multiple inquiries for the same booked week. So I think it's important to provide an availability calendar.
Having said that, I think it's actually more important to keep it up to date. If I'm not going to keep it updated, best for me not to make it available at all!
Brooke
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Thanks Vrooje - I agree, and that it's important to update as soon as the booking is confirmed - though reading other people's comments about search engines, perhaps I should be doing it even more often, to stay towards the top in the listings! It seems to me, also, that if there are several attractive properties in the same region, the client is less likely to contact those without a calendar than those with.
I even wonder whether those who don't show availability are a little shy about their competitors knowing how well their bookings are going or not?
I'm at a loss to understand, and hope other contributors can shed more light on the subject.
I even wonder whether those who don't show availability are a little shy about their competitors knowing how well their bookings are going or not?
I'm at a loss to understand, and hope other contributors can shed more light on the subject.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
Brooke, glad you stressed the importance of this but so few owners seem to keep them up to date and that's why, for me as a holiday maker, they are a waste of time. There's no consistencyI think it's actually more important to keep it up to date.
and it can be frustrating.
That said, I can see why they're not kept up to date when you consider the myriad of listings sites that some owners are possibly using, each with the site's proprietary calendar.
It's a shame that this aspect of the listings are not open-source allowing owners to use their own calendars on the site.
Too much to ask, I know, and I've only seen 1 listing site so far who is using RSS feeds - so it's a long way to go before listings open their doors (or windows) as the case may be.
I think you are right - a site with an availability calendar is likelier to get an enquiry than one without. I think some people are put off by something like 'Enquire if your week is available'.Jane Bennett wrote:It seems to me, also, that if there are several attractive properties in the same region, the client is less likely to contact those without a calendar than those with.
I even wonder whether those who don't show availability are a little shy about their competitors knowing how well their bookings are going or not?
I'm not sure it is because people want to keep their booking levels private, I think it is a mixture of laziness and wanting to be able to 'convert' an enquiry for a booked week into one for an available week. Which you can't do with an up-to-date availability calendar.
Paolo
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- Giddy Goat
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Availability Calendars
...yes, and those owners who don't use them may be fortunate and not need to let continuously perhaps.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be