"I purchased the Glossbrenners' book on vacation rental, followed their advice, and in my first season of renting on my own, have booked practically every night for January, February, and March on two rental properties. I have booked more nights than my rental company I use. The book and advice have paid off 10 fold, not to mention free-month listings on the Internet sites. And the free computer programs and booking forms, etc. Thanks Alfred & Emily!"
In a follow-up message a couple of weeks later, GW informed us:
"I have never had *summer* rentals before like I have now. My rentals are in Keystone, CO, so it is typically ski country. August is booked, with a couple reservations in July already!"
It is unfortunate that the information in the Glossbrenners is not exactly accurate or unbiased.
The authors advise that all you need to do is advertise on the "big 4". This is a huge advertisement for 4 web sites and a disservice to owners of vacation rentals.
The truth is: The "big 4", as the authors call them, No longer dominate search engine results. Many newer, high traffic sites, are doing far better than the big 4. These newer sites tend to be more user friendly than the other four sites, which haven't changed much since they were launched.
When it comes to online advertising, the authors are offering poor advice to vacation rental owners.
Since it is online visibility that vacation rental owners need to rent their homes, and since many other sites receive tremendous online traffic, the authors are simply incorrect in advising vacation rental owners only advertise on these 4 sites.
Certainly these sites should be considered, though it is necessary for owners to do searches on the internet to see what sites do the best in the owner's particular regional market.
The authors are correct in saying that these 4 websites were the first to enter into the online world of promoting vacation rentals for owners. While they did obtain a head start they no longer have marketplace dominance.
Moreover, from a property management and rental perspective, the book is filled with information that most vacation property owners just cannot do from a distance. The authors own a bed and breakfast on their personal homestead. There are many things that are different when handling long distance rentals.