Being a rental host in the era of the trust economy is all about having the best reputation. As professional rental property managers in sunny St. Pete Beach for quite some time, we understand the importance of collecting positive reviews, whether it’s on OTA websites or your own platform.
Don’t fool yourself: a solid score and glowing reviews play a pivotal role in your conversion rates, on par with pricing and photos when it comes to a guest’s decision-making process.
At Resort Rentals, we’re constantly brainstorming how to elevate the guest experience in all our rentals. But beyond that, we take a proactive approach to gather more reviews so our hosts can rank among the top performers in the Coastal Florida vacation rental scene.
Over the years, we’ve developed a set of best practices to ensure those stellar reviews keep pouring in. Want to learn from our methods? Read on for seven fantastic ways to secure a 5-star review for your St. Pete Beach rental.
1. Make sure your photos represent your beach rental truthfully
High-quality photos and beautiful décor are crucial for the success of your beach rental, and they lead to more bookings, which is great. However, if your guests show up at your St. Pete Beach rental and don’t find exactly what they saw online in your photos, you’ll be shooting yourself in the foot. Misleading photos are a major source of complaints and negative reviews, and they can seriously tarnish any host’s reputation.
When snapping pics of your beach rental, we all like to experiment with angles and staging to make everything look extra inviting. But sometimes, photos can be deceptive, so it’s a good practice to double-check if they accurately represent your rental before adding them to your album. Ask yourself: “Does this truly reflect my beach rental in its current state?”
While your appliances and furniture don’t have to be brand new, they should be well-maintained and fully functional. It’s also a good idea to invest in quality furnishings to ensure they last.
Pro tip: be careful with selective framing. Sometimes, what you choose to showcase online can hide other aspects of your place that may not be so positive. We call this selective framing.
One of the most valuable tips for beach rental photos is to align guests’ expectations as closely as possible with reality — managing expectations directly leads to better reviews.
Everything looks great and clean in this picture of the living room at Happy Home in Madeira Beach, but if guests were to arrive and find that the furniture is different and the structure is deteriorating, their excitement would turn into disappointment in a split second.
2. Craft a rental description that’s specific and honest
Just like authentic photos are crucial, an online rental description should follow the same principle. Hosts who genuinely love their properties often get super excited about all the great stuff, especially when trying to convince people to book a stay. That’s another way to trip yourself up.
Once more, you need to align expectations with reality. When crafting your description, take a step back, detach yourself, and try to look at your property from an outsider’s perspective.
Listing descriptions are as vital as images and should be both objective and detailed. It’s a good practice to anticipate and address questions before they’re even asked. In your description, you can also provide a list of the basic supplies guests can expect upon check-in, including small amenities in the bathroom and kitchen. You can even ask your cleaning crew to double-check that all listed amenities are indeed available before a guest checks in. This will, once again, prevent disappointments.
It’s totally fine to highlight your unique selling points in the text but be upfront about discussing aspects that may not be entirely positive. When guests are aware of potential drawbacks, they can plan accordingly to minimize inconveniences. If they’re caught off guard, you can bet there’s a negative review coming your way.
3. Charm your guests
We’ve talked twice about the importance of aligning guest expectations with reality. But what if we go beyond their expectations?
Yep, that’s when the great reviews roll in.
Surpassing guest expectations is a fantastic way to rack up more positive reviews. The best way to do this is by being exceptionally attentive: consider their needs, preferences, and concerns, and pay close attention to their requests, always providing prompt assistance and even offering a certain level of personalized service if needed.
Small gestures like a lovely flower vase or extra plush towels can make a big difference in a guest’s impression of your hosting skills.
Pro tip: While some owners like to leave fancy chocolates and wine bottles as a welcome gift, we’re not big fans of this approach. These items can be costly, especially if you have a lot of bookings. There are other creative ways to charm your guests that won’t break the bank.
4. Give local recommendations
Folks who opt for short-term rentals instead of hotels are often on the lookout for a more local experience, and they’re eager to discover hidden gems in the area. So, it’s a great idea to put together personalized guidebooks of activities and attractions and make them available to your guests.
Online options work wonders in the short-term rental industry because they’re easy to update, and you can simply send your guests a link via email or message.
You don’t need to create a super elaborate guidebook. In fact, simplicity works better. The key is to add a personal touch, including your unique perspective on the area.
Plus, there are plenty of tools to make this process a breeze. Here are a few:
With your personal recommendations right at their fingertips, guests are more likely to sing praises about your rental after their stay.
Pro tip: how about tossing in a coupon booklet in your guidebook? Everyone loves saving a little cash, and local businesses in your area will surely appreciate the partnership.
Putting together guidebooks is a fantastic way to go that extra mile and make sure your guests have a great time. Think about your location: any hidden foodie gems in the neighborhood? What are the top-notch beach spots?
5. Master the art of communication
As property managers here in the lovely St. Pete Beach, we fully grasp the significance of effective and prompt communication to ensure our guests’ satisfaction. We also understand that when our high standards aren’t met, guests don’t hesitate to express their dissatisfaction through negative reviews.
It is of utmost importance to maintain a helpful, clear, and efficient line of communication with our guests. This task can be challenging, especially when dealing with multiple guests simultaneously.
To streamline the process, we stick to a structured messaging approach, which goes as follows:
- Before booking: always be prepared to promptly address their inquiries with courtesy and assistance, as any delay may result in a lost booking.
- Right after the booking: extend a thank-you note, booking confirmation, and a comprehensive guidebook that addresses common questions about your property.
- Approximately two days before their arrival: forward an online guide for your area along with a coupon booklet to help them explore the neighborhood.
- Pre-check-in: provide the door code and remain accessible for any assistance they may require, considering that check-ins can be a stressful experience for guests.
- The day after check-in: send a follow-up message to offer any necessary assistance.
- Pre-checkout: send guests check-out instructions.
- The evening after check-out: send a final thank-you message and politely request them to leave a review.
This may appear too much, but rest assured, guests truly appreciate hosts who are actively engaged and readily available to assist.
Regarding response times, swift replies are particularly crucial for short-term rentals. For instance, at Resort Rentals, we are committed to delivering rapid responses — ideally within five minutes, 24/7, even on weekends and holidays.
6. Encourage guests to write reviews
You’ve nailed all five steps above and done everything just right. Congratulations, now a shining review is headed your way, right?
Well, not exactly. You see, many guests tend to forget about leaving a review, even with those friendly nudges from the platforms. Can’t really blame them; people are busier than ever these days. Still, it’s definitely in your best interest to snag a review from a happy guest. So, you’re not just leaving it all up to chance, are you?
You can gently nudge your guests to leave reviews with a subtle message. Here’s an example of how we go about it:
“Thanks for leaving the place in fantastic shape! I’d be thrilled to give you a well-deserved 5-star review for being such an awesome guest. If you have a moment, it would mean a lot if you could share your experience by leaving a review too. It truly makes a world of difference for us as hosts!”
The template above is a great starting point, but feel free to tweak it to fit your specific situation. And when’s the best time to send a reminder? Right after check-out, while your guests still have the memory of their stay fresh in their minds. Don’t forget, the rule of reciprocity can work wonders too: leaving your guests a positive review increases the odds of them returning the favor.
7. Try the pre-framing technique
Aside from dropping subtle hints that you’re hoping for a positive review, you can also gently nudge your guests in that direction. It may sound a bit odd, but it’s a well-known technique in the business world called “pre-framing,” and it can work wonders for beach rentals too.
The idea here is to guide your guests through the thought process. For example, you can express your desire for them to have nothing less than a “five-star” experience during their stay at your beach home rental.
Furthermore, assure them that if their experience falls short of that standard, you’re eager to address it promptly. Here’s how you can approach it:
“Hey [Guest Name], welcome! As your host, my commitment is to provide you with a five-star experience during your stay. If, at any point, your experience doesn’t meet that standard, please don’t hesitate to let me know, and I’ll do everything within my means to make it right. Thanks for choosing my beach home for your stay!”
This message subtly conveys your expectation of a positive review and implies that any issues should be brought to your attention personally rather than through a review. It’s a harmless technique that works quite well.
Seven pro techniques to gather those 5-star reviews for your beach rental
Above all, always keep in mind that the ultimate way to secure positive reviews is by delivering a fantastic experience to your guests. Anything less simply doesn’t cut it in the competitive beach rental vacation market in Florida. Following these tips will give you a leg up, though. And hey, what have you got to lose?
