Latest / Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights / Why Every STR Needs a PMS (Not Spreadsheets)

Transcript

Why Every STR Needs a PMS (Not Spreadsheets) · Host Planet: Airbnb, Holiday Let, and Vacation Rental Insights

• 0:00
  Hello and welcome to Houseplanet Bite Size, that podcast brought
• 0:03
  to you by Houseplanet and Housefully.
• 0:05
  My name's James Farley, the founder of House Planets, and
• 0:08
  our goal is to share everything you need to know.
• 0:10
  About buying and. Managing short term rentals
• 0:13
  Today's guest is Frank Bosey from Housefully and he's got 5
• 0:16
  reasons why property managers need Apms.
• 0:20
  OK. Real talk now, for all you hosts
• 0:21
  out there, you know that moment when your guest messages you
• 0:24
  again with hey, what's the Wi-Fi code?
• 0:28
  Or you're staring at 5 different calendars wondering if you've
• 0:31
  accidentally double booked the cottage.
• 0:33
  Yes, we've all been there. That's why here at House Planner
• 0:37
  we recommend House Filling. It's basically your rentals
• 0:41
  Control Center. It handles bookings across all
• 0:44
  the big platforms, syncs your calendars to ensure there are no
• 0:47
  double bookings, automates guest messages, and even creates these
• 0:51
  really slick digital guidebooks that stop all the repeat
• 0:54
  questions. Honestly, it just makes your
• 0:57
  life easier and keeps your guests happier, helping you
• 1:01
  achieve those all important five star reviews.
• 1:04
  And here is a little bonus. If you're a Houseplanet
• 1:07
  listener, you can get $500 off onboarding the house for these
• 1:11
  property management software and 30% off digital guidebooks for
• 1:15
  life. Just hit the link in the show
• 1:18
  notes and use the codes Planet 500 for the PMS and House Planet
• 1:23
  GB for the guidebooks. And if you'd like a proper
• 1:26
  walkthrough. There's also a link to book a
• 1:28
  demo with Frank Bose from Housefully.
• 1:31
  He will show you how it all works less.
• 1:34
  Stress. More bookings sorted with
• 1:37
  Housefully. Frank, thank you for joining us
• 1:45
  on House Planet Bite Size. Today we're going to talk about
• 1:49
  tech and you're going to share 5 reasons why every property
• 1:53
  manager needs a PMS. So take it away with reason #1
• 1:58
  yeah. And I mean, today we're going to
• 1:59
  nerd out a little bit because we're diving into one of my
• 2:01
  favorite topics, which is tech in the short term rental world.
• 2:05
  And now I know many of us, what we're thinking is tech can feel
• 2:09
  overwhelming, and it totally could.
• 2:11
  But there are so many tools out there, especially apps,
• 2:14
  platforms, gadgets, devices. And it's really easy to get
• 2:18
  shiny object syndrome is what I call it.
• 2:21
  But here's the thing, it really is You don't need all the tech.
• 2:25
  You need the right tech. And the beating heart of your
• 2:30
  tech stack is your property management software.
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  Your property management system, your PMSI like to think of it as
• 2:37
  really like your Mission Control center.
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  It's what ties everything together, keeps you sane, and it
• 2:43
  honestly separates the hobby hosts from the pros.
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  So if you want to scale, you need a property management
• 2:50
  software sooner rather than later.
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  So as mentioned, I just want to talk about kind of the five
• 2:55
  essential tech pieces and really why a property management
• 2:59
  software isn't just helpful, but it's absolutely critical and
• 3:02
  necessary. Really, you want channel manager
• 3:06
  magic. You want a centralized
• 3:08
  reservation system or place to see all the centralized
• 3:12
  reservations. So if you've ever accidentally
• 3:16
  double booked because Airbnb didn't sync with Verbo fast
• 3:19
  enough, you're not alone. It's not going to be your first
• 3:22
  time and and that's why you need a property management software
• 3:26
  to act like the ultimate calendar, kind of like a bouncer
• 3:30
  of the calendar and keeping everything in line to help you
• 3:33
  streamline. And really you want to sync
• 3:35
  Airbnb, Verbo, booking.com, your, your direct booking site.
• 3:41
  You want all of that to be consolidated into one calendar.
• 3:45
  When a booking comes in, it automatically blocks everywhere
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  instantly. And really just make sure that
• 3:52
  the property management software you choose supports direct
• 3:56
  bookings. So you're not handing over 15%
• 4:00
  of your revenue to the OTAs every single time you want to
• 4:05
  grow your direct bookings, even if it's by two or three percent.
• 4:09
  You don't just want to leave your eggs in the in the OTA
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  basket. That's number one is really the
• 4:15
  channel synchronization. But then you want automated
• 4:18
  guest messaging. Now you you are not a 24 hour, 7
• 4:24
  day a week call center, but you know what the guests expect you
• 4:29
  to expect you to answer like you are a 24 hour, 7 day a week call
• 4:33
  center. And that's where automation is
• 4:35
  going to save you a lot of time. But most importantly, it's going
• 4:39
  to save you a lot of sanity. With the right setup, you can
• 4:42
  still sound professional and personal without typing.
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  You know the Wi-Fi password is sunshine 123 a hundred times a
• 4:52
  month. So really you want to automate
• 4:54
  booking confirmations, your check in info, your check out
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  reminders, use personalization field.
• 5:00
  So instead of a, you know, like a cold template you wanted to
• 5:04
  read. Hey James, your code for the
• 5:06
  Oakwood cabin is 4621. For example, make it
• 5:10
  personalized to the guest. And then you also want to
• 5:14
  sprinkle in some sprinkle in some brand personality.
• 5:18
  Now, whether that's a fun emoji or maybe a signature sign off,
• 5:22
  you want that feel to be authentically communicated here
• 5:28
  at Host Fully. I end all of my emails with Host
• 5:30
  Fully yours. That's our brand.
• 5:32
  That's my signature sign off, that's my personality, right?
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  So you want to communicate that over.
• 5:39
  And then Host Fully also has our in our messaging.
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  We have special conditions where you can send an e-mail, text
• 5:47
  message, or WhatsApp days or hours before the stay starts,
• 5:53
  before the stay ends, after the stay starts, after the stay
• 5:57
  ends. You can also send it on a
• 5:58
  specific day of the week. You can send it when agreement,
• 6:02
  when a rental agreement is signed.
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  You have all of these different conditions and we can get really
• 6:08
  granular with your setup as well.
• 6:11
  Then we have smart home devices because really tech should work
• 6:16
  while you're asleep. So smart locks, thermostats,
• 6:20
  leak sensors, garage openers, essentially all the gadgets that
• 6:25
  make you feel like James Bond. And I say that because every
• 6:28
  time I pull into the car, I pull the car into the driveway.
• 6:32
  We just, we just installed, what's it called?
• 6:37
  Q something my Q. We just installed my Q.
• 6:43
  And every time I pull into the driveway, I feel like James Bond
• 6:46
  when I opened it up remotely. But anyway, I digress.
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  So smart locks are game changers.
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  So you can no longer or you, you no longer have to hide the keys
• 6:57
  under the mat. No more guests going to text you
• 7:00
  at midnight because they can't find the lock box.
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  Or let's be honest, they can't figure out how to use the lock
• 7:06
  box themselves. And when it's integrated with
• 7:09
  your property management software, that's magic.
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  You're sleeping, you're getting better sleep.
• 7:13
  You're going to have more energy for the next day ahead.
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  So really it's it's imperative to have a smart home device.
• 7:21
  Give your guest that a unique lock code that activates a check
• 7:26
  in and expires at checkout, which increases not only your
• 7:30
  sanity, but the safety of your unit as well as the safety for
• 7:35
  your guests. Preset the thermostat so the
• 7:38
  house feels cozy, refreshing and inviting when the guest arrives,
• 7:43
  but also it's going to be energy efficient when they leave.
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  There's also noise monitors for Peace of Mind so you can catch
• 7:51
  that wild party before it becomes a one star review from
• 7:55
  your neighbors. So those kind of smart home
• 7:58
  devices are are really important.
• 8:00
  But then you also have payments and reporting.
• 8:02
  You have to follow the money. Nobody gets into the short term
• 8:06
  rental industry because they love spreadsheets.
• 8:09
  I don't think anyone loves. Well, I have a few friends that
• 8:11
  love spreadsheets, but I lose myself when they talk about it.
• 8:15
  But tracking revenue, tracking payments and owner commissions,
• 8:20
  that's how you keep the lights on.
• 8:22
  So it is important to do and and do correctly if you want to
• 8:27
  scale and be successful. And really, this is where your
• 8:30
  property management software shines.
• 8:32
  It takes the boring but necessary stuff off your plate
• 8:36
  completely. Connect your property management
• 8:39
  software to your payment processor so your guests can
• 8:41
  easily pay you securely, especially with direct bookings.
• 8:47
  Automate receipts and invoices for your guests, your owners,
• 8:51
  they get them instantly. You create your customized
• 8:54
  report on host fully once you set up that automation to go out
• 8:58
  the first month or the end of the month once and everything is
• 9:02
  set. You can also use your property
• 9:05
  management software dashboard like a like a cockpit.
• 9:09
  Real time insights into revenue, occupancy and overall trends.
• 9:15
  You're not going to have any more confusion or mystery about
• 9:18
  whether you actually made money that month.
• 9:21
  You can easily pull a report on our software or even view our
• 9:26
  dedicated analytics feature for a quick snapshot of how your
• 9:29
  properties are pacing. And then lastly, there's
• 9:32
  hopefully digital guidebooks. It's where we all started and,
• 9:35
  and, and David, our Co founder and president, he calls it the
• 9:39
  secret sauce for guest experience.
• 9:41
  So and it it, it's really the part I love.
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  And the key take away for it all is turning your guest
• 9:47
  communication into something unforgettable and fun.
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  You want them returning. So those paper blinders, paper
• 9:56
  binders, those random sticky notes, those are all outdated.
• 10:01
  Digital guidebooks are really the way forward and they're the
• 10:04
  way of the future for your guests, but also for your team.
• 10:08
  And they make you look like a total professional.
• 10:10
  So with that being said, you can load your guidebook with Wi-Fi
• 10:15
  details, house rules, even step by step check into instructions.
• 10:20
  Using photos and videos as well in our guidebooks really go a
• 10:24
  long way. And then you could add your
• 10:26
  recommendations, your brand, your local flavor.
• 10:29
  Be sure to include your favorite Taco joint, the best coffee
• 10:32
  spot, or even that hidden hiking trail that only locals know
• 10:37
  about with some cool fun facts about certain spots.
• 10:40
  And you can keep it visual. Our guidebook accommodates
• 10:43
  photos, maps, videos, and because it's digital, you can
• 10:48
  update it anytime. Gone are the days of having to
• 10:52
  reprint your guidebook when there's an update or a change
• 10:55
  needed. And the big picture here is that
• 10:58
  you don't need every shiny gadget out there.
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  But like I mentioned earlier, you do need the right tech and
• 11:06
  the right property management software at the core of your
• 11:09
  business. There's not one property
• 11:11
  management software out there that will accommodate and please
• 11:16
  every single property management, every single
• 11:19
  property manager. So again, a good property
• 11:22
  management software, it's going to centralized your bookings,
• 11:25
  it's going to automate your guest message, it's going to
• 11:27
  connect with the smart devices, it's going to handle your
• 11:31
  payments. But ultimately, we wanted to
• 11:33
  level up the guest experience. So really without a property
• 11:37
  management software, you're kind of duct taping tools together
• 11:40
  and hoping for the best. With it, you're running a
• 11:44
  professional, scalable hospitality business.
• 11:48
  And hey, hostfully, that's exactly what we're obsessed
• 11:50
  with. We want to help hosts like you
• 11:54
  take back your time while your guests grow your revenue and
• 11:58
  scale as a short term rental operator.
• 12:02
  Because at the end of the day, tech isn't about making things
• 12:05
  more complicated. It's about giving you the
• 12:08
  freedom to run your business smarter and not harder.
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  And, and I mean, the best way to do that is with the right
• 12:16
  property management software. 100%.
• 12:19
  Yeah. And I think the way to look at a
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  great PMS is not as a cost, but as an investment because it's
• 12:28
  going to help you grow your business, ultimately earn more
• 12:33
  revenue. You're going to have happier
• 12:34
  guests, better experiences, not just for your guests, but your
• 12:37
  entire team. So, you know, think about all
• 12:40
  those different things, all those benefits, you know, the
• 12:42
  channel syncing, the automated guest messaging, integration
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  with all the tech. We've talked about smart locks a
• 12:49
  lot, Frank, We all know how how brilliant they are.
• 12:52
  And of course, using the digital favorite thing, which it's
• 12:55
  definitely one of my favorite things.
• 12:56
  Yeah. You can tell I've just installed
• 12:58
  a few of my properties, can't you?
• 13:00
  So, yeah. And the digital guidebooks, of
• 13:02
  course as well, helping you to appear, you know, or, you know,
• 13:05
  showcase yourself as a professional host who knows what
• 13:09
  they're doing. These things really do impress
• 13:11
  guests and that mean, you know, as we've saying, leads to better
• 13:14
  reviews, leads eventually to, you know, guest rebooking and
• 13:18
  ultimately more revenue. So people out there, Frank,
• 13:21
  there'll be people thinking, right, sign me up.
• 13:23
  If they want to find out more about Hostfully, about the PMS,
• 13:26
  the digital guidebooks, where do they go?
• 13:29
  Yeah. So I shared a link with James.
• 13:30
  It's going to bring you directly to my availability, my calendar.
• 13:34
  However, if you want to e-mail me, it's frank@hostfully.com.
• 13:38
  If you just want to learn more about Hostfully, just go to
• 13:40
  hostfully.com. We have a ton of resources,
• 13:44
  webinars, case studies on there. It really is a wealth of
• 13:48
  information. But again, I'd be more than
• 13:50
  happy to have a one-on-one personalized demo with you.
• 13:54
  Answer any questions you have. And again, it's
• 13:57
  frank@hostfleet.com. Even if you just have a few
• 14:00
  questions about your current property management software and
• 14:03
  you know what the the comparison is between the two, happy to
• 14:06
  chat. Again, just leaving it off.
• 14:09
  There's not one property management software that's going
• 14:11
  to make every property manager happy, but the best thing you
• 14:15
  can do is your due diligence. Check us all out, see which one
• 14:18
  works best for you, and hopefully he's here to answer
• 14:22
  any questions you have about that.
• 14:24
  Superb. And of course, we've got a
• 14:25
  couple of special offers as well.
• 14:27
  We've got $500 off onboarding for the PMS and 30% of digital
• 14:32
  guidebooks for life. Those offers and codes are in
• 14:36
  the show notes, so check them out.
• 14:37
  Book your demo with Frank and hey presto, you'll be working
• 14:41
  with the PMS and it's going to supercharge your management
• 14:44
  business. Frank, real pleasure as ever.
• 14:47
  Thanks for joining us on House Planet Bite Size.
• 14:50
  Yeah, Always a pleasure chatting with you, James.
• 14:52
  Thanks for having me. Great to chat to Frank Bosi
• 14:54
  there about STR tech. If you're not already using
• 14:57
  ABMS, make sure you give Housefully a try.
• 15:00
  All right, that's it for today's episode.
• 15:02
  Remember, this podcast is brought to you in collaboration
• 15:04
  with Housefully, which is trusted by short term rental
• 15:07
  professionals. Across the globe.
• 15:09
  As a House Planet listener, you get 2 exclusive offers $500 off
• 15:13
  onboarding for House Fully's property management.
• 15:16
  Software just use. The code planet 530% off digital
• 15:20
  guide books for life. Use the code houseplanet GB to
• 15:24
  grab these deals, click the link in the show notes or head to
• 15:27
  housefully.com. For more free education tips and
• 15:30
  trends from the STR industry, visit houseplanet dot club,
• 15:34
  where you can sign up for our newsletter, listen to our
• 15:36
  podcasts and download a suite of ebooks for hosts and property
• 15:40
  managers. That's it for today's episode.
• 15:42
  Until next time, happy hosting.