In today’s ever-changing short-term rental landscape, property managers face new challenges. Occupancy rates fluctuate, and guest preferences evolve, leaving property managers looking for innovative ways to stay competitive and fill their booking calendars. One creative strategy gaining traction involves creating alternative property listings by reimagining the spaces you already manage. In this guide, we’ll share an amazing example of how this strategy worked in the real world, walk you through how to do it step by step, and show how OwnerRez can help you manage alternate listings seamlessly.
What Is the Strategy?
This out-of-the-box approach involves creating additional, unique listings for your existing properties. There are two common approaches to this strategy:
- Create new listings for smaller versions of your property. For example, a property manager might “lock off” a bunk room in a large vacation home to create a smaller, cozier rental option for couples or solo travelers. This version of the home can be listed separately at a lower price point with reduced cleaning fees, making it ideal for last-minute bookings and smaller groups.
- Create new listings by combining multiple properties into a single offering. For example, a property manager who manages adjacent townhomes or duplex units can create a separate listing that markets them together as one large rental. This setup caters to larger groups or families looking for more space.
Adjusting how a property is configured and marketed allows you to tap into new guest segments, creating more opportunities to drive bookings.
How It Works
Strategy #1: Create separate listings for smaller versions of your property
Let’s say someone manages a large five-bedroom vacation home with a nightly rate of $499 and a $250 cleaning fee. Homes like this tend to book further in advance because they cater to larger groups that typically need more time to coordinate a trip. As the check-in date approaches, the chances of getting booked normally decrease unless the manager starts to offer steep discounts, which increases their chances of attracting bad guests.
A creative solution to this problem is to lock off unused rooms and create a smaller, more affordable version of their listing. For example, they could turn the five-bedroom home into a two-bedroom home by locking off three bedrooms. This allows the manager to significantly lower the nightly rate and the cleaning fee, making the property more appealing to a new audience, such as solo travelers, couples, or small families who are more likely to book last-minute.
Strategy #2: Create new listings by combining multiple properties into a single offering
Next, for strategy two, let's say this manager also manages two side-by-side duplexes in a beach community, each with three bedrooms and a nightly rate of around $300 during the peak season. These units attract smaller families or groups, which creates a great opportunity for last-minute bookings but means they’re missing out on the valuable market segment of larger groups who typically book further in advance and stay longer.
A creative solution to this problem is to create an additional listing that combines both duplexes into one six-bedroom rental. This creates a brand-new offering in the market designed for larger groups like extended families, wedding parties, or groups of friends traveling together. Before, booking the duplexes together wasn’t even a real option because the individual listings would get filtered out when groups searched for larger homes. Now, this combined listing will show up in those search results, opening up a whole new audience and opportunity.
Step-By-Step Guide:
To implement these strategies, you will need a property management system that supports mutual blocking so when one version of the property gets booked, the other is automatically blocked. With OwnerRez, you can easily set up mutual blocking and map multiple smart locks to different listings within the same property so everything syncs up seamlessly. Here's how to get your new alternate listings set up and running:
Step 1: Duplicate your listing. Whether you are following strategy one or two, duplicating your current listing will help speed up the process. To duplicate your listing inside of OwnerRez, select your property > click Actions in the top right corner > and then select Duplicate.
Step 2: Configure your listing to match your new offering. Here are a few things you will need to change while setting up your new alternate listing(s).
- Change the occupancy rules: Adjust the maximum number of guests to match the new layout. In OwnerRez you can easily change the occupancy rules by going to the specific Property > Rules > and then by clicking Change.
- Change your booking window: Adjust your booking window to match the new target audience of your alternative listing. If you are offering a smaller version of your existing property, consider offering short lead times to attract last-minute travellers. Change your booking window inside of OwnerRez by navigating to your Property > Rules > and then by clicking Change.
- Change your minimum night restrictions: Make changes to your minimum-stay requirements to optimize your revenue. For example, if you are combining properties into one larger listing, consider increasing your minimum night stay requirement to promote longer bookings. Change your minimum night preferences in the same editor as your booking window. Navigate to your Property > Rules > and then click Change.
- Adjust your pricing: Apply new pricing strategies to your alternate listings. You can manually adjust your pricing inside of OwnerRez by selecting your property and scrolling down to Rates. Dynamic pricing tools are also a great way to quickly get your new listing fully optimized. Our dynamic pricing partners analyze vast amounts of data to generate precise pricing recommendations, saving you time and ensuring that your property is always competitively priced. Check out our guide on The Power of Dynamic Pricing Strategies in Vacation Rentals to learn more.
- Change your photos: Depending on the strategy you choose, make sure you add or remove photos in your listing to match the new offering. Change your listing photos by selecting your listing > Photos > and then click the Change button.
- Change your description: Read through to make sure your description matches your new alternate listing. You may need to add or take away some key information depending on your strategy. Listing descriptions can easily be changed inside of OwnerRez by selecting your property > Description > and then by clicking the pencil icon.
Step 3: Set up mutual blocking. In OwnerRez, you can easily set up mutual calendar blocking, so your alternate listings and the main listing can’t be booked simultaneously. For in-depth instructions on how to get this set up within OwnerRez, watch this tutorial video or follow the steps below. OwnerRez also works seamlessly with several different remote door lock companies. OwnerRez’s remote door lock integration makes it easy to manage access whether you are offering a smaller version of a property or combining multiple units into one listing. You can program locks for multiple properties, map them in OwnerRez, and ensure guests automatically receive the correct access codes for their stay.
- To get mutual blocking set up for your new alternate listing select the Property > Calendar > and then click Mutual Blocking.
- Next, select the property you want to set up for mutual blocking and that’s it! You are all set.
Real-Life Results
A property manager implemented Strategy #1 in the summer of 2023, creating new listings for smaller versions of their three vacation homes. By offering lower-occupancy options, such as two-bedroom versions of larger homes, they've:
- Generated nearly $20,000 in last-minute booking revenue since the inception of the new alternate listings.
- Expanded the concept to include one-bedroom options, offering full kitchens to compete with local suites that typically only offer microwaves.
- Found the alternate listings invaluable for filling last-minute gaps in their booking calendar.
Is It Allowed?
A natural question arises: Does creating alternate listings for the same property violate platform policies, such as Airbnb’s Terms of Service? Based on a review of Airbnb policies, this practice is compliant as long as:
- The alternate listings are genuinely distinct (different layout, max occupancy, etc.).
- It’s not done to avoid negative reviews or account issues.
To be safe, consult the terms of service for your chosen booking platforms.
Why This Matters in Today’s Market
In a market where lower occupancy rates and last-minute bookings are becoming the new normal, this strategy provides an edge over your competition. By creatively optimizing your existing properties, you can:
- Attract a broader range of guests by appearing in more search results.
- Maximize revenue during slower periods by filling last-minute stays or by securing bookings further in advance.
How You Can Get Started
If you’re ready to try this approach, tools like OwnerRez make it easy to manage multiple listings for the same property. With features like calendar synchronization, mutual blocking, and customized pricing, OwnerRez helps you streamline operations and avoid double bookings.
Ready to try it for yourself? Reach out to learn more or schedule a demo with OwnerRez to see how we can support your business goals.
Maximizing Revenue with Creative Property Listings FAQs
Q: What is the “alternate listings” strategy and how does it work?
A: The alternate listings strategy is a creative way to generate more bookings from the properties you already manage. It involves either creating a smaller version of your property or combining multiple units into one large rental. Both approaches help you appear in more searches and attract different guest segments.
Q: Why should I consider creating alternate listings?
A: Alternate listings help you fill gaps in your booking calendar, attract last-minute stays, and capture new markets you might be missing. Smaller listings are perfect for budget-conscious travelers, while larger combined listings appeal to groups booking further in advance.
Q: Can OwnerRez help me set up alternate listings?
A: Absolutely! OwnerRez lets you duplicate listings, adjust occupancy, update booking rules, change pricing, and customize descriptions in minutes. You can even set up mutual calendar blocking so no two versions of the same property can be booked at once.
Q: How does mutual blocking work in OwnerRez?
A: Mutual blocking automatically blocks the calendar for all versions of a property when one gets booked. This prevents double bookings and keeps your availability accurate across all of your connected platforms.
Q: Can I use different smart locks for each alternate listing?
A: Yes! OwnerRez integrates with the leading door lock brands, allowing you assign different locks to each listing or to several alternate listings so guests automatically get the right access codes for their stay.
Q: Is this strategy allowed on Airbnb and other platforms?
A: Yes, as long as each listing is genuinely different in layout, occupancy, and features and you are not using it to avoid bad reviews or account issues. Always check each platform’s terms of service before publishing alternate listings.
Q: What kind of results can I expect from alternate listings?
A: Results can vary, but one property manager generated nearly $20,000 in last-minute bookings by offering smaller versions of their homes.
Q: How do I create an alternate listing inside of OwnerRez?
A: Inside OwnerRez, simply duplicate your listing, make the necessary adjustments to reflect the new offering, then set up mutual blocking. With everything synced, you’re ready to attract new types of guests without extra operational headaches.