Instant Software Blog

HomeAway's Brian Sharples Announced as Keynote Speaker for RezFest 2010

Instant Software is pleased to announce Brian Sharples as RezFest's 2010 Keynote Speaker. Sharples will be addressing the future of the Vacation Rental Industry on September 22, 2010, in Las Vegas, NV. Brian Sharples co-founded HomeAway with Carl Shepherd in February 2005. Since then he has raised more than $405 million and acquired 13 Web sites to create the worldwide industry leader in Vacation Rentals and alternative accommodations.

This year, Sharples led HomeAway through its first national advertising campaign, which launched during Super Bowl XLIV. The ad was highly successful and ranked in the top five Super Bowl ads most likely to inspire customers to try the product, according to Allen & Gerritsen’s Meaningful Messages Super Bowl Ad Survey.  With Sharples at its helm, HomeAway also acquired BedandBreakfast.com and ventured into the South American market with the acquisition of the leading site in Brazil, AlugueTemporada.com.br.

Sharples is the former president and chief executive officer of IntelliQuest Information Group, a supplier of marketing data and research to Fortune 500 technology companies.  While there, he pioneered the development of subscription-based statistical research services and electronic survey systems. He also completed two successful public offerings and the subsequent sale of the company.

An expert in technology brand strategy, Sharples has counseled several leading companies, including Apple, Microsoft and Dell. He also created the IntelliQuest Brand Tech Forum Conference, which became an industry-leading symposium, and served as a consultant at Bain & Company early in his career. He earned a bachelor’s degree in math and economics from Colby College and a master’s degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

About Instant Software

Instant Software, Inc. (ISI) is the world’s leading provider of Vacation Rental software. Instant Software’s complete end-to-end solutions include: First Resort Software™, Property Plus™, Entech™, V12.NET™, Rezolution™, and ISILink™,the most powerful web distribution system in the industry. ISI has installed software at more than 2200 property management companies and vacation rental resorts throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. ISI was the first in the vacation rental industry to bring real-time online booking; serves more than 250,000 vacation rental properties; and services more vacation rental management companies than any other in the U.S.

 

BP OIl Spill Impact on the Vacation Rental Industry

On September 10, 2010, the Instant Software Research Center is hosting a webinar for members of the Vacation Rental Industry entitled "Oil Spill Impact on the Vacation Rental Industry."

This webinar reviews the arrival and revenue trends in the Vacation Rental Industry as they relate to the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf Coast Region. We will review data from the area directly affected by the disaster, as well as nationwide data impact from the summer months of 2010. 

BP Oil Spill Impact on the Vacation Rental Industry, 3:00 EDT, September 10, 2010

Vacation Rental Industry's Premier Conference Agenda

Check out the agenda for RezFest 2010, the can't miss event for the Vacation Rental Industry.  RezFest 2010 Agenda

 

State and Regional Vacation Rental Trends: July 2010 Report Released

State and Regional Vacation Rental Trends: July 2010 Report Released

The Instant Software Research Center is pleased to release its July State and Regional Vacation Rental Trend Report. Find out more about how your state and region have performed by reading these reports, which measure revenue, reservations, night stays and other trends to date from 2010 against those in 2009.

These reports are the most useful and accurate resource for trends in the vacation rental market because Instant Software is the largest technology provider in the industry. Our leadership position provides you with the greatest amount and broadest range of data available. 

Instant Software releases Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-Annual, and Annual Trend Reports. Check back monthly to get these reports for your vacation rental business.

Get Trend Reports Here

The Instant Software Research Center is pleased to release its July State and Regional Vacation Rental Trend Report. Find out more about how your state and region have performed by reading these reports, which measure revenue, reservations, night stays and other trends to date from 2010 against those in 2009.

These reports are the most useful and accurate resource for trends in the vacation rental market because Instant Software is the largest technology provider in the industry. Our leadership position provides you with the greatest amount and broadest range of data available. 

Instant Software releases Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-Annual, and Annual Trend Reports. Check back monthly to get these reports for your vacation rental business.

Get Trend Reports Here

Marketing Tips and Tricks from the Grateful Dead

by Amy Mutual

Last week I attended HubSpot’s webinar entitled “How to Market Your Business like the Most Iconic Band in History” in which the co-authors (David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan) of the new book Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead discussed how to apply effective marketing strategies from the influential band known as the Grateful Dead to today’s businesses. Being a younger generation Deadhead, I’ve watched bands such as Phish and Widespread Panic successfully utilize similar viral marketing strategies, but I’ve never intentionally applied them to the Vacation Rental industry. However, after listening to the webinar, I quickly realized Vacation Rental Management companies could learn a lot from the Grateful Dead. Here are some suggestions:

Improve every department in 3 days at RezFest 2010

Education and Training for Each Member of your Team
RezFest 2010 is a can't-miss event for your Property Management Company.From owners to operators, RezFest 2010 provides training, insights and educational opportunities designed intentionally to grow your business next year and in years to come. Check out some of the great opportunities for the different members of your team:

Owners and Senior Managers
Owners and senior managers of Vacation Rental Management Companies can look forward to interactive round table discussions, innovative new product announcements and demonstrations, and courses on dynamic pricing models, industry trends and reporting, new technology, and ways to grow your revenue without diluting public pricing.  

Why Get a Bagel When You Can Have a Beer?

Vacation Rental Industry Happy Hour & Discussion: Why Get a Bagel, When You Can Have a Beer?

Instant Software hosted its first happy hour for the Vacation Rental industry in Palm Springs, California. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the format of a panel discussion and forum mixed in with some casual networking. Beer, wine, food and peers all gathered to share market related information, issues and trends. What a great way to end the day!

Trends and Tips. Before discussing California statistics, George Volsky, Instant Software's Director of Research, reviewed the latest national trends, including the trend towards pushing costs upward while lowering revenues. Volsky shared several tips that would allow managers to increase fees without attracting the kind of attention that can drive away renters or homeowners.

Interpreting Statistics. Using the latest booking statistics, Instant Software shared how to recognize the practical implications from the data, how to effectively compare the data with that of an individual company, and how to use the information to make educated business decisions.  

Technology Trends: the Next Evolution. The panel also discussed third-party distribution websites and shared predictions about how the provision of "free" services by Google and CraigsList as a business model may force third-party booking agents to keep fees low in the future.

Selling Choice. The discussion also analyzed other industries and their best practices and identified aspects of these industries that can be emulated in the Vacation Rental industry. For example, airlines, hotels and insurance carriers are now breaking down fees to sell "choice" to keep basic prices low. Rental managers can and should do the same. This strategy can prevent managers from losing customers who want to pay less and are willing to take less.

Real Estate Sales Agents Helping Homeowners Bypass Managers. The forum addressed a hot-button topic facing local managers, the growing tendency of real estate agents finding renters for higher priced homes. One of the implications discussed was the danger of encouraging homeowners attempting to self-manage or book owner weeks that deprive managers of commissions. As the real estate market recovers, sales agents are likely going to lose interest in rentals, which can cause long-term damage to the agent-homeowner relationship.

Search Engines Changes. Instant Software encouraged property managers to stay on top of the newest developments in Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Local and paid searches are appearing in many Google location searches "above the fold," and it is important to have a strategy and subsequent actions to keep yourself visible in those areas. See Amber Leto Mayer's latest webinar, "SEO for the Vacation Rental Industry," for the latest search information from Instant Software. 

Third Party Bookings.The panel encouraged property managers to use these distribution sites and discussed the impacts of third party websites on visibility in search engines and how important it is to consider the strategy of working with Partners such as HomeAway, and the OTA's such as Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia.

Proactive Ways to Retain Homeowners. To close the discussion and forum, Volsky presented property managers with a successful Homeowner Retention Strategy for Vacation Rental Managers and offered suggestions for shaping homeowners' views about the pros and cons of self-management.

Instant Software is excited about the new casual, panel/discussion format and intends to provide more of these Happy Hour Vacacation Rental Forums in destinations around the country. As George Meshkov, Director of Online Business Development said, "Palm Springs was a huge success. Discussing best practices, new and relevant market issues, what we as an industry are facing right now, and how to move forward in the business with success in this type of setting was extremely valuable."

Instant Software looks forward to sharing more Happy Hour Panel Discussions and Forums and hopes to see you there!

Vacation Rental SEO: Notes from SMX Advanced Compiled Specifically for the Vacation Rental Industry

Amber Leto Mayer, founder of TravelStorm and Rezolution recently returned from the SMX Advanced Conference in Seattle, the #1 search engine marketing conference, and she shared her experience in an informative webinar on July 26.

With the newest information from Google, Bing, and many others, Amber Mayer combined her 10 years of experience as a vacation rental property manager, with her marketing and technology expertise to compile and condense the wealth of information specifically for the Vacation Rental Industry. 

For your convenience, Instant Software has posted links to the slideshow only and the entire webinar.

Vacation Rental SEO: Notes from SMX Advanced Compiled Specifically for the Vacation Rental Industry SlideShow

Vacation Rental SEO: Notes from SMX Advanced Compiled Specifically for the Vacation Rental Industry Webinar

RezFest 2010: Grow your Business and Beat the Competition

Only 2 months until the most informative technology conference in the Vacation Rental industry. Register today to reserve your spot.

In 2 months Instant Software will be hosting RezFest 2010 in Las Vegas, September 21-23, and it is the event not to miss this year.

What makes RezFest the premier conference in the Vacation Rental industry? Find out just how RezFest

VOLSKY'S VIEW: Encouraging Homeowners to Use Third-Party Listing Sites.

^{by George Volsky}

 

^{Many management companies encourage their homeowners to list their homes on popular RBO sites.} 

^{It is probably true this will help third-party listing sites grow to the point that these sites divert renters who previously booked directly with the rental manager. The listing sites will use the booking fees to outbid rental managers for vacation rental search words. As more managed homes are placed on Rent-by-Owner (RBO) sites, more rental customers will go to these sites. Long-term, this may divert renters from the}