Convert your Murcia holiday rentals enquiries into bookings.
Renting holiday homes in Murcia, Spain may seem a simple enough task with sun, sea, sand and golf on tap all year round; but so many apartment and villa owners make basic mistakes that can potential put off holidaymakers and encourage them to rent alternative villas. Help turn your holiday enquiries into bookings by following five easy steps:
1) Get out there: advertise your Murcia holiday rentals
First of all, you need to be seen to receive enquiries: so advertise on various websites dedicated to advertising Murcia owners’ apartments and villas, as well as general holiday rental websites for Spain, this will ensure your villa or apartment is seen by as many holidaymakers as possible.
There are many independent holiday rentals companies out there that are dedicated to marketing and advertising apartments and villas within specific regions on Spain. For example, if you have an apartment or villa in Murcia, finding a dedicated Murcia villas rentals specialist will help optimize your enquiries and should increase your bookings overall.
2) Give great service: respond promptly to enquiries.
When you receive holiday rentals enquiries via phone or email, always reply promptly, politely and within 24 hours. If you take too long to respond, the enquirer may look at alternative villas or apartments to rent in Murcia and you’ve missed out on a potential booking. Make sure your correct contact details are available, including a phone number (with international dialing code), email and the hours you are available. Giving a range of contact options allows the enquirer to get in touch in their preferred method. You’ll find that some holidaymakers like to hear a voice at the other end of the line, whereas others are happy with virtual contact.
3) Give plenty of information about your holiday rental
Always exchange as much information as possible about your holiday property. Make sure you highlight all the unique selling points (USPs) about your Murcia villa or apartment, for example, ask yourself…is the garden south facing? Is it near to bars and restaurants? Is there a golf course within walking distance? Does it have a hot tub, heated pool or pool guard? Is it near a supermarket? Or does your property include a complimentary cot or highchair? Remember, customers are always looking for great, all-inclusive deals on cheap villas with pools or apartments in Murcia, so the less they have to bring or spend on holiday extras, the better.
All these added extras will make your Murcia villa or apartment more desirable when customers are considering rentals on the Costa Calida. Also, when you answer email enquiries make sure you include extra local links such as car hire, airport transfers and local attractions, such as beaches in and around the Mar Menor as well as shopping centres. If you can make the effort, your potential guests will be really attracted, not only to your villa and the local area, but will be impressed with your professional attitude to renting and local knowledge.
4) Correctly advertise your holiday home in Murcia
When advertising your apartment or villa, many owners fail to advertise their properties correctly and to their full potential. Never lie about what facilities your rental property does or doesn’t have and always include a detailed but accurate online description. This normally consists of how many rooms your rental property has and what facilities each rooms contains. For example, under bedrooms always include the configuration (twins or doubles); if the garden is south facing; if the property has part of full air conditioning or fans; if the holiday villa has satellite or terrestrial TV; if it has a gas or charcoal BBQ; if it has a cot or highchair; if it has a dishwasher and microwave and if it has enough sunbeds for all guests to use. Basically, all items listed under your property description will be aspects an enquirer will want to know about before they rent your villa or apartment in Murcia for their family.
One of the biggest mistakes owners make is called ‘misleading advertising’; when property owners in Murcia ‘say’ they offer a facility’ i.e. satellite TV or a dishwasher for example, and they do not have it so the customer is disappointed. Be careful, this can lead to complaints and, in certain circumstances, claims for compensation.
Pictures tell a thousand words: display as many good photos of your actual apartment or villa for rent as possible; enquirers love to see pictures of the villa’s pools, bedrooms and living areas. Always show your property in it’s best light by dressing the property; curtains, cushions and a vase of flowers will make your villa or apartment far more appealing. Do not advertise pictures that are not your rental property, as again, this is highly misleading to consumer as it is not true.
5) Perfect your rental pricing and contracts
It can be a confusing world of pricing in the holiday rentals market; especially in cheap, up-and-coming destinations like Murcia in Spain, as you don’t want to price too high and put off potential bookings, but, at the same time, you don’t want to price too low, making it not worth your while. The solution is to keep your pricing competitive, look around and see what similar properties are charging, or if you’re advertising with a Murcia villas rentals specialist, they’ll be able to advise the best costing for your property. Always include booking notes in your reply to an enquiry, as no one likes hidden costs. Extras such as pool heating, clean fees, check-in and check out times and a standard security deposit should be advised of beforehand, so always make your booking conditions clear and concise to potential guests.
At the time of booking always tell guests when payment is due, how you accept payment and that you will send a written confirmation receipt. A booking contract is always customary, so it is advised you seek professional advice, preferably by a solicitor. Make the enquirer feel safe, secure and informed when booking your apartment or villa in Murcia, and you should benefit from holiday bookings year after year.
Article by Connect Rentals the Murcia villas rentals specialist.
Date posted: 31 August 2010
