We have compiled a list of the ten most popular vacation rental websites according to Alexa traffic, reader response, and expert industry analysis. While the vacation rental industry varies tremendously between simple listing sites to more robust vacation rental reservation services, this list is meant to provide a quick look into this rapidly growing industry and to provide readers a basis for future research into this industry. Please note that this list is not in any particular order and is meant merely as a guide.
HomeAway - We couldn't start our analysis of the vacation rental industry without acknowlegding the parent company that owns nearly all of the larger ones? Based upon their information listed in Crunch Base, "The HomeAway portfolio of sites includes HomeAway.com, Vacation Rentals By Owner and VacationRentals.com in the United States; HomeAway.co.uk and OwnersDirect.co.uk in the United Kingdom; HomeAway.de in Germany; Abritel.fr and Homelidays.com in France; HomeAway.es in Spain; and AlugueTemporada.com.br in Brazil. The company's portfolio also includes HomeAwayRealEstate.com, which offers unique real estate information that highlights a vacation home's rental income potential and destination-specific characteristics. In addition, HomeAway operates BedandBreakfast.com, a global site dedicated to finding bed-and-breakfast properties, which provides travelers with another source for unique lodging alternatives to chain hotels." HomeAway will certainly be at the heart of the vacation rental industry for quite some time.
HomeAway - We couldn't mention a few of the most popular vacation rental websites without mentioning the parent company that owns them now can we? Based upon their information listed in Crunch Base, "The HomeAway portfolio of sites includes HomeAway.com, Vacation Rentals By Owner and VacationRentals.com in the United States; HomeAway.co.uk and OwnersDirect.co.uk in the United Kingdom; HomeAway.de in Germany; Abritel.fr and Homelidays.com in France; HomeAway.es in Spain; and AlugueTemporada.com.br in Brazil. The company's portfolio also includes HomeAwayRealEstate.com, which offers unique real estate information that highlights a vacation home's rental income potential and destination-specific characteristics. In addition, HomeAway operates BedandBreakfast.com, a global site dedicated to finding bed-and-breakfast properties, which provides travelers with another source for unique lodging alternatives to chain hotels." Whatever is to be said about the future of the vacation industry it's a safe bet that HomeAway will be in the middle of it.
Vacation-Renter - This is a small but relatively stable company that has been around for the past five years. They focus on individual markets rather than the broad spectrum of the vacation rental industry. Because they simply lack the financial firepower of the other major industry leaders, this is the only real way that they can carve out a small market share, and so far this has resulted in slow but steady growth.
AlwaysOnVacation - AlwaysOnVacation is an advertising service that offers small commission payments for rentals. They offer owners an advertising guarantee stating that "if you do not receive a 10 times return on your investment during the first 12 months of your initial subscription, we will extend your subscription an additional 6 months free of charge!" Although yet another listing site amongst thousands of listings sites, AlwaysOnVacation does have a rather large database of property listings.
Rentalo - This is a decent vacation rental listing site much aligned in the same way as the other basic listing services. Rentalo has a respectable reputation and currently offer listings worldwide. They also rank favorably in search engine results for vacation rental homes.
Zonder - Zonder is an interesting twist on the vacation rental industry. Currently a partner with Orbitz, the long-serving hotel and flight reservation website, Zonder appears to be a solid option for vacation renters. Visitors are able to book online as well as contact owners who don't offer online booking. It will be interesting to see how long the two-tiered business approach will work, as many argue that it will only cause confusion as the industry gains popularity, but for now Zonder's future is looking strong.
VacationRentals411 - A large, simple website that offers individual property rentals from owners worldwide. Not quite as visually impressive as some of the other sites mentioned it still is a good place to begin you vacation rental research.
FlipKey - A newer vacation rental website that has popped up on the web, FlipKey offers a nifty user program and the power of being part of the Trip Advisor marketing machine. Probably one the cleanest and most visually appealing advertising sites, FlipKey has quickly etched out a place as emerging industry leaders and appears to be gaining some major leverage on the industry.
FlipKey - One of the more recent vacation rental websites that have hit the web, FlipKey offers a great user interface and the power of being part of the Trip Advisor marketing machine. Probably one the cleanest and most visually appealing advertising sites, FlipKey has hit the ground running and appears to be gaining some serious leverage on the industry.
VacationRentals411 - One of a few of the larger websites that is not currently owed by HomeAway, VacationRentals411 is another advertising site that offers vacation rentals world-wide. Not quite as visually appealing as some of the other sites mentioned it still offers decent owner online support and an extensive inventory. This website is a good place to search for quality vacation listings.
Although this list cannot do the entire vacation rental industry complete justice, it does provide an interesting mix of size and type of company currently active in today's market. While it does appear that certain companies clearly hold an advantage when it comes to investment dollars and sheer size, there are a few quality sites that offer a different approach to marketing short-term rentals. Wherever you decide to travel, try doing some initial research on some of these websites and see for yourself.
HomeAway - We couldn't start our analysis of the vacation rental industry without acknowlegding the parent company that owns nearly all of the larger ones? Based upon their information listed in Crunch Base, "The HomeAway portfolio of sites includes HomeAway.com, Vacation Rentals By Owner and VacationRentals.com in the United States; HomeAway.co.uk and OwnersDirect.co.uk in the United Kingdom; HomeAway.de in Germany; Abritel.fr and Homelidays.com in France; HomeAway.es in Spain; and AlugueTemporada.com.br in Brazil. The company's portfolio also includes HomeAwayRealEstate.com, which offers unique real estate information that highlights a vacation home's rental income potential and destination-specific characteristics. In addition, HomeAway operates BedandBreakfast.com, a global site dedicated to finding bed-and-breakfast properties, which provides travelers with another source for unique lodging alternatives to chain hotels." HomeAway will certainly be at the heart of the vacation rental industry for quite some time.
HomeAway - We couldn't mention a few of the most popular vacation rental websites without mentioning the parent company that owns them now can we? Based upon their information listed in Crunch Base, "The HomeAway portfolio of sites includes HomeAway.com, Vacation Rentals By Owner and VacationRentals.com in the United States; HomeAway.co.uk and OwnersDirect.co.uk in the United Kingdom; HomeAway.de in Germany; Abritel.fr and Homelidays.com in France; HomeAway.es in Spain; and AlugueTemporada.com.br in Brazil. The company's portfolio also includes HomeAwayRealEstate.com, which offers unique real estate information that highlights a vacation home's rental income potential and destination-specific characteristics. In addition, HomeAway operates BedandBreakfast.com, a global site dedicated to finding bed-and-breakfast properties, which provides travelers with another source for unique lodging alternatives to chain hotels." Whatever is to be said about the future of the vacation industry it's a safe bet that HomeAway will be in the middle of it.
Vacation-Renter - This is a small but relatively stable company that has been around for the past five years. They focus on individual markets rather than the broad spectrum of the vacation rental industry. Because they simply lack the financial firepower of the other major industry leaders, this is the only real way that they can carve out a small market share, and so far this has resulted in slow but steady growth.
AlwaysOnVacation - AlwaysOnVacation is an advertising service that offers small commission payments for rentals. They offer owners an advertising guarantee stating that "if you do not receive a 10 times return on your investment during the first 12 months of your initial subscription, we will extend your subscription an additional 6 months free of charge!" Although yet another listing site amongst thousands of listings sites, AlwaysOnVacation does have a rather large database of property listings.
Rentalo - This is a decent vacation rental listing site much aligned in the same way as the other basic listing services. Rentalo has a respectable reputation and currently offer listings worldwide. They also rank favorably in search engine results for vacation rental homes.
Zonder - Zonder is an interesting twist on the vacation rental industry. Currently a partner with Orbitz, the long-serving hotel and flight reservation website, Zonder appears to be a solid option for vacation renters. Visitors are able to book online as well as contact owners who don't offer online booking. It will be interesting to see how long the two-tiered business approach will work, as many argue that it will only cause confusion as the industry gains popularity, but for now Zonder's future is looking strong.
VacationRentals411 - A large, simple website that offers individual property rentals from owners worldwide. Not quite as visually impressive as some of the other sites mentioned it still is a good place to begin you vacation rental research.
FlipKey - A newer vacation rental website that has popped up on the web, FlipKey offers a nifty user program and the power of being part of the Trip Advisor marketing machine. Probably one the cleanest and most visually appealing advertising sites, FlipKey has quickly etched out a place as emerging industry leaders and appears to be gaining some major leverage on the industry.
FlipKey - One of the more recent vacation rental websites that have hit the web, FlipKey offers a great user interface and the power of being part of the Trip Advisor marketing machine. Probably one the cleanest and most visually appealing advertising sites, FlipKey has hit the ground running and appears to be gaining some serious leverage on the industry.
VacationRentals411 - One of a few of the larger websites that is not currently owed by HomeAway, VacationRentals411 is another advertising site that offers vacation rentals world-wide. Not quite as visually appealing as some of the other sites mentioned it still offers decent owner online support and an extensive inventory. This website is a good place to search for quality vacation listings.
Although this list cannot do the entire vacation rental industry complete justice, it does provide an interesting mix of size and type of company currently active in today's market. While it does appear that certain companies clearly hold an advantage when it comes to investment dollars and sheer size, there are a few quality sites that offer a different approach to marketing short-term rentals. Wherever you decide to travel, try doing some initial research on some of these websites and see for yourself.
About the Author:
Want to find out more about San Francisco vacation rentals, then visit Jennifer Decker's site on how to choose the best vacation rental for your needs.
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