VRBO VACATION RENTALS

VRBO vacation rentals
VRBO is huge vacation rental site that is owned by HomeAway.  VRBO (or Vacation Rental's By Owner) is an older company and was actually founded way back in 1995.  VRBO also claims that their members receive an average of 127 inquiries per vacation rental property listing per year.  But don't kid yourself, competition is still fierce.

Vacation rental listings on VRBO.com have the exact same pricing structure as HomeAway, with both the paid & free-to-list options . But just like HomeAway, it's important that you weigh your options carefully, as the free listings get significantly less visibility and can cost quite a bit more in the long run.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION MODEL

Best for year-round rentals
  • Highest return on investment
  • Flat fee, unlimited inquiries and bookings
  • Improve placement in search results**


Classic $349/year** 
Basic ranking in search results

Bronze $449/year** 
Ranks above Classic in search results
Up to 10% more inquiries than Classic

Silver $649/year** 
Ranks above Bronze in search results. Up to 15% more inquiries than Classic.  
1-month listing in "Featured Rental" area at the top of your area's search results page

Gold $849/year** 
Ranks above Silver in search results
Up to 35% more inquiries than Classic
6-month listing in "Featured Rental" area at the top of your area's search results page

Platinum$1,249/year**
Ranks highest in search results
Up to 70% more inquiries than Classic
12-month listing in "Featured Rental" area at the top of your area's search results page

PAY-PER BOOKING MODEL

Best for people new to renting or that rent for fewer than 6 weeks per year
  • No upfront fees or traveler fees
  • Only pay for the bookings you receive
  • Search position is typically below classic however is variable and subject to change

VRBO also offers a "Free-to-List" option with no up front charge, and with a commission structure at 10% per booking. Which to be notes, is a great option for owners with shorter seasons and smaller income potential. But it's important to know that even the CEO himself has admitted that their rankings favor listings with paid subscriptions, stating that "on average their exposure is still very, very low".

Also, depending on your rental income, the commission-based model can start to get pretty pricy. When their average owner earns about $12K in bookings, that will raise your listing costs up to $1200 (almost 4X than your paid listing option).

VACATION RENTAL SITES
PR VACATION HELPERS / FLIPKEY / VRBO / HOMEAWAY / VACATIONHOMERENTALS.COM  
VACATIONRENTALS.COM/ AIRBNB/ ROOMORAMA.COM