Vacasa vs a local manager: what to compare before you sign
By the Simply team ·
Whether you're weighing Vacasa, another national company or a local manager, the questions that matter are the same. Size alone doesn't tell you how your home will be run. The answers each manager gives you, in writing, do.
Here is what to compare, and what to ask, before you sign.
Who you'll actually talk to
Ask each manager:
- Who answers when you call, and who answers a guest at midnight?
- How many homes does each person on the team look after?
- Will the same person know your home next season?
A national company and a local one can both do this well or badly. The answer is in the names and numbers they give you.
How pricing is set
Commercial pricing tools such as PriceLabs, Wheelhouse and Beyond are sold to managers of every size, so the tool itself is rarely the difference. Ask:
- Which tool do you use, and how often do you reprice?
- Can I see the rates and set a floor?
- Who looks at the results for my home, and how often?
Cleaning and maintenance
Ask who cleans your home, whether it is the same crew each time, and how they check the work. For repairs, ask how quickly someone can get to the home, who they call, and whether repair bills are marked up.
The whole fee
The headline percentage is only part of the cost. Ask: "If my home earns $50,000 this year, what will I pay you in total: management fee, cleaning, linens, maintenance markups, technology fees, everything?" Compare that total, and get the list of charges in writing.
How you leave
Ask how long the agreement runs, whether it renews on its own, how much notice you have to give, and whether there is a termination fee. At Simply: No long-term contracts.
Where your home is listed
Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com list homes from managers of any size, so a national brand isn't required to reach those guests. Ask each manager which channels your home will be on. Simply bookings come through Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Marriott Homes & Villas and Capital One Travel, plus our own booking sites, Stay Portland and Mt. Hood Basecamp.
Signs it might be time to switch
If you're with a manager now, national or local, these are signs the arrangement isn't working for your home:
- You can't get a person on the phone who knows your home.
- Your occupancy has dropped and no one can explain why, or what they're doing about it.
- Cleaning complaints are showing up in reviews.
- Your charges have crept up with fees that weren't in your original agreement.
- You don't know who is responsible for your home.
- Repairs take days instead of hours.
Making the switch: what to expect
- Review your current contract. Look for the notice period and any termination fee.
- Interview managers. Ask the questions above, and get the all-in cost and exit terms in writing.
- Ask for owner references. Phone numbers of owners you can call, not quotes on a website.
- Check their homes as a guest. Read the reviews on homes they run, or book a night.
- Plan the handoff. Ask how your existing bookings will be kept and what happens to your listing and its reviews.
A slower month, with fewer reservations to move, makes the handoff easier.
Frequently asked questions
Is a local property manager as professional as a national company?
It depends on the company, not its size. Judge both by the same answers: who you talk to, how pricing works, who cleans, the whole fee, and how you leave.
How do I verify a manager's track record?
Beyond owner references, ask for their average guest rating across the homes they manage and how their occupancy compares with the market, in writing.
Will switching managers hurt my listing rankings?
It can, for a while. If the listing has to move to a new host account, its reviews may not come with it, and a new listing has to earn its ranking again. Ask any manager you're considering exactly what carries over for your listing, how they'll keep your existing bookings, and what they'll change first.
