What is a Channel Manager and how can they help you manage your holiday rentals?

September 2023

If you are a property manager or you want to rent your property and you know the platforms to advertise your properties, it is recommended that you use a channel manager for holiday rentals… but what is a channel manager? Don’t worry, we give you detailed information about all its advantages in managing and administering your rentals.

What is a Channel Manager?

In a nutshell, a channel manager is software that allows you to include your ads on the major rental platforms at the same time, such as Holidu, Airbnb, Expedia or TripAdvisor. Forget about managing 20 different platforms at the same time! In a nutshell, a channel manager is software that allows you to include your ads on the major rental platforms at the same time, such as Airbnb, Expedia or TripAdvisor. Forget about managing 20 different platforms at the same time!

A Channel Manager allows you to synchronize the information of all the portals where you advertise your holiday rental simultaneously, being able to access the updated calendar at all times. This way, you can forget about double bookings, overbooking and having to update. A Channel Manager allows you to synchronize the information of all the portals where you advertise your holiday rental simultaneously, being able to access the updated calendar at all times. This way, you can forget about double bookings, overbooking and having to update.

Let’s take an example, imagine you receive 10 bookings on Airbnb, Holidu, Booking and TripAdvisor. The coordination work would be enormous, and time is money! Having a channel manager for apartments offers the possibility of connecting with each platform so that every time you get a reservation or want to announce any variation in the stay, the same channel is responsible for making the respective modifications. As a result, you get updated information and save time offering a better service. 

So if you want to get the job done more efficiently, you need this tool to update rates, calendars, content, images, availability and much more, all in one place. Plus you avoid double bookings or any other errors. So if you want to get the job done more efficiently, you need this tool to update rates, calendars, content, images, availability and much more, all in one place. Plus you avoid double bookings or any other errors.

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How does a Channel Manager work??

The channel manager is an online tool with a username and password. Once in the software, you will see a planning-type format where you will be able to:

• Create new sales and close sales
• Modify rates 
• Receive reservations
• Modify reception services 
• Establish regulations
• Display availability calendar

Example: a person made a reservation for a weekend in one of the villas in Cordoba through TripAdvisor. What am I going to do as the owner or manager of the rental? The answer is easy, NOTHING, as the information is automatically updated on other platforms such as Booking or Airbnb. This way sales for those days are closed automatically on any platform.

Benefits of using the channel manager

• Automated work: every modification of rates, calendars and availability will have to be done only through the channel. All the information is entered through this channel and the software will be in charge of sending the data to each platform. 
• A single interface: the channel manager memorizes your users and passwords on the platforms to be used. This makes it easier to manage your properties in a single space.
• Less margin of error: as it is not a repetitive job when managing the properties. You only worry about the operation of the channel.
• Increased revenue: thanks to the good service you will quickly and easily obtain excellent ratings as a result, increasing your customer base thanks to the reviews of satisfied guests. In addition, you increase your visibility as a property manager.
• Overbooking is avoided: Double booking is one of the most common problems when working individually. If you receive multiple reservations it is possible that you make a mistake in one of the platforms when updating the availability calendar. 
• Time-saving: betting on more efficient management. As it is a channel that works automatically, it is not necessary to understand each process in the platforms, saving you a lot of time to invest in other areas. 

Some of these channel managers are available on a mobile application and will send you a notification for each booking that is made. In addition, some of them allow you to close the booking through the same channel.

Best Channel Managers

AvaiBook

It is a software that allows the management of rentals by managers or owners of stays. It offers the optimization of your houses, hotels, apartments and much more. In addition, it has booking engines and an integrated payment gateway.

Example: If you have 3 properties available, there is the standard plan with management benefits, automatic emails, a tab for the accommodations, and multi-calendar in real-time. This and much more for only 64 Euros per month. And if you are a manager with 25 properties, the standard monthly plan will be 229 Euros, that is, each rental will cost 9 Euros.

Siteminder

Reach guests through more than 200 distribution channels, including TripAdvisor and Expedia. It offers analytics, technical support, booking management, unlimited channels at no additional cost, mass updating and performance rules ideal for creating the best sales methodologies.

Lodgify

It aims to maintain a synchronization of calendars to avoid double bookings. It connects with companies such as Airbnb, Expedia and Vrbo, and stands out for offering a connection that allows updating rates and bookings across all platforms. Just click “Get Started” and follow the steps. The increased visibility and revenue is due to the API integration that allows a bi-directional connection between two software platforms.

Hotelfriend

Located in Germany, it provides solutions for owners and managers to automate bookings worldwide. In addition, it displays up-to-date information in a single dashboard and enables rate rules across the platforms you use. You can also update minimum stay days by assigning prices for all distribution channels and set seasonal restrictions – all in one place!

How to combine a Channel Manager with a real estate CRM

You already know about the channel manager, but if it goes hand in hand with a real estate CRM it is even more efficient. The latter, according to its acronym “Customer Relationship Management”, is a management software that helps to improve the organization of real estate companies, streamlining development processes and increasing productivity. 

How can you combine these two softwares? Simple, the channel helps in an automated way to manage the rental, but what about the clients? Have you thought about them? This is where the real estate CRM comes in.

Example: Imagine having an apartment for rent in Albufeira, the automatic updates are handled by the channel and the customer wallet through the real estate CRM, providing key information for the reservation. Once the information is gathered, the communication record is facilitated.

Best Real Estate CRMs

Zoho CRM

It is one of the easiest software to use and ideal if you are a beginner owner. One of its benefits is that it works by interacting with Google Gsuites. Among the prices, they offer packages starting from 12 euros and up to 45 euros, with enhanced function limits. 

In addition, it has:

• Free version to manage customer contact.
• Generates monthly reports.
• Payment options with customized module management with automated jobs, where customers can answer online surveys.

Hubspot

It is characterized for being one of the best developed and marketed on the Internet, offering marketing and customer service tools. It has a free version and a paid version. The availability is starter and professional.

This type of software allows:

• Send messages or receive calls with the customer.
• Schedule an appointment calendar for potential customers.
• Generate customized reports with intelligent sales analysis.

Inmoweb

It competes with other real estate CRMs by offering a one month completely free trial, and packages range from 29 euros to 110 euros. 

On the other hand, it offers excellent benefits such as:

• Unlimited property management.
• Unlimited customer management. 
• Gateways with portals.
• Email support.
• Synchronization with Google Calendar.
• Commercial performance.
• Marketing for owners.

What to do to choose the best one?

We suggest you try some of the software, they are all excellent and save you a great deal of time, improving your profitability and efficiency as a property manager, administrator or owner. There are many channel managers for villas, apartments, rural houses, or bungalows among others, that work with rental listing platforms such as Airbnb, Expedia, Holidu and others. All platforms can be worked with real estate CRMs to offer an automated service when responding to customers. 

It can be difficult at first, but after a week you will appreciate the time and effort you will be saving from using these software programs. Continue to learn how to manage your properties to earn more income by improving your production efficiency.

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