Google Vacation Rentals Connectivity Partner

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There is a specific option of becoming an "official business" on Google which then allows you to have a listing that provides direct booking and reviews. It also serves to have you found on their front /landing pages when people google for a location. 

BUT there are very specific criteria a business must fulfill before Google recognizes it as a business- and more specifically as a Vacation Rental Business allowable on Google:

1. MOST IMPORTANTLY- You must have more than your one VR. People get around this be dividing their homes into rooms and then call themselves a lodge. Sometimes folks just give it a go and list their home any way..hoping the google police will not discover them. I survived 5 years that way...but then my listing was pulled, I lost my reviews and all my lovely Google posts that upped my SEO. (actually all Google reviews were not really lost as I always copy and paste my reviews in my website.
2. Must have a sign on your building front- which in my case is against our HOA. They require a photo showing not only the sign but distinguishing landmarks/street signs to show where and on what street that building is.
3. You must also show proof of BEING a business, e.g. EIN tax documents

see: https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177#zippy=%2Cineligible-businesses

https://support.google.com/hotelprices/answer/11946834

There are channel managers such as OR already doing this for their users by bundling them together to get onto Google Vacation Rentals. Look at GVR's support article They specifically list all of these competitors to Ownerrez that can currently get properties on GVR if you have fewer than 5,000 properties. Does OR not have 5,000 properties?

• Adchieve
• Avaibook
• Avantio
• Beds24
• Bluetent
• BookingPal
• Eviivo
• FantasticStay
• Feondi
• Futurestay
• Homerez
• Kigo
• Kross Booking
• Lodgify
• Octorate
• NextPax
• Rentals United
• Reservit
• Stays.net
• Uplisting
• VRBookings

Goes onto say:

If you're already working with a connectivity partner that's not listed above, encourage them to follow the steps outlined in this guide. If you'd like to become a connectivity partner with Google, or if you think direct integration is the right path for you, follow the same steps to get started.

Apologies if this has already been mentioned.

It's very frustrating. It seems that OR has just made up their minds they don't want to connect us to Google Vacation Rentals, connects us to channels with little traffic and no bookings instead.

I can't go into further detail beyond what I've discussed before, but, this is not the case, and our discussions with Google are moving forward.

Okay, thanks for that info, Ken. It just seems mystifying to those of us non-techies who see a huge roster of other channel managers already hooked up, ones with totally inferior product to OwnerRez, why they have been able to get set up but not OwnerRez.

Curious if you were able to find another way to list on Google Vacation Rentals while maintaining OR as your PM system.  We are in the same boat as we have multiple properties and we are being searched and found on Google now.  

Not quite sure how this is not complete yet. GVR will be a major source of income for many, just as their flight program took off. It'd be best to get your clients into GVR as fast as possible to help us grow our income streams further. Google seems to provide a pretty comprehensive integration manual. Any ETA from the OR Team? 

If you have fewer than 5,000 properties, we strongly recommend working with one of the connectivity providers listed below to get your properties shown on Google.

• Adchieve
• Avaibook
• Avantio
• Beds24
• Bluetent
• BookingPal
• Eviivo
• FantasticStay
• Feondi
• Futurestay
• Homerez
• Kigo
• Kross Booking
• Lodgify
• Octorate
• NextPax
• Rentals United
• Reservit
• Stays.net
• Uplisting
• VRBookings

If you're already working with a connectivity partner that's not listed above, encourage them to follow the steps outlined in this guide. If you'd like to become a connectivity partner with Google, or if you think direct integration is the right path for you, follow the same steps to get started.

Why is OwnerRez needing to have ongoing discussions with Google about this over a period of several months while other inferior channel managers have long ago gotten their host customers connected with Google Vacation Rentals?

How much talking about this is necessary over all this time, and why have the other channel managers been able to connect without all the talking?

Has anyone looked into these for the sole purpose of GVR integration and not fully abandoning OR? I would pay a minimum subscription just to have it as you pointed out- it is definitely affecting bottom lines for direct bookings.  

This has been answered. https://www.ownerrez.com/forums/requests/google-vacation-rentals-connectivity-partner#68129

Does Google charge us a commission for each booking?  When I looked into them way back when I don't think they did.  That makes me wonder, what is in it for Google?  Nothing they give for "free" comes without a price tag.  Your emails, calendars, photos, drive, contacts, notes, search history, etc. are all mined for useful data they can sell to advertisers.  They track you across the web courtesy of their free analytics platform, selling that information as well.

No, they want something.  Hopefully, OR is not bound by an NDA/mNDA and can give us some more insight, but from Ken's responses, I'm assuming it's a very strong (m)NDA.

One Consideration: The other channel managers charge a lot more in fees that Owner Rez does. We had a client who wanted GVR for their house, and when I queried owner  rez and the significant difference in fees was pointed out, I stopped asking.

One Consideration: The other channel managers charge a lot more in fees that Owner Rez does. We had a client who wanted GVR for their house, and when I queried owner  rez and the significant difference in fees was pointed out, I stopped asking.

Yes, you're right about that.

I'm sure I'm not alone in loving OwnerRez and everyone I've had interactions with who works there.

Just not understanding what's going on with this one particular issue.

Agreed on the fees.  Left Lodgify because of them and everything being UTC based and support being in Spain (and I'm in Los Angeles).

I don’t think beds24 does?

One Consideration: The other channel managers charge a lot more in fees that Owner Rez does. We had a client who wanted GVR for their house, and when I queried owner  rez and the significant difference in fees was pointed out, I stopped asking.

Yes, you're right about that.

I'm sure I'm not alone in loving OwnerRez and everyone I've had interactions with who works there.

Just not understanding what's going on with this one particular issue.

this is what owner rez said to me: "when Google Vacation Rentals is ready for primetime, yes we will of course integrate with them.  However, they are brand new to the market, and whenever google sees an opportunity to make money they throw their hat into the ring.  Generally it seems they'll  get bored and those ventures never come to full fruition.  Hopefully GoogleVacation Rentals will be different, but only time will tell..." and then he discussed the fee difference with another channel partner that posts listings to GVR charging 5% of bookings, versus the fee-friendly model owner rez is.

this is what owner rez said to me: "when Google Vacation Rentals is ready for primetime, yes we will of course integrate with them.  However, they are brand new to the market, and whenever google sees an opportunity to make money they throw their hat into the ring.  Generally it seems they'll  get bored and those ventures never come to full fruition.  Hopefully GoogleVacation Rentals will be different, but only time will tell..." and then he discussed the fee difference with another channel partner that posts listings to GVR charging 5% of bookings, versus the fee-friendly model owner rez is.

Great point.  Orkut and Google Plus come to mind

GVR may be free initially to get people on board but after they monopolize the market like they inevitably do with other things, they will start charging. Mark my words. 

As, we have previously raised - we would really like to see this feature.  Google organic searches are the biggest traffic source to our website.  In a FB group of 8,000 members many are reporting success with being a GVR connectivity partner.  Our previous channel manager who we consider inferior has had it for some time now.  We really want to stay with OR, but this remains a consideration for us. I hope OR will be able to bring good news this Autumn, thanks for all your work on the subject.

Curious if you were able to find another way to list on Google Vacation Rentals while maintaining OR as your PM system.  We are in the same boat as we have multiple properties and we are being searched and found on Google now.  

Currently looking at this too. Need to find one of the integrated CM's that has a reasonable price and find a way of syncing the calendar and pricing between the them and OR. that last bit is the biggest headache. 

Considering an alternative CM, plus Pricelabs to sync across OR and the other CM and do an ical sync. Seems overly complicated and overly expensive to acheive something that is available in other CM's. Frustrating!

It is either that or go direct and try to get listed myself, this is a revenue stream i do not wish to miss out on.