OwnerRez started as a way to centralize booking calendars between listing websites so you don't get double-bookings. Our Calendar Import/Export feature still offers an effective way to do that.
But there's a lot more to listings than just syncing calendars. Your listings need to stay up-to-date with many things - rates, rules, photos, amenities, etc - and it's a pain to have to manually make those changes by hand on multiple channels and for multiple properties.
We've built a comprehensive set of Channel Management features that allow you to make those changes in one one central location - OwnerRez - and have them replicated onto the major booking channels. Need to update a last minute rate or replace an old photo? You can do that in OwnerRez in one spot and the changes will sync out to your own website and channel listings without you having to lift a finger!
The most powerful part of our Channel Management Software is a series of API Integrations that we have developed with certain channel partners. With API integration, bookings and guest information are pushed into OwnerRez automatically, from the channel, just like a direct booking from your website. In some cases, you even have access to the guest's credit card and can do your own processing - that's right, for channel bookings!
As you can imagine, Channel Management is a broad topic with a lot of nuance and variation. What type of user you are, and how you run your vacation rental business, will have certain ramifications. Please read the following sections to dig deeper into our Channel Management features.
- Features for 'Mom and Pop' owners (less than 5 properties)
- Features for PMs (5 or more properties)
- Messaging and unified inbox
- How to get started with Channel Management
Features for 'Mom and Pop' property owners (less than 5 properties)
We love individual owners, and OwnerRez was originally designed for them back in the day! We believe that owners with one property should have access to all of the same tools that Property Managers (PMs) use. Unfortunately not everybody feels that way and sometimes we're stuck with limits imposed by the channel. Regardless, OwnerRez has great channel management features available for everyone.
If you have less than 5 properties, you can still take full advantage of OwnerRez by using the calendar import/export, Channel Bridge, API integrations and more to manage your listings and automate and streamline your workflow. The below table shows more details about what OwnerRez offers 'Mom and Pop" vacation rental managers.
Please Note: full API integration is available for Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com no matter how many vacation rentals you have.
For our 'Mom and Pop' clients with properties outside of North America, please check with us on current restrictions for API integration.
| Function | Can Sync | How it works... |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar | Yes, fully | You'll set up background syncing using our iCal-integration based calendar import/export engine for every channel (including regional/local listing sites) where you have listings. For your Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com listings, you'll configure API integration which will sync calendars automatically. |
| Rates & Rules | Yes for Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com No for everything else |
For your Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com listings, you'll configure API integration which will sync all rates and rules automatically. Except for Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com, there is no way to have rates sync in the background automatically. If you are not yet using the API integrations, we have a manual rate push tool you can use, using our Channel Bridge tool, that will push a full 2 years of rates from OwnerRez to Airbnb and Vrbo. Every time your rates change, you'll run the manual rate push to update Airbnb and Vrbo. If you have rates listed on other channels, you'll need to update those listings by hand. |
| Property Content - Photos - Amenities - Descriptions - Rooms |
Yes for Airbnb, Vrbo and HomeToGo No for everything else |
Except for Airbnb, Vrbo and HomeToGo API connected accounts, there is no way to have content sync in the background automatically. That only works via API integration with Airbnb, Vrbo AND HomeToGo users. Our API integration for Booking.com does not support content. If your content changes in OwnerRez, you'll need to update your channel listings by hand to match. |
| Reviews | Yes for Airbnb Manual tool for Vrbo No for everything else |
Airbnb will send reviews into OwnerRez automatically, but they are the only one. All other channels do not do that even if you qualify for the API integrations.
However, via our Channel Bridge tool, you can quickly download all of your reviews from Vrbo and then bulk import the reviews into OwnerRez.
For all other channels, you would have to manually find and copy/paste those reviews into OwnerRez by either entering them manually or filling in our import spreadsheet. |
| Bookings |
Yes for Airbnb,
|
Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com and HomeToGo will push bookings directly into OwnerRez using the API Integration. All other channels will not unless you are using an API integration (and users with less than 5 properties won't qualify for those). There are differences between API integrations, so read our comparison article for more details. For other channels, and for those not using API Integration, the calendar import/export process will create new bookings when they are detected on the channel calendar. Those booking will appear mostly empty, with only a name and basic arrival/departure date. The Vrbo API integration will provide complete booking information for bookings made after connecting the API. For Vrbo bookings made before API, and for all Airbnb bookings (even if using API) you need to use Channel Bridge to download and import the rest of the booking data from the channel. Channel Bridge can do this for both Vrbo and Airbnb. This will bring in many other details such as the party size (adults, children count), guest email, guest phone, charges, payments, fees and more. This is a manual process but can be done for bookings in bulk. As the bookings change on the channel, such as second payments being made, you'll run Channel Bridge again to pick up the new changes. |
| Guest Info | Yes for Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com and HomeToGo No for everything else |
This works the same as the Bookings category above. For Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com and HomeToGo, the API channel integration will push the guest information directly to OwnerRez when the booking comes in. Booking.com pushes across a proxy email address, so we recommend asking the guest for a real email address after the booking comes in. Airbnb has turned off the automatic email addresses they used to provide for reaching guests. Fortunately, you can turn that feature back on again. Use this link to Opt Back In to getting the proxy email. For all of the other channels, you'll need to either use Channel Bridge or manually copy/paste that information into OwnerRez from wherever the booking came from. |
Features for the Property Manager (PMs) (5 or more properties)
If you have 5 or more properties, you will have full access to all of our API integrations and property management software. API integrations are very powerful and sync everything in the background without you having to lift a finger.
Let's review the same table of functionality as above but this time for PMs.
| Function | Can Sync | How it works... |
|---|---|---|
| Calendar | Yes, fully | You will set up API integration and the calendars will sync whenever there is a change. Calendar import/export (iCal) is not necessary. |
| Rates & Rules | Yes, fully | You will set up API integration and the rates from OwnerRez will push over to the channel whenever there is a change. |
| Property Content - Photos - Amenities - Descriptions - Rooms |
Yes, except for Booking.com | Except for Booking.com, all of our API integrations will manage content changes for you. Whenever the content changes, OwnerRez will push the changes over to the channel. |
| Reviews | Yes for Airbnb Manual tool for Vrbo No for everything else |
Airbnb will send reviews into OwnerRez automatically, but they are the only one. No other channels do that, even though you are big enough to qualify for the API integration. However, via our Channel Bridge tool, you can quickly download all of your reviews from Vrbo and then bulk import the reviews into OwnerRez. For all other channels, you would have to manually find and copy/paste those reviews into OwnerRez by either entering them manually or filling in our import spreadsheet. |
| Bookings | Yes, fully |
Our API integrations will push bookings directly into OwnerRez including party size, financial info and more. However, there are differences between API integrations, so read our comparison article for more details. The Vrbo API integration will provide complete booking information for bookings made after connecting the API. For Vrbo bookings made before API, and for all Airbnb bookings (even if using API) you need to use Channel Bridge to download and import the rest of the booking data from the channel. Channel Bridge can do this for both Vrbo and Airbnb. This will bring in many other details such as the party size (adults, children count), guest email, guest phone, charges, payments, fees and more. This is a manual process but can be done for bookings in bulk. As the external bookings change on the channel, such as second payments being made, you'll run Channel Bridge again to pick up the new changes. |
| Guest Info | Yes, fully | Our API integrations will push guest info directly into OwnerRez including email address, phone and in some cases even the home address. Booking.com pushes across a proxy email address, so we recommend asking the guest for a real email address after the booking comes in. Airbnb has turned off the automatic email addresses they used to provide for reaching guests. Fortunately, you can turn that feature back on again. Use this link to Opt Back In to getting the proxy email. |
Messaging and unified inbox
As discussed in our inquiry forwarding support article, we do not recommend forwarding Vrbo inquiries to OwnerRez because the guest's email address is hidden, and any response you send back by email will get stripped by Vrbo. Users can respond to Vrbo inquiries directly in OR.
Our Airbnb and Vrbo API Integrations include a unified inbox system to send messages from Airbnb and Vrbo to OwnerRez directly and you can answer those directly in OwnerRez. Users can send images and everything else that Airbnb and Vrbo support in their message system - all from OwnerRez.
Users can also prepare and send Airbnb special offers via the Airbnb messaging system.
We are working towards a long-term goal of having a global unified inbox for all first-class distribution channels, and our goal is to support both direct guest messaging (email and SMS to the guest directly) while also supporting platform messaging (through Vrbo and Airbnb) via the same unified inbox.
You can forward inquiries into OwnerRez, and we have a parsing engine that will turn emails into inquiries and allow you to prepare quotes and send responses. However, that uses traditional email as a response to the guest, not the same inbox as the Airbnb and Vrbo integration. So the Airbnb and Vrbo inboxes and the general inquiry system are two separate things.
How to get started with OwnerRez Channel Management
Channel Management is a daunting subject - we get it. It is one of the most integral features in OwnerRez because of how wide-reaching it is and how many other functions it affects. And since it affects your marketing, it affects your revenue and profit if you don't get it right.
First, understand that there is no magic button you can press to have it all working instantly. It takes time to learn and understand. It takes reading and configuring settings. If you're wanting to pay someone to make it work quickly and without you having to be involved, don't bother going down this path - it won't work. You have to learn how tools and functions work so that you can continue managing them as your business matures and changes over time.
Then, identify which group you are in from the sections above - a mom/pop owner or a PM. Do you have 5 or more listings? If you do have 5 or more listings, do you want to use API integrations? There are some PMs that don't for various reasons.
Once you've identified which type of user you are, start down the table above and hook up each item one by one. Start with the Calendar and get that syncing in both directions with all the channels. Then configure your rates and rules and push those across the channels where possible. Watch a booking come in and see how it looks and whether anything further needs to be done with it. If you can push content, do that.
Finally, follow the links and dive deep into the other articles that we've referenced above. Here they are again:
As you read and learn, you might find these other articles interesting as well: