Best way to get more short-term rental management clients in Central/Northern Wisconsin?
I own a short-term rental property management company called Wilder Stays, and I’m trying to figure out the best way to grow our owner/client side of the business throughout Central and Northern Wisconsin.
We currently manage a growing portfolio of cabins, cottages, homes, and other vacation rentals across the Northwoods. We handle things like guest communication, pricing, booking management, cleaning and maintenance coordination, listing optimization, and the day-to-day operations for owners who don’t want to manage everything themselves.
Most of our growth so far has come organically through relationships and referrals, but I’d like to become more intentional about reaching owners who already have an Airbnb/VRBO or are thinking about turning a property into a short-term rental.
For anyone who owns vacation rentals or works in the industry:
What would actually make you consider switching to or hiring a property manager?
Would you respond better to direct outreach, referrals from realtors/cleaners/contractors, local Facebook groups, mailers, networking, or something else?
And for owners who currently self-manage, what is the biggest thing that would have to happen before you’d consider handing management off to someone?
I’m especially interested in what works in smaller markets like Minocqua, Wausau, Rhinelander, Tomahawk, Crandon, Eagle River, and the surrounding Northwoods rather than major vacation markets.
Not trying to turn this into a sales post. I’m genuinely trying to understand how property owners prefer to be approached and what actually builds trust with a local management company! Thanks in advance!