Pricing Strategies: How to Optimise Your STR Prices

For any vacation rental owner, grasping the influence of local events is essential for enhancing demand and revenue. AIRDNA reports that Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour notably affected the short-term rental industry in the United States, generating $27.3 million in revenue across the 20 cities she visited.

Overlooking such occurrences in your area could mean overlooking revenue opportunities. Are you striving to increase your profit margins while attracting potential guests? Let’s delve into vital strategies to ensure your vacation rental maintains optimal pricing year-round.

Importance of Pricing 

Pricing is a fundamental aspect of event planning and management as it directly impacts the perceived value of your event and influences the purchasing decisions of potential attendees. 

The right pricing strategy can help you achieve a balance between generating revenue and maintaining an attractive offering, ultimately leading to higher occupancy rates.

Key Factors Influencing Event Pricing Decisions

When determining the appropriate pricing for your events, several key factors come into play. These factors include the market analysis, competitor pricing strategies, event type, target audience, among others. Understanding these factors and considering their interplay is vital in setting the right prices that align with your goals and ensure optimal results.

The Right Pricing Strategy: Analysing Competition

When it comes to setting the right pricing, it is key to look into the market and competition, analysing both direct and indirect competitors to discern their pricing strategies, offerings, and guest engagement tactics. This involves collecting data on how competitors adjust their prices, their promotional activities, and guest reactions to these strategies. 

For example, you may uncover that a competitor offers discounted rates for early bookings, attracting price-sensitive guests. Recognising these trends enables businesses to predict market shifts, strategically price their own rentals, and identify gaps or segments that competitors overlook, thus gaining a competitive edge.

The Right Pricing Strategy: Optimising Your Prices for Special Events

In order to maximise the success of your special events, it is essential to implement the right pricing strategy. Let’s look into the different approaches and methods that can be employed to optimise vacation rental pricing to maximise revenue during key events.

Value-Based Pricing

Value-based pricing centres on setting prices that reflect the perceived value to guests rather than just covering costs. This approach can consider factors like how close the property is from the event location or any extra services that can improve the overall event experience. It aims to price the rental based on how much value guests believe they are getting from their stay. 

For example, a short term rental 5 minutes walking distance from the event can set higher prices because these features enhance the perceived value for guests attending the event. This strategy encourages pricing based on the rental’s unique benefits and experiences it offers.

Dynamic Pricing Tactics for Maximising Revenue

Dynamic pricing is a strategy where short term rental prices change based on demand and timing. It means charging more when demand is high, like while the event is happening, and less when it’s over. 

This approach helps maximise earnings by taking advantage of busy periods while still attracting guests during slower times with lower prices. It’s like airline tickets or hotel rooms, where prices go up and down based on how many people want them. 

By using dynamic pricing, vacation rental owners can adjust their rates to match local events, helping them earn more and keep their rentals booked.

Psychological Pricing: Leveraging Consumer Perception

Psychological pricing is a strategy that plays on guests’ perceptions to make prices seem more appealing and encourage quicker booking decisions. This technique can involve setting prices just below a round number, like pricing a rental at $99 instead of $100, to create the illusion of a better deal.

It also includes offering limited-time discounts or setting early booking prices lower to instigate a sense of urgency. By making guests feel they are getting more value for their money, this approach not only makes the rental more attractive but also stimulates faster action from potential guests, leading to increased bookings.

Cost-Plus Pricing

While cost-plus pricing may seem simple, it ensures that all costs are covered and a profit margin is maintained. This strategy involves adding a fixed percentage to the cost of producing a product or service. 

For small businesses, cost-plus pricing provides a straightforward method to ensure profitability. Vacation rentals often use cost-plus pricing for special event menus, ensuring that they cover their costs while providing value to customers.

Discount and Promotion Pricing

Using smart discounts and special offers can boost your rental bookings, especially during event season. For example, sites like Airbnb have promotions at specific times that help get more bookings and make guests more interested. By reducing prices for a limited time, your property can attract more guests. 

This strategy not only fills up your rental calendar but also helps create a loyal customer base who are more likely to return, as some events happen every year. This approach is a great way to stand out in the competitive vacation rental market and ensure your property stays booked.

Incorporating Technology in Event Pricing

Modern technology is indispensable in optimising pricing for vacation rentals. Utilising revenue management such as Wheelhouse that employs analytics and competitive intelligence tools to refine pricing strategies can be the road to success.  

These tools offer insights into guest preferences, market trends, and competitive pricing, enabling owners to make informed decisions and automatically set appealing prices in your short term rental.