This year brought the return of one of our favorite events, the Vacation Rental Management Association’s annual conference (VRMA), which happened this year in San Antonio, Texas. The RealTech team was lucky enough to attend in person with members representing each department of our fantastic team. Here are some of the event’s highlights if you did not get the opportunity to attend this year.
Top Takeaways
The demand for rental homes grew rapidly during the pandemic, and many property managers either maxed out their bookings or increased their inventory. This increased demand led to a boom in the vacation rental industry, with huge strides in the overall hospitality industry. Technology has been a huge part of this growth, with many property managers adopting contactless check-in, virtual concierge services, and even smart locks and other automation advancements.
Software was a huge topic at the VRMA conference as it has been most years. Topics such as API software and increased data uptake from property management companies such as Key Data & Price Labs found their way into the conversation. There continue to be acquisitions happening both for vacation rental companies and on the technology side.
The rise in popularity of vacation rentals and subsequent push to increase rental inventory has led to a labor shortage for many vacation rental managers. Attempting to maintain COVID-19 high standards of cleanliness and the constant push for new guests has left businesses struggling to find employees for critical roles.
Lastly, the most considerable excitement at VRMA for many attendees in the industry was that it was the first time they had attended a larger gathering in well over a year. Reuniting with friends and colleagues from all over the nation and across the industry was a fantastic experience for all those involved.
Plan Ahead for VRMA 2022
These are just a few of the key takeaways from this year’s VRMA conference. If you didn’t have the chance to attend this year, be sure to note that next year’s conference is being held in Las Vegas, and we hope to see you there!
