4 Top Vacasa Competitors: Airbnb Management Companies

Vacasa is the largest and best known full-service Airbnb management company in North America, but this doesn’t make it the best one. Indeed, many Vacasa hosts and guests complain about multiple aspects of the services provided by the company, so understandably hosts are evaluating Vacasa competitors.

In this article we will look into the pros and cons of using local property managers as an alternative to large, nationwide companies like Vacasa. We will also analyze the services, costs, terms, and customer reviews of 5 major Vacasa alternatives with multi-market coverage and evaluate which one does what best. 

The top 4 Vacasa competitors include:

• Awning: Best Overall Vacasa Alternative
• RedAwning: Best half-service management
• Avantstay: Best for Luxury Airbnb's
• Casago: Best for Mixed Short and Long-term Portfolios

The top 4 Vacasa competitors are:

Awning: Best Overall Vacasa Alternative

Awning is a full-service vacation rental property management company that was founded in 2020 by Shri Ganeshram and Danaus Chang with the mission to make real estate investing simpler and more accessible for everyone. They headquartered the company in San Francisco, CA. 

One way in which Awning makes real estate investing simpler is by providing top-quality property management services which cover all the needs of in-state and out-of-state investors and their properties. The Awning team has 5+ years of experience in managing short-term rentals and 10+ years of experience in the industry.

One way in which Awning makes real estate investing simpler is by providing top-quality property management services which cover all the needs of in-state and out-of-state investors and their properties. The Awning team has 5+ years of experience in managing short-term rentals and 10+ years of experience in the industry.

One way in which they do that is by providing top-quality property management services which cover all the needs of in-state and out-of-state investors and their properties. The Awning team has 5+ years of experience in managing short-term rentals and 10+ years of experience in the industry.

Awning manages all types and sizes of Airbnb rental properties in all US markets, which makes them the best Vacasa alternative. Property managers have true nationwide coverage, providing services across all locations, as showed by Awning reviews.

The range of services which Awning offers makes them a truly full-service Airbnb property manager, not just by name. As we will show shortly, their services include everything from getting the property ready for renting and receiving guests to all day-to-day tasks and long-term maintenance.

Vacasa vs Awning

Awning is still smaller than Vacasa though it’s growing at an impressive rate. At the moment, Awning manages 100+ vacation rental properties, so it can deliver a much more personal and more comprehensive approach to each individual property, compared to such a large-scale Airbnb property manager like Vacasa.

While the portfolio is smaller, it is well diversified because Awning covers locations in all US 50 states. This makes it superior to Vacasa which is present in 35 states.

Another important benefit of Awning is that it provides all services for a single monthly management fee. This sets it apart from Vacasa which charges separately for some additional services like interior design, linen management, and vacation rental insurance. The overall services provided by the two property managers are very similar, so with Awning you pay less and get more, that’s why Awning provides the best value for your money in the US market.

Awning publishes its management fee on its website, whereas Vacasa does not, and this lack of transparency is not a good sign for property owners. Awning charges an industry-low starting rate of 15% of revenue in all markets and for all properties, while Vacasa rates - as reported by hosts - range from 25% to 35% plus additional fees.

So, no matter what short-term rental property you own or think of buying, it’s totally worth checking out Awning among other Vacasa competitors.

Awning Management Costs and Terms

Unlike Vacasa and some other vacation rental property managers, Awning charges a single property management fee, with no additional, unexpected fees or charges. In this way, investors know the exact services which they will receive and the exact amount they must pay for them.

In addition, Awning has the lowest fee in the US Airbnb management industry, at 15% of revenue. For comparison, most Vacasa alternatives charge between 20% and 40%, some reaching even 50%. Meanwhile, they don’t always provide full-service property management despite their claims.

Awning can afford a low fee and offer all necessary services by automating many parts of the process that don’t require human intervention. This allows them to focus their team efforts on the services that need human input. For example, they use institutional technology providing billions of data points to optimize daily prices and maximize monthly revenue, but also run all results through their local team of experts to ensure that the numbers indeed make sense for the local market.

When hiring Awning, property owners keep full flexibility and freedom through one-month commitments instead of long-term commitment. Annual commitments, however, come at discounted rates. 

Some investors maximize their benefit by testing Awning for a month or two before signing a year-long contract. It gives both parties hands on experience working together on a property.

Importantly, when Awning manages your second home, you can use it for your personal needs any time you want. All you have to do is block the days on the calendar.

Awning Geographic and Service Coverage

Contrary to most Airbnb property management companies, Awning provides real nationwide market coverage. You can work with Awning in any single US state.

The full-service management tasks that Awning offers include:

• Licensing
• Listing creation, optimization by SEO specialists, and distribution
• Listing marketing
• Property photography
• Property guidebook
• Linen service
• Laundry service
• Cleaning
• Restocking
• Lawn maintenance
• Pool maintenance
• Hot tub maintenance
• Dynamic daily pricing combining the latest technology with the human touch
• Calendar management
• Messaging service: 5-15 minute average response time compared to 1+ hour for competitors
• Booking communication
• Check-in and check-out management
• Property maintenance

They include all these services in the 15% management fee that Awning asks for. 

Additional services available from Awning include:

Interior design: Head of Design worked at Airbnb for 7 years

Vacation rental furnishing including design consultation, design development, and white-glove delivery: Well-furnished short-term rentals see a 15%-50% increase in revenue 

Awning Property Management Customer Reviews

As a relatively new Airbnb property manager, Awning has a few online reviews, but they are all excellent.

• TrustPilot: Currently 4.0/5 stars based on 3 reviews. Note that all three reviews are 5-stars.

Real estate investors share their satisfaction with all services that Awning provides including help with locating and buying profitable rental properties. Guests, meanwhile, give Awning-managed properties an average ranking of 4.8/5 across short-term rental listing platforms.

RedAwning : Best Half-Service Management

Considering RedAwning for your Airbnb hosting needs? Here’s what you need to know. RedAwning is a technology-driven, half-service property management company focused on marketing, reservations, and revenue management for vacation rentals. Founded in 2010 by Tim Choate, RedAwning aims to enhance the guest and host experience through technology.

While RedAwning offers some core services, its limited scope may not suit every host's needs. Our review suggests exploring alternatives like Awning, which provides better pricing, more comprehensive services, and a nationwide presence.

RedAwning Services Overview

RedAwning’s services focus on marketing, reservation management, and revenue optimization. They create listings optimized for booking platforms, coordinate professional photography, and distribute listings across major online booking platforms. RedAwning also offers reservation support for guests before, during, and after their stay, along with pricing and revenue management services.

Key Services Offered:

• Listing creation and distribution
• Reservation management and guest support
• Pricing and revenue optimization
• Property damage protection

RedAwning operates across 10,000 destinations in the US market, managing a portfolio of 20,000+ short-term rentals. However, it’s essential to note that RedAwning’s half-service model means they are not directly involved in manual property management processes.

Pros of RedAwning

• Wide market coverage across the US
• Technology-driven approach to marketing and reservations
• Assistance for both small and large property owners

Cons of RedAwning

• Limited scope of services compared to full-service property management companies
• Lack of involvement in manual property management processes
• Mixed online reviews regarding service quality and communication

While RedAwning offers technology-driven solutions for marketing and reservations, its half-service model may not provide the comprehensive support some hosts require. Exploring alternatives like Vacasa, a full-service property management company with a solid reputation and extensive service offerings, may be beneficial. Ultimately, the decision depends on your specific needs and preferences as an Airbnb host.

Get Started with RedAwning

To get started with RedAwning, simply fill out the form and the self-guided on boarding process can be completed in an afternoon. Get your home listed on over 50 sites and get your vacation rental managed today!

Summer Vacation Rental Management: Best for Luxury Airbnb’s

Summer is a nationwide vacation rental management company. It offers full-service management with variable rates based on property type, size and location. Summer stands out on our list because it offers full design and furnishing services on site and inspections of properties nationwide. It’s also staffed by some of the most experienced property managers in the industry. 

Summer Vacation Rental Management Services Overview

Summer offers full service management including all of the cleaning, calls and guest management in addition to the marketing, listing creation and distribution. So you can just sit back and collect the income. Summer also offers hosts full furnishing, design and even necessary repairs, which hosts transfering from other property managers really appreciate. 

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Every Summer property gets individual attention and on-site inspections prior to being listed. Ensuring that guest experiences keep them coming back and booking more. Summer strives to not only offer guests a good Airbnb, but to have the experience be so great that they seek out a Summer property in the future. 

Advantages of working with Summer

• Full Service Management
• Onsite Inspections
• Complete design, furnishing and repair services available
• Nationwide coverage

Disadvantages of working with Summer

• No half service offering, hosts that want to handle cleaning and stocking the property may be better off with a different option

Get Started with Summer

To get started with Summer, simply book a call and learn more about their services and offering. It’s easy to get started and most hosts are able to go live in a matter of 1-2 weeks.

Casago: Best Property Manager for Various Rental Types

The Casago property management company was founded in 1996 - well before the Airbnb boom - by Steve Schwab, with headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ. Besides vacation rentals, the company also manages corporate housing, furnished long-term rentals, unfurnished long-term rentals, and single-family homes.

Casago prides itself on being owner-centric, so they put the property owner at the center of everything they do. They achieve this by taking each team member through an indoctrination course to become an owner’s advocate in all aspects of the business.

Casago manages different property types and the owner-centric philosophy make it the best rental property management company across different rental types.

Vacasa vs Casago

Despite having over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Casago remains smaller than Vacasa. There is no public information on the number of short-term rentals that Casago manages at the moment, but our estimate is a few thousand. This could be a good thing since it might show that they focus the company on providing top-quality services to property owners and their second homes rather than purely growing.

The primary advantage of Vacasa vs. Casago is that the former manages different types of rental properties and is not limited in scope to vacation rentals only. This is important for investors who consider buying a long-term rental or corporate housing.

The company claims that they can push host revenue by 30% on average, compared to the 20% claimed by Vacasa. So if you consider investing in long-term rentals or corporate housing, Casago might be a good Vacasa alternative to check out.

Similar to Vacasa, Casago is present in limited markets outside the US.

In terms of services, Casago is not really a full-service rental property manager.

Casago Costs and Terms

Contrary to Vacasa, Casago asks for a single management fee of 18% of monthly revenue. This is a low rate across the industry, which might be partially attributed to the fact that the company manages not only short term but also long-term rentals that require less work. The list of services provided by Casago does not seem to be as comprehensive as the services offered by some other Vacasa competitors.

Casago does not require long-term commitment on behalf of property owners. Hosts can cancel the services provided by the company with a 30-day notice. This is a very positive indicator as investors should be able to opt out of management which does not meet all their expectations.

Casago Geographic and Service Coverage

Casago services are available in 21 US states and DC - including most of the best cities to buy rental property - as well as Mexico. This means that they cover less than half the US market, so whether you can use this Airbnb property manager really depends on your selected location.

The services covered by Casago include:

• Property listing
• Property photos
• Technology-based marketing
• Guest and stay coordination
• Professional housekeeping
• Pool upkeep
• Groundskeeping
• Check-in and check-out management
• 24/7 guest support
• Cleaning
• Restocking
• Tax collection and remittance
• Property upgrades
• Rental permits
• Property maintenance

Casago does not explicitly state that all these services are included within the 18% property management fee. So it’s important for property owners to get a specific list of the exact services they will benefit from should they choose to hire the Casago short-term rental property management company.

Casago Customer Reviews

There are 200-300 online Casago reviews which is too few for a company that’s been around since 1996.

You can read some reviews of Casago here:

• Facebook: Currently 4.6/5 stars based on 197 reviews
• Yelp: Currently 3.0/5 stars based on 36 reviews
• BBB.org: Currently 1.5/5 stars based on 2 reviews

The positive reviews talk about nice properties, excellent locations, and helpful customer support staff.

The negative reviews of Casago complain about last-minute cancellations by the company, lack of cancellation flexibility in case of emergency for guests, properties in a poor state, and lack of humanity on behalf of the support staff. Some hosts also report excessive damage to their properties which they discovered on their own, being unnoticed or unreported by Casago.

These Casago reviews make us doubt if this is the best choice for an Airbnb property manager or if property owners should look elsewhere.

Local Alternatives to Vacasa

Many real estate investors looking for passive income go straight for large Airbnb management companies, while local property managers are a viable alternative. Choosing either vacation rental management model comes with pros and cons, so property investors need to look at both options before deciding.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages that working with a local property manager offers, compared to hiring a large company like Vacasa:

Pros of Local Airbnb Property Managers

• Personal approach: Hiring a local small-scale property manager comes the closest to managing your short-term rental on your own. Many local managers think of their portfolio of properties as their own, maintaining better communication and contact with hosts and guests, while taking excellent care of vacation rental homes.
• Expert on the local market: Local property managers are focusing on one market and know everything about it including Airbnb daily rates, high and low season, high-demand designs and amenities, required stocks, etc.
• Local presence: A local manager is available 24/7 in this exact market. You will deal with them directly instead of with their representative. Many property owners who work with large property management companies like Vacasa complain local teams are unprepared, disinterested, and unavailable.
• Service flexibility: When you deal with a local Airbnb property manager, you can agree on the exact services which you and your property require. If you hire a global company, it usually provides a package of services that is the same for all hosts.
• Lack of corporate concerns: A local short-term rental property manager cares about their reputation in the local market and about growing their business locally. They don’t have to report to corporate management. Meanwhile, some investors blame big companies like Vacasa that they care too much about business growth and not about managing properties on the ground.
• Lower management fees: Vacation rental management companies charge between 20% and 50% of monthly revenue, depending on the exact services that they offer, the market, and the property type and size. Local property managers ask for lower monthly fees as all profits go to them and do not get spread across the corporate ladder.

Cons of Local Airbnb Property Managers

• Limited ability to scale: If you decide to expand your real estate investment portfolio by buying another Airbnb property, the local property manager you’re already working won’t take care of it. As local property managers have a team of just a few people, they cannot scale as fast as large companies, especially in other markets.
• Limited resources: It’s tempting for local Airbnb property managers might to take on the management of more properties that they can handle to grow their business. But they face limited human resources, which might compromise the quality of services they offer, unless they hire more staff.
• Lack of accountability: Local property managers do not have to answer to nationwide corporate management, so they experience less accountability.

How to Find the Best Local Airbnb Property Manager

If after considering the pros and cons of working with local vacation rental property managers vs. multi-market companies, you decide to opt for the former, here’s how to look for the best one in your location:

• Consult with local short-term rental property owners: The first step is to locate a few real estate investors in your market and ask who manages their properties. Inquire about the exact services they receive, the fees they are charged, the terms they had to agree to, their overall satisfaction with the Airbnb property manager, and areas where the manager might fall short.
• Read online reviews: After you’ve gathered the names of a few recommended local property managers, check out what both hosts and guests say about their experiences online. Both positive and negative reviews can be very revealing in terms of what to expect when hiring a particular manager.
• Talk to the property managers in person and ask to visit their properties: Before you make your final decision, meet the top property managers in person, ask to see the agreement or contract you have to sign, and ask to see some properties that they manage. In this way, you can check the state of their short-term rentals with your own eyes.

Takeaway

Choosing the right Airbnb property management company is as important for the success of your business as choosing the right property to invest in. While Vacasa is a well-known short term rental management company, it’s not necessarily the best, based on the many complaints by hosts and guests. That’s why we’ve looked at the top five Vacasa competitors to help you find the most appropriate Airbnb property manager for your specific property and needs.