How Direct Bookings Can Transform Your Property Management Company

The True Cost of OTA Dependency

Every booking that comes through an OTA costs you 15-25% in commissions. On a $2,000 weekly rental, that’s $300-$500 going to Airbnb, Vrbo, or Booking.com instead of your bottom line. For a company managing 200 units averaging 30 weeks of occupancy, OTA commissions can exceed $1 million annually.

But commissions are only part of the problem. When guests book through an OTA, the OTA owns that relationship. They control the communication. They send the follow-up emails. They encourage guests to book their next stay through the platform, not through you. Every OTA booking is a missed opportunity to build a direct relationship with someone who already chose your property.

What Changes When You Go Direct

Property management companies that prioritize direct bookings see compounding benefits that go far beyond commission savings.

You Own the Guest Relationship

When a guest books directly, you capture their email, phone number, and communication preferences. You control the pre-arrival experience, the mid-stay touchpoints, and the post-stay follow-up. That guest becomes part of your database, and every future stay they book is commission-free.

Your Marketing Becomes an Asset

A database of past guests who booked directly is the most valuable marketing asset a property management company can build. These are people who already chose your destination, stayed in your properties, and had an experience you controlled. Remarketing to them costs a fraction of acquiring a new guest through an OTA.

SendSquared clients consistently achieve email marketing returns that far outpace what they’d save by simply discounting rates on OTAs. The difference is that email marketing revenue is almost entirely incremental.

You Control Pricing and Packaging

OTAs dictate display rules, rate parity requirements, and cancellation policies. Direct bookings let you create packages, add-ons, and loyalty incentives that differentiate your offering. Want to offer a returning guest 10% off plus a complimentary late checkout? You can do that when you own the relationship.

Your Revenue Becomes More Predictable

OTA algorithms change constantly. A property that ranks well today might be buried tomorrow. Direct booking channels (your website, email list, past guest database) are assets you control. They don’t disappear when an algorithm updates.

The Path to 70%+ Direct Bookings

Getting to high direct booking rates isn’t about turning off OTAs. It’s about building systems that capture guests when they first discover you and bring them back directly for every stay after.

Capture Every Guest Touchpoint

WiFi captive portals, website chat, inquiry forms, phone calls — every interaction is an opportunity to capture contact information. SendSquared connects all of these touchpoints into a single guest profile, so no lead falls through the cracks.

Automate the Follow-Up

A guest who inquires but doesn’t book today might book tomorrow, next week, or next season. Automated nurture sequences keep your properties in front of interested travelers without requiring manual effort from your team.

Remarket to Past Guests

Past guests convert at 3-5x the rate of cold prospects. Seasonal campaigns, anniversary-of-stay emails, and early-access promotions to your existing database drive bookings at near-zero acquisition cost.

Make Booking Direct Effortless

If booking through your website is harder than booking through Airbnb, guests will choose Airbnb. Your direct booking flow needs to be fast, mobile-friendly, and simple.

The Compound Effect

The property management companies seeing the strongest results treat direct bookings as a long-term strategy, not a one-time initiative. Every direct guest added to your database makes your marketing more effective, your revenue more predictable, and your business more valuable.

SendSquared clients achieving 70%+ direct booking rates didn’t get there overnight. They got there by consistently capturing guest data, automating their marketing, and treating every interaction as an opportunity to build a direct relationship.

The commission savings are immediate. The competitive advantage compounds over years.