Stayz vs Airbnb, Booking.com vs Agoda? Where to list short-term rentals

One key aspect of short-term rental management that homeowners tend to overlook is the value of listing your property on multiple Online Travel Agencies (OTAs). Although Airbnb is still the biggest vacation rental site in Australia, other vacation rental platforms continue to grow daily, with each one targeting different types of properties and travellers. Not listing your property on these could be affecting your visibility, occupancy, and your bottom line in the long run.

In this blog, we’ll talk about the key differences between Stayz vs Airbnb, Booking.com vs Agoda, and other platforms, as well as strategies for success when navigating multi-channel short-term rental platforms.

Top short-term rental websites in Australia: a breakdown

For homeowners in Australia, some of the most popular short-term rental websites include:

• Airbnb
• Stayz, also known as Vrbo
• Booking.com
• Expedia
• Agoda
• Direct booking websites

Depending on where you choose to list your property, it may be pushed to other online travel agencies (OTAs) in their network as well. For example, properties on Stayz/Vrbo may be listed on Expedia, while listings on Booking.com may be listed on Agoda.

Airbnb

The leading global platform for short-term housing rentals, many short-term rental homeowners list their property on Airbnb as the first step in their journey. 

• Property types: Entire properties and private rooms in shared accommodations
• Total platform fees: 15.5%*
• Airbnb has no other partner OTAs – listings are exclusively available on Airbnb, unless otherwise manually posted by the homeowners to other websites.

* For hosts working with Property Management Systems or channel managers for short-term rentals.

Booking.com

Booking.com is an all-in-one online platform for everything travel-related, from accommodations and car rentals to flights and tours.

• Property types: Private rooms in shared accommodations, entire properties, hotels, and more.
• Total platform fees: 15.5%-18.5%, depending on area
• OTAs: Once you list on Booking.com, your STR property may be pushed to other OTAs in their network like Agoda, Tripadvisor, and Kayak. Listing details published on partner distribution channels use the information you provided on Booking.com.

Vrbo and Stayz

Vrbo and Stayz are online marketplaces for vacation rentals typically geared towards families and larger groups. 

• Property types: Entire properties only; private rooms in shared accommodations (such as spare rooms and dormitories) are generally not hosted on the platform.
• Total platform fees: 14.2%
• OTAs: Once you list on Vrbo, your STR property may be pushed to other OTAs in their network Expedia, Wotif, Stayz, Trivago, and Hotels.com. Listing details published on partner distribution channels use the information you provided on Vrbo.

Direct booking sites

Homeowners can also use direct booking sites for short-term rentals to advertise their property. One of the main advantages of direct booking sites is lower platform fees compared to vacation rental aggregators, since you won’t be availing any services from them. However, this means that you’ll have to do everything by yourself instead: advertising, guest screening, short-term rental insurance, and payment processing, among others.

Due to a higher amount of perceived risk (such as chargebacks) and increased workload, many homeowners prefer to either exclusively book repeat guests or partner with an existing direct booking site for ease of access. For example, Hometime’s direct booking site, which hosts Australia’s largest collection of professionally managed holiday homes, is included in our full-service Airbnb management.

• Property types: Entire properties only; private rooms in shared accommodations (such as spare rooms and dormitories) are not hosted on the platform.
• Total platform fees: Available on enquiry
• OTAs: Once you list with Hometime, your STR property will also be pushed to Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and their associated distribution channels.

Know more about how you can earn more with Hometime’s multi-channel distribution strategy by scheduling an obligation-free chat:

What are the best vacation rental sites for owners?

When it comes to listing and advertising short-term rentals, it’s not about Airbnb vs Expedia, Airbnb vs Vrbo, or Airbnb vs Booking.com – it’s about making sure your property is listed on all of them to maximise your potential visibility and income.

However, note that there are some challenges with listing your property on more than one rental platform, such as:

• Navigating the different rules & fee structures, 
• learning new systems,
• managing multiple payment processors,
• setting prices with the correct mark-ups to account for different platform fees,
• communicating with guests through a non-centralised inbox, and
• a risk of double bookings from unsynced calendars.

Consider using a short-term rental channel manager to streamline your processes, or look into working with professionals who handle the entire process for you. For example, Airbnb managers like Hometime can list your website on Airbnb and similar websites along with the following services:

• Dynamic short-term rental pricing tailored around your property’s unique earning potential,
• guest vetting and communication, including any emergencies, from local hosts that live near your property,
• listing optimisation through Airbnb SEO, professional photographers, and property stylists,
• a reliable network of Airbnb cleaners that deliver a high-quality clean every time, and
• access to the Homeowner Portal, our very own property management software for Airbnb, where you get 24/7 visibility into your booking calendar

The result? On average, Hometime properties saw an 11% rise in occupancy and a 9% revenue increase during peak season.

Frequently asked questions

Is Vrbo the same as Stayz?

Yes, Vrbo is the same as Stayz. Stayz was acquired by Vrbo and are now both under the Expedia group.

Is Booking.com or Airbnb better?

This depends on your location and your property type. Ideally, you would list your property on both platforms to maximise your reach. However, it's worth noting that Booking.com fees are higher than Airbnb's, as they advertise your property across their entire network