If there’s one thing we all know, it’s that no two markets are exactly alike. What works for a mountain cabin in peak ski season won’t necessarily apply to a beachfront home in the summer. Yet, many managers rely on broad industry reports to guide their pricing, marketing, and booking strategies — without considering how trends actually play out in their specific destinations.
That’s where localized vacation rental data truly makes a difference. National reports can give you some context, but real success comes from understanding the unique trends in your market. Are guests booking farther in advance, or is last-minute travel becoming more common? Is demand staying steady, or are your competitors adjusting their rates? With market-specific insights, you can make smarter decisions that have a direct impact on your revenue, occupancy, and long-term growth.
At Casavate, we help vacation rental managers cut through the noise and focus on real data that drives results. In this article, we’ll explore why localized data is essential—and how you can use it to refine your strategies, optimize pricing, and attract more direct bookings:
Why Nationwide Trends Aren’t Always Relevant
It’s easy to assume that industry-wide trends apply across the board, but vacation rental markets behave differently based on location, property type, and traveler demand. A national report may suggest that booking windows are shrinking, pricing is softening, or occupancy is declining — but that doesn’t mean your market is following the same pattern.
Here are a few examples of why relying solely on broad trends can be misleading:
- Booking Windows: Some reports suggest travelers are booking more last-minute than ever, but that doesn’t hold everywhere. A seasonal beach destination, for instance, might still see bookings far in advance.
- Occupancy & Demand: A nationwide dip in occupancy may not apply to your market if local events, weather patterns, or high-returning guests keep demand strong.
- Pricing Strategy: If competitors in your area are adjusting rates based on real-time demand, relying on broad industry pricing trends could cause you to under or over-price your rates.
This is why we highly recommend that vacation rental managers focus on localized data rather than base their decisions on general industry trends.
Case Study: Booking Window Trends
We keep hearing discussions about shrinking booking windows, but the data tells a different story in many cases. To take a closer look, we analyzed historical booking trends from two East Coast beach markets. Here’s what we found:
What This Data Tells Us
There was a sharp decline in booking windows in both markets in 2020, most certainly due to pandemic-related uncertainty. However, rather than continuing to shrink, booking windows rebounded and have remained relatively stable in the years since. By 2024, both markets have booking windows nearly back to pre-pandemic levels — or even exceeding them.
This case study is a perfect example of why relying on localized data is so crucial. While national trends may suggest one thing, this market data paints another picture. For property managers in these markets, this reinforces the importance of targeting advance planners rather than assuming last-minute travelers may begin dominating their market.
Ways to Use Internal & Local Insights
Identify Booking Trends That Affect Your Market
Instead of assuming booking windows are shrinking based on national reports, use localized data to track how far in advance guests are booking in your destination. This helps you:
- Adjust marketing campaigns to target guests at the right time
- Optimize last-minute offers (if necessary)
- Set booking policies that align with guest behaviors
Price Competitively
(Without Leaving Money on the Table)
Your pricing strategy is one of the most important factors in maximizing revenue. While national trends might say it’s time to lower rates because of “softening demand,” your local market could still be booming, giving you the opportunity to keep your rates steady — or even raise them. By keeping an eye on localized data, you can:
- Benchmark your rates against direct competitors
- Adjust prices based on seasonality and local demand shifts
- Capture higher revenue during peak travel periods
Improve Owner Retention
Localized data can be a game-changer when it comes to keeping property owners happy. By offering insights into both the broader market and their property’s performance, you can build trust and show that you’re not just managing their home — you’re helping their investment grow. Some key data points to share with them include:
- Adjusted paid occupancy
- RevPAR and ADR
- Historical and Year-Over-Year Growth
Enhance Owner Acquisition Strategies
For many property managers, signing new homeowners is the most valuable part of the business. Like with owner retention, you can leverage local insights to show prospective owners the potential for success in your area. Key strategies include:
- Highlight areas of increased vacation rental demand
- Show how your performance stacks up against competitors
- Share localized data that proves your ability to drive bookings and maximize returns
How We Use Vacation Rental Data to Drive Marketing Results
At Casavate, we take a tailored approach to vacation rental marketing because we know that every destination is unique. Your market has its own set of trends and dynamics that can’t be captured by broad industry reports — it’s the detailed insights from your local market that drive real, impactful results.
Using tools like Key Data Dashboard, our team zeroes in on the most relevant data points, allowing us to fine-tune your marketing strategy.
Here are a few ways we use localized data to maximize your success:
- Benchmarking Reports: We compare your performance against the local market and direct competitors, helping us spot areas for improvement and capitalize on opportunities.
- Booking Windows: By analyzing booking patterns, we time your marketing campaigns to reach guests when they’re ready to book, whether that’s last-minute stays or planning well in advance.
- Property Performance: We identify which properties need a boost and focus our efforts on promoting them through targeted campaigns based on occupancy data and seasonal trends.
Where to Find Vacation Rental Data?
If you’re not already tracking market-specific performance, there are several powerful tools you can start using to gain actionable insights into your local vacation rental market:
- Key Data Dashboard: Delivers in-depth benchmarking, revenue pacing, and market performance insights with direct data from both your business and your competitors. This makes it one of the most reliable platforms for understanding actual market trends and performance.
- AirDNA: Tracks demand trends, occupancy rates, and pricing intelligence for short-term rentals. AirDNA pulls data from a combination of scraped and verified sources.
- OTA Reports: Your reports on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO can give you a glimpse into booking patterns and emerging trends. These reports are great for identifying changes in guest behavior, pricing sensitivity, and property performance.
- Direct Booking Data & Google Analytics: By analyzing your own direct booking data and using Google Analytics, you can track how visitors interact with your website and make more informed decisions about your marketing and booking strategies.
- Other Software & Tools: You may even already be using other tools like Direct Booking Tools, which provide invaluable insights into local market trends and help refine your strategy based on your own performance metrics.
Final Thoughts: Local Data = Smarter Decisions
When it comes to running a successful vacation rental business, it’s not just about following broad industry trends — it’s about understanding what’s happening in your specific market. National reports can offer some helpful context, but they don’t capture the local details that really affect your pricing, occupancy, and marketing decisions.
Localized data gives you a clear view of what’s happening in your market, enabling you to make smarter, more informed decisions that drive higher revenue, increase occupancy, and improve owner satisfaction. Whether fine-tuning your pricing strategy based on real-time market demand or targeting the right guest with the perfect offer, local insights are essential for staying ahead of the competition.
Want to learn how to leverage localized vacation data to drive better results for your business? Schedule a quick call with us today, and let’s explore how we can help you maximize revenue, optimize your strategy, and stay ahead of the curve.
