How To Write a Compelling Vrbo Description (with Examples)

Investing time and effort in optimizing your Vrbo listing can significantly enhance its visibility, drive a higher volume of bookings for your property, and consequently, increase your revenue.

Continue reading to discover effective techniques for crafting an enticing Vrbo description, review vacation rental description examples, and elevate your booking success today.

Crafting a Compelling Vrbo Description for Your Vacation Rental

To create a compelling Vrbo description, it’s crucial to keep your target audience in mind. Consider the features and amenities that will resonate with them. Highlight these aspects in your description, along with the unique qualities of your property and its backstory. Ensure that your vacation rental description is not only easy to read but also free of grammatical and spelling errors. Avoid unnecessary repetition, and incorporate relevant keywords that pertain to your property. Be transparent about any shortcomings and conclude with a compelling call to action for your potential guests.

Need help crafting the perfect listing Vrbo description? Check out my Vrbo listing description copywriting service.

Optimize the Vrbo Description Length

Maintain a concise and focused short-term rental description to prevent readers from losing interest. Avoid unnecessary verbosity, as this may discourage readers. Ideally, your Vrbo description should range between 700 and 1000 characters, or approximately 100 to 250 words. However, if you can enhance your property’s appeal by including unique features and attributes, a longer description may be warranted.

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In the vacation rental description example above, the host has provided a brief descriptive Vrbo description, but it comprises only 45 words. Enhancing it with additional relevant property details could improve its effectiveness.

Sell Your Vacation Rental’s Unique Selling Points

Compile a list of the most enticing features of your property and ensure they are prominently featured in your Vrbo description. These could include:

• Swimming pool or hot tub
• Beachfront location
• Spectacular views
• Proximity to local attractions
• Recent renovations
• Cultural or historical significance
• Games room
• Pet-friendly policies

Write with Your Target Market in Mind

Tailor your Vrbo description to suit the preferences of your ideal guests, whether they are families, couples, or groups of friends. Different amenities and features will hold varying degrees of importance for different guest types. For instance, if you’re targeting families, emphasize the convenience of highchairs and cribs available at your property.

Read how to attract more guests on short-term rental sites like Airbnb and Vrbo.

Research Competitors in Your Area

Review the Vrbo descriptions of competing listings, especially those with outstanding guest reviews. Pay close attention to their amenities and unique features, and ensure that your description highlights your property’s attributes as effectively, if not more so.

Tell Your Property’s Story

Prospective Vrbo guests are often drawn to a property’s narrative. Answer relevant questions in your description:

• When was the property built?
• Who built/converted it?
• What motivated your purchase of the property?
• Why did you choose to list it on Vrbo?
• What makes the local area special?

Learn how to make your Airbnb or Vrbo property stand out.

Avoid Repetition

To maintain your readers’ interest throughout the Vrbo description, refrain from unnecessary repetition. Guests can access a comprehensive list of your amenities, so there’s no need to reiterate them all. Focus on the most essential amenities or those that are particularly distinctive.

Get Creative

Experiment with your writing style to infuse personality into your Vrbolisting description, captivating your potential guests. Use creative adjectives like “glamorous,” “bohemian,” “magical,” “chic,” “industrial,” or “eco-friendly,” rather than mundane terms like “good,” “great,” or “modern.”

Source

In the vacation rental description example above, the Vrbo host has employed creativity by including a drone video of the property, a unique feature that sets the listing apart. However, breaking down the larger paragraph into smaller sections could enhance readability.

Ensure Proper Grammar and Spelling

Before uploading your vacation rental description, thoroughly check it for grammatical and spelling errors. These seemingly minor mistakes can diminish your professionalism and undermine guest trust. Consider using a tool like Grammarly for easy proofreading.

I recommend Grammarly to easily check for grammar and spelling mistakes. 

Make it Scannable

Since readers often skim through numerous listings, make your Vrbo description scannable by breaking it into short paragraphs and incorporating asterisks and bullet points. These formatting elements enhance readability and help readers quickly identify key features.

Source

In this vacation rental description example, the Vrbo host has organized the text into sections and included a bullet-point list of activities, making it easy for guests to find pertinent information. The paragraphs are concise, and all essential features are listed.

Incorporate Relevant Keywords

Consider the keywords that your guests will be using when searching for your vacation rental property, and scatter these throughout your home listing description, ensuring that it still sounds natural. For example, if your short-term rental is a beachfront property on a popular surfing beach, you could include the following keywords:

Think about the keywords that potential guests might use when searching for your vacation rental property. Integrate these keywords naturally into your home listing description. For instance, if your property is a beachfront rental near a popular surfing spot, consider including keywords like:

• “Beachfront house”
• “Waterfront vacation home”
• “Holiday property with sea view”
• “Surfer’s paradise rental”

Download The Airbnb SEO Bible to maximize your bookings today. 

Be Honest and Transparent

Ensure your short-term rental description remains honest and authentic. Exceeding guest expectations is key to securing five-star reviews. To achieve this, be upfront about any potential drawbacks and limitations of your property. For example:

• Due to the location of this property, it is not suitable for those with poor mobility.
• This property isn’t pet-friendly due to the lack of a perimeter fence.
• Guests should bear in mind that the nearest supermarket is a 15-minute drive.
• Please consider that there is only one parking space available at the property, although there is a multi-story car park nearby.

Learn how to respond to negative guest reviews. 

Include a Call to Action

Conclude your vacation rental description with a clear call to action, providing instructions on what prospective guests should do next:

• Enquire now to book this property
• Get in touch for more information
• Drop me a message if you have any questions

Captivating Vrbo Headline Examples

A compelling Vrbo headline should span approximately 70 characters (10-20 words), effectively capture attention, and provide key details about your vacation rental. Vrbo allows for up to 80 characters in the headline, affording ample space to showcase your property’s most enticing aspects and features.

Here are some illustrative Vrbo headline examples:

• Cozy Wood Cabin in Mountains w/Hot Tub & Log Fire
• Eclectic Beach House *Perfect for Families* w/Games Room & Garden
• Chic Townhouse in City Centre – Pet-Friendly & Recently Renovated
• Characterful Victorian Manor on River for Large Groups & Families

Read the five golden rules for writing a compelling Airbnb title.

Source

In the Vrbo headline example provided, the Vrbo host has skillfully incorporated unique features such as “total privacy,” location specifics, “beautiful country views,” and even targeted a specific guest group – “perfect for the Mothman enthusiast.”

Enhancing Your Vrbo Listing

If you find that your Vrbo listing isn’t performing as desired, consider the following steps:

Is your Vrbo listing optimized?

• Have you uploaded relevant, high-quality photos?
• Is your title eye-catching and descriptive?
• How many amenities have you tagged for your Vrbo property?
• Have you included keywords related to the property’s location?

Is it easy for guests to book?

• Do you have ‘instant book’ enabled?
• Are you responding to messages quickly?
• Have you got a low cancellation rate?
• Is your booking calendar always up-to-date?

Do potential guests trust you?

• Are there spelling and grammar mistakes on your listing?
• Is your Vrbo description authentic and honest?
• Do you have lots of positive guest reviews?
• Are you a Vrbo Premier Host?
• Can you apply power-ups to your listing?

Make changes to your listing based on the insights gained from the questions above, and evaluate and gauge your results. Ultimately, your success hinges on fostering trust with your guests while enabling a seamless booking process. Additionally, it’s imperative to ensure that your listing excels in Vrbo’s search algorithm, by reducing cancellations and responding quickly to inquiries.

Learn how to rank higher in Airbnb search. 

Using your Vrbo Listing Number to Find Your Property

When you list your property on Vrbo, you receive a unique Vrbo listing number. Each property featured on Vrbo possesses its distinct listing number, simplifying the process of locating properties within the platform.

To effortlessly find your rental property using the listing number:

1. Navigate to the Vrbo homepage.
2. Input your Vrbo listing number into the search bar.
3. Press “Enter” to initiate the search.

Ensure that the Vrbo listing number is accurate, as an incorrect entry may hinder your ability to locate your Vrbo listing via this search method.

Summary

When crafting your Vrbo description, ensure it resonates with your ideal guest. Consider the features and amenities essential to them, emphasize the unique aspects of your property, and elucidate why booking with you is the best choice. Your home listing description should be easily scannable, devoid of grammatical or spelling errors, and free from redundancy. Incorporate frequently searched keywords and conclude with a compelling call to action.

If you want to ensure that your Vrbo listing performs well and generates bookings, find out more about my Vrbo description copywriting service.