Many people dream of turning vacation homes, cabins, and properties into passive income. But only a select few ever really achieve that. The main problem is the sheer administration involved in the effort. Even though owning a property and renting it out might sound passive on paper, the reality is much different. Guests can be demanding, and using vacation and holiday rental platforms is time-consuming. Not to mention going to the effort of listings and advertising.
That’s where this review can help. We take a look at some of the vacation rental property management services that are available in the Big Bear Lake area. By the end of this review, you should have a better idea of which companies are operating nearby and what they do best. At the end, we’ll come to a final verdict over the service that offers the greatest value.
Best For Return On Investment – Bearadise
If you’re simply looking for the best return on investment that you can get from your Big Bear lake rental property, then Bearadise is the best option. This company is special because its properties generate more revenue than the market average and much more than other management properties, including those listed in this review. It’s able to do this because it can generate bookings year-round, even in the slow season.
Bearadise has special approaches that create interest in people looking for short breaks when times are quiet, particularly in the winter. At the same time, it’s able to make prices obtained in the peak season even higher. This is because the company has special methods for peak season pricing that goes beyond other companies while also achieving higher listing visibility.
What this means is that when property owners switch from other management companies to Bearadise, they often double or triple the revenue they receive. All that has changed is the management, but that’s all that matters. Once the property is in Bearadise’s hands, it’s essentially a completely different business.
Best For National Scale – SkyRun
If you’re looking for something which is a bit more extensive, then you might want to opt for Skyrun. We’re not saying that this is the best company for renting out our businesses, but it can be a good way to have a local presence in the Big Bear area, as well as across the rest of the country.
Skyrun is best known for boosting revenue after owners switch. The revenue bump is modest, usually around 30%, but that still could be significant if you have a large portfolio and you want to increase its output. One of the ways Skyrun does this is through higher booking frequency, it’s able to offer advanced tools and trusted management giving second and third home owners more options to advertise their properties online.
It’s also popular among guests, reviews across the internet confirm our observations that most people who stay at properties managed by Skyrun are happy with the personalised service that they receive. The only downside, of course, is the lack of focus being a nation-wide company. Skyrun is more interested in volume, so it may not be as suitable for smaller property investors.
If you’re just looking for the most experienced company that operates in the area, then you may want to take a look at Big Bear Vacations. This property management service is a trusted leader in the region, especially when it comes to vacation rental management. They are keen on providing high-tech services with heavy investment in technology and marketing, allowing you to automate a lot of the process.
Of course, we would like to see more personalized care from this brand to maximize income. However, it can handle all operations for owners, so it’s fully comp.
If you’re trying to introduce a short-term vacation rental to people in specific areas, then Big Bear Cool Cabins could be the best option. It’s very good at targeting niche customer audiences and ensuring that they become aware of vacation rental options in their areas. Part of this is made possible through its 24/7 support. Big Bear Cool Cabins is constantly in touch with property owners and guests, enabling a superior experience for all stakeholders. It’s also able to combine its expert marketing with full-service management, which is extremely convenient if you’re short on time.
If we were to improve anything about this company, we would ask that it provides more personalized strategies. Not all Big Bear Lake rentals are the same.
Finally, if you’re looking for a vacation rental property management service that will do everything for you while dealing with Big Bear’s seasonal market, then Destination Big Bear could be the firm for you. This is a local management company that already operates a large portfolio. It’s famous for offering some of the best-quality homes through Airbnb, fully integrated with the platform. Part of Destination Big Bear’s appeal is its aggressive rate management; it’s able to smooth out income across the year while taking advantage of spikes in the peak season where necessary.
We would like, of course, to see Destination Big Bear focus more on guest satisfaction and getting homeowners’ results. However, overall, the experience was reasonable.
Our verdict
While there are plenty of vacation rental property management companies out there, our view is that it is probably the best. That’s why we’ve decided to give it a 5-star rating
We’re not saying that this management company doesn’t have any faults, but if you’re just interested in maximizing revenues and making sure your void periods are as short as possible, then there is really no other option. Bearadise offers a unique set of solutions to what is otherwise a complicated problem, allowing you to consistently generate revenue throughout the year, even outside of the peak season. That’s essentially why it’s such a valuable agency to work with.
