NJShore-Rentals.com Blog

The craze in the vacation/travel world over the past several years has been the term “By owner.”  When people search the web for vacation rentals, they are looking for the “By owner” experience.    The term: “Vacation Rentals By Owner” is a very popular search term on the web.  I’m writing this article because I feel that there is another alternative that is being ignored and not receiving a fair amount of press and that is “Rentals by agent.”  “Rentals by agent” is when the rental property and management is handled by an agent.  This method is advatageous to both renters and owners (By the way, as far as this site is concerned, we support both “By owner” and “By agent” rentals).

From the renter’s perspective:

The price and service that you receive with a “By agent” rental should be just as good as that from a “By owner” rental.  Let me use myself as an example.  I just recently took a vacation to one of the Delaware beaches.  The week of August 17th was the planned date for my family’s trip.  I searched many of the “By owner” websites.  Most of the owners were calling this week a peak week with the highest rates effective.  To settle some of my curiosity, I called an agent in that area.  Since this was the week that the kids went back to school in Delaware, the agent was calling this an off-peak week (highest rates not in effect).  It was the first week of the off-peak season.  I rented through the agent and saved about $800.  The point I’m trying to make is that when renting “By agent” or “By owner,” the price the renter pays stays the same (sometimes it may be cheaper as in my example).  When searching for a rental, do not automatically exclude the agent rentals!

From the owner’s perspective:

Renting “By owner” may or may not be the way to go for you.  You will make more money renting “By owner.”  But, this method is not for everyone.  You may not have the time, want to deal with tenants, etc.  Many landlords are successful with both methods.  I just don’t want to see all of the landlords choosing “By owner” just because they read a book or two that told them that “By owner” is the way to go.  Every owner needs to analyze his/her own personal situation and decide which method is best.

To conclude, this website supports both “By owner” and “By agent” rentals.  The “By owner” rentals are the ones that have gotten all of the positive press in the past several years.  And by all means, “By owner” rentals are a great thing.  I just want everyone to realize that there is an alternative (Both renters and owners).

October is just about here.  What a great time to visit the shore.  I actually plan to visit Atlantic City within the next 6 weeks.  Some of the best deals on rentals can be found right now!  The weather is still beautiful, yet the prices are lower than they were 6 weeks ago.

It is the perfect time of the year to be outdoors.  You can take a walk on the beach or boardwalk and not be covered with sweat when you are finished.    Since most children are back in school, many of the tourist destinations are less crowded at this time of the year (another plus!).

The ride down for most of us should also be a treat since the fall foilage should be in full swing very shortly.

See you there!!

There are many vacation rental owners who ask the question: “Which vacation rental portal should I be using?”  With literally thousands of rental portals available for owners, this can be a confusing question.  By the way, I define a vacation rental portal as a website such as this one (NJShore-Rentals.com), where owners of rentals pay a fee to advertise their rental (sometimes free).

I like to classify portals into 2 categories: Those that are world wide and those that are specific to a certain geography (such as NJShore-Rentals is specific to the NJ Shore).  My suggestion to all owners is that you list on a minimum of 2 different portals.  I would do 1 global site and 1 local site.  This is the bare minimum.  Some of the larger portal sites get a large volume of traffic, but not all of it is targeted to your specific area.  Although there are many renters that use the larger global sites.  There are also many renters who will search more localized portals before the larger ones.  This is all targeted traffic.  For exmaple, most who visit NJShore-Rentals are seeking Jersey Shore Rentals.  If you could afford more advertising that is even better.  I am just suggesting that you place your rental in at least 2 portals. 

My wife has been visiting Stone Harbor for a week since she was a child.  Her family has a friend who gives them a great deal on a rental right before the peak season kicks in.  I have been going with them since we met in 2000.  Our trip was cut short this year because of my job.  One of my co-workers got married so I needed to stay back to do the work at the office.  I was in Stone Harbor for the weekend.  I had to drive back on Sunday.  It was really disappointing.

I did get to pay a visit to Fred’s Tavern while I was there along with a nice trip to Sylvestor’s in Avalon.  What a great place to get a great deal on some seafood.  Saturday was a gorgeous beach day!  There was some rain Sunday morning, but it wasn’t that bad.  I got to take a nice long walk with my wife and daughter for Father’s Day throughout town.

Seemed like the island was pretty busy for being early in the year.  I want to give everyone a little warning.  Do not speed on 3rd Ave in Stone Harbor.  Seemed like everytime I walked by, someone was pulled over.  So be careful with your driving on this street.

As I review the stats of this website on a daily basis, there is one thing that really stands out everyday.  Owners who have not uploaded any photos get far less page views than those who have uploaded at least 1 photo.

When a potential renter does a search, the photo is shown on the search results.  This is very important in optimizing your listing for maximum benefit.

This is applicable to this site and any other vacation rental portal site where you list.  Most vacation rental portal sites work in a similar way where search results are displayed with a picture.

At least 1 photo = more page views!!

Here are just a few quick tips for owners who list their vacation rentals.  These tips apply to all rental sites not just this one.

• If you list on multiple sites, use unique descriptions and titles.  This is actually very imperative.  I see a lot of owners copying/pasting their descriptions and using them on every vacation rental portal site out there.  This is a bad idea.  Your goal should be to get your individual portal page indexed by the search engines.  Search engines don’t like duplicate content.
• Provide pictures.  When I review the stats of the website, those listings with pictures have far more traffic.  I still see many owners out there who don’t use pictures.
• Provide your cell number if possible.  While the message is sitting on your answering machine, the renter is calling the next owner on his/her list.
• Keep the calendar updated.  This could save you a lot of unwanted calls around dinner time especially from people interested in weeks that you are already booked.

You made a decision to go to the New Jersey Shore this summer.  That’s a great choice.  Now you need to decide which shore point you will choose.  The New Jersey Shore has many different small shore towns for you to choose.  Each being unique in it’s own way.  This brief guide will help to clear up some of the confusion.

If you are interested in casino gambling, then you want to be as close to Atlantic City as possible.  Brigantine island is reccomended.  Brigantine is about a 5 minute drive from Atlantic City, but is much more quaint and quiet.  Value may also be found in Margate, Ventnor, and Longport. If you are truly looking for a family style vacation, there is no place like Ocean City, New Jersey.  Ocean City is a “dry town” meaning alcohol cannot be purchased.  This is truly a family friendly place.

Any of the Wildwoods (City of Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, North Wildwood) are a great choice for those looking for a little bit of everything.  Wildwood has a vibrant night life and is only about a 30 minute drive from Atlantic City.  You will find just about every activity under the sun in Wildwood.  This includes many places to dine, amusement parks, boardwalk, miniature golf, and more.

Those inspired by beautiful 18th century Victorian Style architecture will adore Cape May.  The streets are lined with all types of buildings from this period including many bed and breakfasts. Cape May is the southern most point on the Jersey Shore and is very family friendly.  Make sure to visit the Cape May Lighthouse while in Cape May.

Planning a trip to New York City while on vacation?  Stay in one of the Northern Shore towns.  This will put you as close to the “Big Apple” as possible.  Some places that come to mind are Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant, and Belmar.  Most of the northern towns are filled with shopping and other activities.  Choose Long Beach Island if you’re looking for some seclusion.  Long Beach Island is named appropriately.  It is a long, narrow barrier island and there is only one road to get onto the island.  The southern most and Northern most points on the island are very low traffic.

Prefer to walk along the coast without getting dirty feet from the sand?  Find a shore town that has a boardwalk. Some of the New Jersey Shore towns with boardwalks are Atlantic City, Wildwood, Ocean City, and Seaside Heights.