[WEBINAR] The OTA Squeeze vs The Direct-Book Advantage

The OTA Squeeze vs The Direct-Book Advantage: Lessons from Marketing 900+ Vacation Rentals In-House

Managing vacation rentals through platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com is a constant grind. With 900+ listings under management, I experienced every challenge that comes with OTA dependency: confusing “limited vs. full sync” settings, endless platform updates, and the uphill battle of competing against millions of other listings.
The real cost wasn’t just commissions. It was the hours of staff time spent updating and re-optimizing listings, the payroll dollars poured into maintenance, and the lack of long-term control over how the business was represented online.
The breakthrough came by shifting focus toward our website and direct bookings. Instead of chasing the ever-changing rules of OTAs, we invested in organic visibility and a strong direct booking website. The results were clear: higher margins, reduced staff workload, and stronger credibility with both guests and property owners who could see us dominating search results.
This session will show you how to break free from the OTA squeeze and build a more profitable, sustainable model.
You’ll learn:
Sync Status Demystified – What “limited vs. full sync” actually means, and why it’s a moving target with channel managers.

Keeping Up with OTA Platforms – How to handle the constant changes that make it tough to keep listings fully optimized.

The Hidden Costs of OTA Dependency – Beyond fees and competition: the payroll hours and staff resources OTAs quietly consume.

SEO & Direct Bookings to the Rescue – How investing in organic visibility and your own booking platform builds long-term profitability and credibility.

This isn’t agency theory — it’s a firsthand look at what happens when you scale marketing for hundreds of rentals and what really works for long-term growth. If you’ve ever felt trapped by OTAs or frustrated by the time they steal from your team, this session will give you the playbook to break free.

Presented by Holli McRea, Digital Marketing Specialist at ICND

Moderated by Diamond Frandsen, Digital Marketing Project Manager at ICND

MORE ABOUT ICND:
ICND is the premiere website development and digital marketing agency for vacation rental management companies. With more peak performing and conversion driven websites than any other company in the industry, ICND will take your direct bookings to incredible heights. We are consistently “first-to-market” with features and functionality that drive conversions like urgency features, remind me to book, flexible dates, and many others. Since 1999 we have housed an award-winning team of programmers, designers, SEO marketers, and PPC managers all under a single roof.
We work together to efficiently save your company money while increasing your online presence, and more importantly, your revenue. We are not here to just make you money, we are here to make you known & dominate your market. Property management companies come to us when they want to go from “below page 1” to “selling out all year round”. Let us show you just how high we can make your business outperform the competition.

Winner of the VRMA "Supplier of the Year". Let's connect and talk about all your website design and digital marketing needs.

CONTACT US:
InterCoastal Net Designs (ICND)
6934 Beach Dr. SW #3
Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469
866.249.6095
www.icoastalnet.com
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