Back in 2015 I put together something we called the VR League of Experts. The idea was simple: instead of talking about vacation rental marketing in the abstract, take one real property, bring in specialists from three different disciplines, and let each of us give our honest suggestions on camera.
The property belonged to Theresa, who owns a cabin called Rich Summit View in Boone, North Carolina. She was the selected contest winner, and her cabin became the subject of the makeover.
Looking back, this was an early version of an instinct I've never really shaken: teach in public, review real properties, and show the actual work rather than describing it. Years later that same instinct became Vacation Rental Rescue.
Watch the makeover
The makeover was recorded and published as a video in 2015. If the embed above doesn't load, the original recording may no longer be publicly available.
The three experts
Three categories, three specialists
Website / Marketing
Jay William
Founder of Villa Marketers. Reviewed how the property was being presented online and what the site had to do differently to earn a direct booking.
Photography
Tyann Marcink
Vacation rental photographer, known in the industry as the Queen of Guest Experience. Assessed the existing photo set and what the light on the property made possible.
Interior Design
Mercedes Brennan
Interior designer behind the One Chic Retreat brand. Looked at the cabin's interior through a guest's eyes.
What Tyann saw in the light
Tyann Marcink handled the photography review. Here is her assessment of Theresa's cabin, in her own words:
“What I find exciting about Theresa's property is the delicious sunlight that plays across the cabin and the mountains. She captured only glimpses of the beautiful light in her current set of photos. Equipped with the right tools and a whole lot of patience, Theresa can definitely make the Rich Summit View cabin live up to its name.”
Tyann has kept documenting this kind of work ever since. You can read her side of it in Tyann Marcink's vacation rental home makeover series.
Where this fits
The makeover is one entry in a long record of work we've done in the open. You'll find the rest of it in our track record. If you want the thinking behind how a property gets presented, start with vacation rental storytelling and our guide to marketing vacation rentals.