When vacationers are looking for a perfect place to relax in luxury, Palm Springs climbs quickly to the top of the list. With more than 350 days of sunshine, comfortable temperatures practically year-round, and little rain, Palm Springs is one of those resort cities where its hard to go wrong on vacation.

Perhaps Mother Nature has spoiled all those who visit Palm Springs, but the local vacationing clientele has come to expect that all aspects of their vacation should be as perfect as the weather and climate. That expectation means that everything is ratcheted up significantly for Palm Springs property owners. In order to succeed in this highly competitive vacation market, you'll want to be sure to hire an expert property manager who can help you shine above the rest. 

If you succeed in doing so, the Palm Springs rental market can be a lucrative and highly profitable one. According to one study, vacation rental income reached an average of $44,600 per year. More than 200,000 people vacation in the area annually. Here are some considerations to help bump you into that elite crowd that can benefit from the Palm Springs tourist market:

Find a Local Property Manager

In a highly competitive market like Palm Springs, it is paramount to find a property manager who is in the area and relatively near your property. Guests who vacation in the area expect that problems can be solved immediately and completely. If they happen to run into an unfortunate problem like a clogged toilet or broken appliance, you'll want someone to take care of the problem as quickly as possible. Delaying such an emergency request may result in a negative experience and review, which can be extremely harmful in a market such as Palm Springs.

As a magnet for tourism, Palm Springs has a myriad of restaurants, activities, and sights nearby. Although your guest can look up events online, see ratings for various restaurants, and check an activities calendar on the web, they will almost certainly appreciate the insider's take on details. A local property manager can suggest a particular entree at a favorite restaurant, share short-cut directions to a specific location, or reveal the best seats for a particular performance. These personal tidbits of information can make a world of difference to luxury-seeking clientele.

Often, property managers who live in Palm Springs will also have local connections that may help in securing high-demand tickets to performances, back-stage passes to particular shows, or personal access to a rare exhibit.

Make Sure Your Property Manager is an Excellent Online Marketer

In a saturated, competitive market, you cannot simply throw up an online rental listing with a few snapshots and expect to succeed. Airbnb management in Palm Springs is a completely different animal. You need to find a property manager who can pull out all the stops to help your property get to the top of the search results of prospective renters.

The goal for property managers is not simply to attract people who want a place to sleep, but to package and sell a comprehensive travel experience. In order to succeed in meeting this goal, you'll want someone who understands online marketing, the local market, and the property management business. That person will need to tie all those things together to deliver what you need.

Find a property manager who understands how different online marketing venues work, which ones are simply a waste of time and money, and which ones actually convert clicks into bookings. You'll want a vacation rental property manager in Palm Springs to be able to help you develop your brand as well as connect you with professional photographers and videographers who can make your listing really stand out among the competition.

Conduct Your Due Diligence

Selecting a property manager to take over your Airbnb management in Palm Springs is an important task. Be sure to research your choices carefully, study online reviews, and talk personally with references.

Once you've narrowed down your choices, ask property managers for the names of property owners they serve. Start by heading to those listings. Are listings appealing? Do they read well and do the visual elements draw you in? Check their calendars and see how many vacancies they currently have. If they are booked solid, that's a good sign. Read the reviews. Are the majority positive? How does the property manager respond to negative reviews?

Although you can do a great deal of your research online, take the extra time to actually call at least the finalists before making your selection. Ask about their honest opinions of the property manager. Instead of simply asking general satisfaction questions, try creating a list of very specific questions. Here are some examples:

1. What does your property manager do to go above and beyond?
2. Describe a problem renter and how the property manager handled the situation.
3. What kind of knowledge of Palm Springs does this manager have?
4. How has this property manager increased your bookings and profits over the last year?
5. What is the most effective marketing idea your manager has had?

Find the Creative Property Manager Willing to Deliver Luxury

In many vacation rental markets, renting a house or apartment is automatically a better choice when compared with hotels because of things like more space, full kitchens and multiple bedrooms. However, in a high luxury marketing like Palm Springs, vacation property owners are competing against the top five-star hotels that offer things like concierge services, maid service, room service, and in-room massages as a matter of course.

When you seek a vacation rental property manager in Palm Springs, you'll want to find someone who can not only match those high-end hotel services creatively, but come up with other luxury service not offered by hotels.

Property managers can offer personal concierge services through their own business or with a trusted contractor. Again, a local manager may not only be able to purchase tickets, make dinner reservations and arrange day trips, but offer those little-known tips as an extra benefit.

Although nearly all Airbnb properties use cleaning services once a guest vacates the property, high-end vacation rentals may need to offer this service daily as luxury hotels do. Property managers who can arrange these services and perhaps add things like a gift basket to boot will successfully increase guest satisfaction.

Property managers who are well connected in the area may be able to provide a personal chef to cook for guests in their rental or provide access to high-end food delivery options, which can mimic room service. Going the extra mile may mean offering to meet dietary restrictions and food allergy issues or provide catering services for larger groups.

Massages and spas are practically part of daily life for Palm Spring vacationers. A property manager who has connections to local high-end spa services would be valuable. In addition, if a property manager can arrange freelance massage therapists, nail technicians or other professionals in the pampering business to be available for in-home services, it will just add to customer satisfaction.


Taking the time to find an experienced, local and expert property manager in the Palm Springs market is worth the investment. There is a lot of money to be had for those property owners who can capitalize on the luxury-seeking vacationers who come to visit this nearly perfect west coast vacation spot every year. Conduct your due diligence to find someone who can deliver what you need in this highly competitive market.

If you're looking for a property manager in Palm Springs,