In Malaysia we are blessed to enjoy various kinds of accommodations. We have everything from free all the way to 5-star accommodations. We will explore the various types of accommodation that this country has to offer.
HOMESTAY
credit: agoda.com
A homestay is a programme in which the host allows visitors to rent a room or house from a local family. The host family is obliged to mingle with them to explain their ways of life, food and even bring them to excursions such as weddings, try a hand at the work they do in order to get a better understanding of the local way of life. This is the Ministry Tourism definition of what a homestay is about.
“A homestay programme gives tourists the opportunity to stay with a chosen family, interact and experience the daily life of their homestay family and learn the culture and lifestyle of the rural community in Malaysia. A homestay programme cannot be classified as a lodging facility. It focuses more on lifestyle and experience, including cultural and economic activities.”
Short term rental accommodation has been around since well I would say thousands of years! Either you may have room, house, condo, land or any space that is livable and you can make income out of it. In the past, it was quite unstructured; it was usually through word of mouth or simple ads online. However that changed with the arrival of Airbnb. This application allows anyone with a space to list their room, house, condo, exclusive villas or even a tree house as an accommodation space. It changed the market completely. During the pandemic, a lot of hotels and resorts closed down but for those operating short term rental accommodations a number of them managed to pull through. In some countries regulations have come in to police this “revamp” form of accommodation. Malaysia will likely see regulations in the future soon.
3. GLAMPING
credit: placefu.com
Camping with added glitz is known as glamping. Essentially, posh camping. While a basic tent and a sleeping bag may be the norm, glamping often incorporates greater comfort and elegance. It is basically a high-end accommodation which supposedly has a connection with your environment. Whether you achieve a connection or not I am not sure 🙂 There’s quite a few places such as Glamping at Wetland Putrajaya and Tiara Escapes in Janda Baik.
The hotel can also be described as a location that offers lodging and dining options to visitors. The visitor must pay money in order to use these amenities. Hotels are the most common form of accommodations in the world. There are a variety of luxurious 5-Star Hotels all to way a 1-Star Hotel. A hotel is generally classified by its rating and you generally book according to those ratings. Though during the pandemic, you could pay 3-Star prices for a hotel that was essentially a 5 Star as these hotels were forced to drop their prices. Sadly, those days are gone and hotels are back to the good old days. Till the next pandemic 🙂
Some deals may still be around. Check these sites below.
Here’s the links to Agoda, Booking.com and Expedia:
Resorts World Genting credit: trivago.com.my and rwgenting.com
While a resort and hotel are similar in that they provide lodging but resort just with more facilities and amenities. It can even be a destination like Genting Highlands Resort or Desaru Beach Resort. In short, a resort is a hotel with additional rooms, services, and entertainment options. All activities from food, shopping, recreational activities and entertainment are all confined within the resort compound as those literally next to it.
6.FREE ACCOMMODATION
credit: haziqizmi.wordpress.com and Flickr
Domestically it seems Malaysian while on vacation like to stay in relatives or friend’s home! A survey on 2021 showed that 58.6% of Malaysians find accommodation this way. Well, we do like to save on money.
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In these pandemic times, due to limited incomes that businesses are getting, we have learnt new skills out of necessity. Whether you are a new business or an existing one, you probably want to know what tools are best and free to use for your business.
A small medium enterprise needs tools and resources to grow its business in the new normal of doing business. But some of the good business tools are a bit too expensive for a new small business to afford.
So MyRehat has listed tools that we use which are free! Below are some of the free tools that are great to use for your business :
Canva is a graphic design platform, used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents and other visual content. If you are looking for a visually appealing and professional, Canva is the answer. There are ready-made templates for you to use and you can create social media profile headers, flyers, banners, logos, infographics, marketing ads, blog graphics, and so much more. The drag-and-drop functionality makes the software easy to use. You can use the free version and still get your design to stand-out in the sea full of competitors.
The free version is adequate to use to create communication materials for your business So you don’t have to hire a graphic designer, you can create designs on your own.
Trello is a project management software that is free and easy-to-use. With Trello, you can communicate and do collaboration with your team, fast and easy. You can track how far your team has gone and your team can see what others are doing to ensure that everyone is on the right track and to prevent miscommunication from happening.
All of us are remote working more now than before, so this software allows work to be tracked and measured. In the past we reduced physical meetings with each other saving time and meeting costs.
Zoom is a video conferencing software and has over 300 million+ users all around the world. You can communicate with your customers or clients through Zoom. Video calls or conferencing can get you to interact with your customers or just as if you’re there in person. The free plan for Zoom allows you to host up to 100 participants. You also receive access to unlimited one-on-one meetings lasting up to 40 minutes and you can get an unlimited number of regular non-video meetings, as well.
MyRehat has done hundreds of meetings via Zoom. All free!
Mailchimp is a marketing automation platform and email marketing service. Email marketing is an important part of running a business, so it is important to find the right email service provider. Mailchimp is easy to use, and it’s free for up to 2,000 subscribers and 12,000 emails. You can create sign-up forms and campaigns, and automate emails to your subscribers.
The features of Mailchimp include beautiful templates, easy personalization, advanced analytics, retargeting, built-in photo editing, and so much more. Give it a shot.
SurveyMonkey is an online survey site that simplifies the survey process considerably. SurveyMonkey is a good choice for you if you want to give your customers a survey to gain insights to their journey on our business. Users can include 10 questions in their survey, view 100 responses per survey, track email responses, optimize surveys for mobile, and gather responses from social media. All of this is for free. We have used surveys to find out how our customers feel about us.
Google Suite (now is Google Workspace) is a cloud collaboration tool that Google has offered. There are a variety to use from it : email, spreadsheet, documents and slides. Every file you have will automatically be stored in your Google Drive. By using the Google Suite, you can easily share your files and you can edit your work together with your team real-time. Every time you edit your work, it will be saved regularly so you don’t have to worry about losing your work.
Google Data Suite is an analytical software that MyRehat uses to track our customers, how much they are paying us and who are actually staying in our unit. These data help plan our strategies. Try it out and it will benefit your business.
Nikon has started to make online courses, so you can send one of your team or join the course yourself. This is so you can learn how to take pictures or videos for your product marketing professionally without hiring a professional photographer. You can save your budget there plus you get to gain knowledge. You have to pay for the online course before this, but now it is free to help creators stay inspired, engaged and grow despite the uncertain circumstances during this pandemic. See how much money you have saved so far. We certainly did!
Facebook marketing is an important tool for marketing digitally now. You can hire a company to do this marketing for you but why don’t you learn and do it yourself. Their online courses are free if you want to learn about how to start marketing your business on Facebook. These free courses come with a recognized Facebook certificate too! The courses can help you build ads for your social media, how to engage with your audience and how to use the platform effectively.
The courses are technical and require patience to learn but hey all we got is time right now.
Running or starting a business is not easy now. So by trying all these tools, you manage your business effectively and save money to spend elsewhere. Once your business starts to expand, you can pay for the pricing plans for these tools to get more features.
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An OTA is a website that provides a platform for hotels, airlines, tour operators and travel related businesses to sell their services to consumers. In the past before online these services were advertised in print media and TV. Now you don’t see these ads, it’s all online now. It costs nothing to advertise on OTAs but for every booking there will be commission charges. Charges vary from OTA to OTA.
MyRehat derives 80% of it’s booking from OTAs. To run a homestay business, you need your home to be seen on an OTA. MyRehat is on four platforms at the moment. We will describe the pros and cons of listing on these OTAs. We would like to state your experience listing on these platforms may be different from ours. The four platforms we are on are Airbnb, Agoda, Booking and Traveloka.
Airbnb
Airbnb was established in 2008. Airbnb is a shorter form of its original name, AirBedandBreakfast.com. Consumers can book accommodation as well as experiences on its platform. Currently it is valued at USD143 billion! Wooh not bad for its two founders who started out by just renting their rooms. In Malaysia they have 66,000 listings as of 2020.
MyRehat first started listing on Airbnb. To list is a long process and requires patience, however the step-by-step process is easy to follow. Airbnb takes 14% commission charge for every booking transacted at their platform.
Why did MyRehat list on Airbnb, that time is the most well-known platform, and their commission was only 3%. They have increased since then. They also have an insurance policy for those who have listed from their units on their platform. So, disputes and damages caused by guests can be claimed through. We submitted three claims. Successfully in two claims and unsuccessful on the third one due to insufficient evidence. Asides from insurance you can also set a deposit which is a minimum of USD100. Since our claim was small it came from the guest’s deposit. We heard from other hosts when the claims come in thousands Airbnb did pay these claims via their insurance. The Host Insurance Protection provides up to $1,000,000 USD in liability coverage for a host’s legal liability to a guest or third party who is injured or has property damaged as a result of an Airbnb stay.
What we liked about Airbnb is also a very effective Feedback system and recognition of being a good host. Both guests and hosts can leave feedback good or bad on their stay at the unit. Bad guests are removed from the platform, same goes for Bad hosts as well. We have consistently maintained a Superhost rating for the past 2 years. We strive to give the best service for us to maintain our Superhost status. If you maintain it for a year you will get USD100 credit. We used it to book units in Penang and Genting. All the other OTAs do not have this benefit.
Airbnb remains our preferred OTA 🙂
Agoda
Agoda.com was established in 2003 and is a worldwide hotel booking service. In 2007 it was bought by Booking Holdings, the parent firm of Booking.com, another OTA we will review later. The Agoda network offers consumers a selection of over one million hotels and vacation rentals, with a particular emphasis on the Asian market.
Its primary business is still hotel bookings but in order to compete with Airbnb it launched Agoda Homes a few years ago. Registration process is easier than Airbnb for hosts. MyRehat is charged 10% commission for bookings on Agoda. Agoda has many tiers of commissions. It’s highest is 17% with more features and benefits but for now we are ok 10%
Many Asians prefer Agoda as they can earn points and use it to offset their payments, and the registration process is very easy peasy lemon squeezy! For hosts because the registration is easy you can’t really tell who is booking. The guests can even use their Facebook profile and don’t have to give any contact details which is a hassle for hosts to communicate with guests. Their screening of guests is also not the best. So, you will get bad guests from Agoda eventually. You get bad guests too on Airbnb, but the incidences are less.
There is also no insurance policy, so anything happens to your unit or guest there is no protection. As hosts, the best we can do is collect a token deposit of a few hundred Ringgit but if your TV is damaged that deposit will definitely not cover it!
Same as Airbnb, Agoda has a rating system for hosts, which is Agoda Top Host. It’s not as great as Superhost on Airbnb but as hosts we should always try to maintain a good rating.
So why are we on it? It’s low commission and locals are frequent users of Agoda. In fact, MyRehat’s booking on Agoda is more than Airbnb this year.
Booking.com
Booking.com, which was created in 1996 and is owned by the same firm as Priceline, is one of the oldest online travel agencies. The company’s headquarters are in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and the website contains listings from 200 different countries across the world.
Booking.com, like many other OTAs on the market, allows customers to book hotels, motels, vacation homes, and other similar types of accommodations, as well as act as a travel fare aggregation service. In Malaysia, Booking.com has more than 10,000 listings.
Many travellers who stay in hotels are already familiar with Booking services and have a high level of trust in the site. Depending on visitor comments, hosts may be awarded the annual Guest Review Award. It comes with an official certificate as well as a window sticker that may be displayed within the rated property to attract additional customers. There is also a ready-made digital version of the certificate that can be shared on social media. Their rating system is good.
Guests are not charged any additional costs for using the service. This increases its popularity. As a result, putting your ad here increases the likelihood that it will be viewed. Guests are not charged any additional costs for using the service. This increases its popularity. As a result, putting your ad here increases the likelihood that it will be viewed.
Like Agoda, for hosts they have tier commission rates for the bookings between 15% to 18%.
Booking.com’s registration process is primarily registered for hotels so for homestays it is a very complex registration.
Like Agoda, Booking.com doesn’t have insurance for hosts. So, you have to take a token deposit but this may only cover small damages. Their guest verification is also not as strong as Airbnb so you will get bad guests from here. Though they do ban guests who are bad but only if it meets their definition of a bad guest.
MyRehat only used Booking.com selectively. To be frank they are our least favourite platform.
Traveloka
Traveloka is an Indonesian OTA that offers online airline tickets and hotel booking services and is fast growing throughout Southeast Asia and Australia. It has lately expanded to provide lifestyle products and services such as attraction tickets, excursions, vehicle rentals, and restaurant coupons.
In Malaysia, Traveloka has thousands of listings and guests prefer Traveloka for its competitive pricing.
The host and listing registration process are quite easy, plus their in charge person would guide you from A to Z! Yes, you are assigned an account manager so any issues you can refer back to them. Other OTAs have issues called customer service.
They only have one standard commission like Airbnb. They charge 17% for every transacted booking.
We only listed here a few months and we have not had many bookings possibly also due to the current MCO.
There are many other OTAs out there, but this is the four we use. There are hosts also who don’t use OTAs but Instagram and Facebook. We also do that but so far, we find that OTAs right now bring us more guests. Find the best OTA for you and just work on beautifying your listing there and if one OTA works for you that is ok too.
Check our listings at Airbnb for your listing’s idea below. Thanks for reading.
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Our country has been struggling in this Covid-19 pandemic for more than a year. We are now in MCO 3.0 and 2021 is all about how to protect your health mentally and physically and as well as survive financially. Salaries have been reduced or we have lost our jobs and seen significant reduction in our business. The number of unemployed fresh graduates has risen significantly this year, as most businesses have attempted to decrease personnel as a result of the slowing economy and cash flow. I am glad to still have a job 😊
We are living in an emergency and lockdowns affecting every aspect of our lives. Without a doubt, these MCOS, EMCOs, CMCOs and RMCOs have had an impact on our economy, from informal businesses being unable to trade, to many companies being forced to provide lower employee pays, temporary or unpaid leave, merely to keep the business going.
The environment is bleak, and things are not within our control and in order to weather this pandemic we have to manage our money, grow it and pay it forward! Here are my tips on how I did this.
Manage Your Money
Before the pandemic I didn’t really manage my money, but Covid-19 has taught me to be Mrs. Stingy. You need to manage your salary or business income by listing it all out. Use a spreadsheet or even just a notebook to write down your fixed monthly commitments (car loan, house rent/loan, phone bills, insurances or other loans etc), and also other expenses such as groceries, fuel & toll, utilities, etc.
Alternatively, to pay everything you can use Debit Card Apps and E-Wallets. For example, Big Pay is a debit card App with analytics that covers all your expenses in a trackable manner. It’s easy to sign up, click here.
Using the E-wallets are also a good way to manage your money as everything is trackable. Knowing what you are spending on is an important aspect of managing your money.
Saving money is an important aspect and due to this we have all become MasterChef out of necessity. Eating out like before is no longer an option, not only to save money but to protect your health! Though I really miss eating out :’(
If you are not a fan of apps then at least write down in a simple format what you are spending every month. My example below. If you don’t know what you are using your money for, you cannot ever hope to manage it properly.
Monthly Income
RM2,500
Fixed Monthly Commitments:
Car loan
RM500
Apartment Rent
RM500
Phone Bill
RM80
Insurance
RM150
PTPTN loan
RM250
Total
RM1,480
Other expenses:
Toll
RM70
Fuel
RM120
Groceries
RM350
Utilities
RM50
Other expenses
RM50
Total
RM640
Saving
(Balance)
RM380
Saving and Emergency Funds
After you’ve paid off all of your fixed monthly commitments and other expenses, the rest of your income will be your savings. Savings are important as you aren’t sure what the future would look like now. Maybe today I am still working and getting paid on time. But tomorrow my salary could be deducted or worse, I could lose my job!
Make it a habit to save aside an amount and put it in an emergency savings account. Even a little amount of money may add up to a huge sum if left untouched and can come in handy on a rainy day.
If you are financially literate aside from putting your savings in ASB or fixed deposits. You can try your hand at stock investments, crypto trading and unit trust investing. These are some sites to check out; Rakuten Trade, Luno and Stash Away.
Only do investments after you gain knowledge on investing. You don’t need big amounts to start investing through these platforms
Advance Budgeting & Expense Tracking
If you want to plan your expenses better in a disciplined manner, start with a long-term budget plan, monthly and eventually daily budgets. I recommend you use money and expenses tracking apps such as Spendee, Monefy, Money Lover and there are many more you can find. Just simply install it on your phone. Or you can use the traditional way; Buku 555 as your journal.
Control Your Wants and Needs by Helping Others
While you may be able to manage your money and keep your needs and wants in check. Others in our society are not so fortunate. If you have a bit of extra help those in need like those flying the “bendera putih” or give more to Lembaga Zakat or establish organisations, such as Mercy Malaysia, Yayasan Food Bank Malaysia, and many more. There’s some individual or influencers that are also helping people out there, such as Arwind Kumar who started #QuaranTEAM and #FromAMother food aid projects.
Terato Tech, a local web developer, has launched Kita Jaga Malaysia (KitaJaga.Co), a website that allows those in need to raise a white flag digitally. Users may also search for and record the locations of food banks on this site. Whether you want to signal for help, provide information about food banks in your neighbourhood, or contribute to be a donator. All you need to do is just pin the location on the map and fill in the required details.
How is this related to managing my money? By not getting that new phone or shoes, giving it to others so their families may eat. We have emotional needs and wants, by channelling it productively we are showing maturity in managing our money.
Allah SWT will multiply the good deeds of His righteous servants up to seven hundred times as much or even more. Like a single seed from which springs forth hundreds of grains, Allah will cause the good deeds of His righteous servants to grow and multiply in a similar manner.
The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed which grows seven spikes, in each spike is a hundred grains. Allah multiplies His reward for whom He wills, for Allah is vast and knowing.
Surat Al-Baqarah 2:261
Starting Your Own Business
If you lose your job due to this pandemic and why not start a business. You can start with a small amount of money or none at all. You can sell things or services that have high demands or the things that most people would buy such as foods or other essentials. Since lockdown and people can’t go out easily, you may do your business online.
There are businesses you do without putting any money down like drop shipping. Drop shipping definition “ a form of retail business wherein the seller accepts customer orders but does not keep goods sold in stock”. Let me explain in this way – Makcik Kiah sells good nasi lemak and kuih but she is not good in online business, so you set up a store online or post these foods on Social media using her foods. Either mark up the selling price or agree beforehand with Makcik Kiah the commission for the sales of her food. This way you hold no stock and you have not paid anything for the cost of the goods.
If you don’t know what business to start with there are many portals that teach you how to start a business or find the business that suits your passions. Sites such as Eventbrite, have many online talks and ideas on business. Institut Keusahawanan Negara (INSKEN) has a lot of marketing and business training at a very affordable price or just go to social media to look for business ideas, plenty there.
This easiest business to start with is one you already have a skill in. If you are an engineer, accountant, gym instructor and a cook, there are many freelance jobs out there. Last time you were working for someone, now use the same skills for your own business.
Here are some websites to look at if you’re looking for a freelancing job – Upwork,Guru and Goget.
Upwork and Guru are worldwide freelancing platforms that engage businesses and people to conduct business. It has clients all around the world. Clients may use Upwork’s platform to interview, employ, and collaborate with freelancers and freelancing agencies.
The next platform is GoGet, which is founded in Malaysia. Goget is an on-demand job platform that connects companies and customers with certified gig workers for jobs such as delivery, catering, and administrative support. You can find the right job for you in the ‘GoGetters’ section on the website. This is a platform where you may find job that you enjoy doing and set your own hours. They provide flexibility, a diverse range of work options across sectors, and large fluctuations.
Who could have imagined that this pandemic would still last till now since last year? All of us are affected financially and emotionally. All we can do is adapt and prepare for any worst-case scenarios. I hope that this pandemic will teach us the importance of planning for life’s uncertainties. We need to know how to safeguard our well-being and finances and grow our wealth in the new norm. I hope that this article will give you ideas on how to create and preserve your wealth. Be safe and do follow the SOP until I don’t know when :’(
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In the second part of our homestay business series, we will explore our selection process. Selecting where to operate your homestay can make or break your business. Some people pick a kampung house, near the beach, in the city or even within their taman! This is usually in mid-size towns where the dewan is the centre of many activities. A rented house in a mid-sized town is usually below RM700 a month. You can charge a few hundred a night hence you only need to rent it out for 4 nights to turn a profit already, pick those houses near a dewan with lots of kenduri kahwin!
For the purpose of this article, we will share only how we select units based in condos. For houses we are not the expert but the strategies we use should be applicable for houses as well.
New vs Existing Condo in a Popular Location
We always pick an existing condo that is popular as there is already a sizable ready market for it. Our definition of an existing condo is any condo more than a year old. There are operators who will pick a newly built condo in a popular location because it has less competition from other operators though you would need to do heavy marketing and more manpower to promote the new condo.
For new hosts, it is always better to pick a popular condo in a good location in MyRehat’s view as you would spend less time explaining to people where your homestay is.
Once you have identified a condo, you have to do due diligence:
Does the management of the condo allow for homestay business? If not, then you better pick another place as the majority will always win and you will be fighting needless battles to operate. Of course, they are people who operate anyway in a place that is not favourable to homestay businesses.
How can guests enter the condo? In the beginning, MyRehat would check in all our guests. But as the number of our units grew that was no longer possible. So, it is important to see if the condo has easy access to the mailbox for guests to take the key and friendly management allowing taking of key from the mailbox.
Utilities are a big expense of any homestay operator, especially TNB. So, it’s important to see if the condo utilities are commercial or residential rate. The difference between commercial and residential rates is 30%. Example if the residential rate TNB let’s say RM200 a month while commercial is RM260. That’s a 30% difference!
The amenities. One of the reasons people come to stay at a homestay condo are the amenities. There are many amenities but for MyRehat the swimming pool and rooftop is key. People will pay extra if they know your condo has a great swimming pool and a spectacular view.
Fully Furnished. MyRehat only takes fully furnished units. What we mean by this: TV, beds in all rooms, water heater, aircons, fans, lights, kitchen, and stove. Of course, our preference is always units that were previously managed by other homestay operators.
If you have a condo in Kuala Lumpur that you do not want to manage that fits our criteria do contact us, we would love to manage it for you. Happy reading everyone!
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The short stay home business or homestay has been around for decades. People have rented out their rooms or properties for short term stays as a full-time business or just to make secondary income.
The arrival of Airbnb in 2008 changed the industry forever. Here you had a platform that could list these properties and be seen by millions all over the world. During the early days, you had entrepreneurs making millions from just renting properties they own or don’t even own! Those days are gone as the industry is more regulated and more people are involved in this business. Nevertheless, it is still a profitable business if you do it right.
MyRehat will share the overall process of how to start this business. MyRehat, like many entrepreneurs, wanted to be an accommodation specialist without ever owning any of these properties. Here are the steps we took for our homestay business.
Identify the Location
The location is the most important factor when setting up your homestay business. All the research you can do online before you actually visit the site.
You can browse these websites iProperty, PropertyGuru, Speed Home and Mudah.my , to identify the properties. For us we only operate City centre properties and those properties less than 45 minutes from our base of operations.
For example if you live in Kota Damansara you may want to target properties near you but you can also do city centres like KLCC or Bukit Bintang.
Next, you can check the popularity and selling price of your chosen location in booking sites known as Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Airbnb, Agoda, Travelokaand Booking.com whether it is in a high demand area or not. If those OTAs show the location has many homestay units within the area, this means the area is popular and in high demand.
Target Fully-Furnished Units
The fully furnished units means you don’t need to hire Interior design, buy furniture, put in kitchen cabinets, have a Smart TV and everything else needed for a home. You can start operating your units within a 2 week time frame after obtaining it.
MyRehat prefers units that used to be operated as a homestay as you can literally operate the unit the next day. The only thing that MyRehat has to add for these units is Netflix. As everything else from bedsheets, kitchenware and internet are all there. Keeping your cost low is important in this business.
Rental or Revenue
Once you have identified the unit, start negotiating the payment terms. In this business, there are two methods of payment. Fixed monthly rental or revenue sharing.
Revenue sharing is a method whereby you agree to share the profit and operational costs with the owner of the unit. Here is the formula to calculate the Net Profit for Revenue Sharing Method:
Ideally for your business, best is revenue sharing, however this method may not be acceptable to all owners.
Unit Photography
First impressions are very important to capture people’s eyes and attention. The photos of the listings can make or break the chances of you getting bookings. Hiring a professional photographer is highly recommended. The professional photographer will take the pictures from various angles with good lighting. Plus, they will cover every appealing aspect of your property. High-quality photos will make the unit stand out among your competitors
The market rate for photography is between RM250 to RM400 for a unit. This again depends on your negotiation skill to get it lower. If your photographs are poor quality, no marketing efforts will be enough to generate business as impression matters.
Listing on an OTA
OTA is a web-based marketplace that lets customers explore and book travel goods and services directly via travel suppliers, such as hotels, flights, rentals, tours, cruises, and activities.
Airbnb, Traveloka, Booking, Agoda and Expedia are the most well-known OTA. You can start with Airbnb first then proceed with others as you gain more experience in the business.
Once listed, monitor it constantly. Make sure you get good reviews and adjust your prices accordingly to low and high seasons. Reviews are important as people will book based on reviews.
This is an overview on how we started. This works for us may not be for you. Use it as a guide. MyRehat will be publishing a series of articles on the homestay business. Watch out for the next one, in the meantime check out the units on our site for ideas on how to start your homestay business journey.
