MARKETING PLAN (Villa or Condo)

I have recently started this more "complete" marketing plan for them. I don't charge a higher percentage for commissions for direct bookings, I just offer to take over managing their calendar for them, will submit their properties to the villa rental internet sites for them and if necessary, update their existing websites--take a few nice photographs for them as well.

Financially, the only thing that is different is that I ask to be reimbursed for the out-of-pocket listing fees charged by the other (villa listing) sites the owner would like to be listed on, any web-hosting fees, etc-- I have found the best (non-commission) sites for Cayman Villa rentals to be:

www.vrbo.com ($179/yr)

www.homeaway.com ($299/yr) (includes www.cyberrentals.com, www.greatrentals.com and www.a1vacations.com)

www.vacationhomes.com ($150/yr)

www.vacationrentals.com ($148/yr)

www.goin2travel.com ($155/yr)

www.holiday-rentals.co.uk ($300/yr roughly)

It is the owner's choice which he/she would like to be listed on-- I have prioritized them above-- I would recommend as a minimum that your property be listed on www.vrbo.com and www.homeaway.com.  There are quite a few more than these-- but those sites don't get high rankings in the search engines or invest in SEO (search engine optimization).

Inquiries from these listings will come directly to our office. Your inbox won't be deluged with e-mails. The only e-mails you will see are blind copies of date holds, leases and invoices-- as well as e-mails that checks are on the way.

You still don't sign any contracts. The arrangement is cancellable at any time by yourself. You can have the logon/passwords for the calendar, referral sites, etc (you paid for them!)-- Unlike other listing agencies on or off the island, you are not locked in at all.

The one exception to this is if we have to pay an introductory travel agent 10% of the "base rate" (as calculated by Cayman Villas-- {really works out to 7% of gross})-- we reduce our 12.5% commission to match that paid to the agent. The result is a slightly higher total commission (about 14%)-- but travel agents can bring us rentals many times for slower months-- I also try to get them to use agency checks instead of credit cards.

1. 95% of our villas are on the water. If your villa is not on the water, but you would still like us to list it-- please know that we will need to make the reader aware that it is not waterfront. We have put together a condo site to link to the villa site and vice-versa-- www.gcmcondos.com to www.grandcaymanvillas.net
2. We need to know the maximum occupancy (adults/children under 18) for your villa. If you have a maximum number of adults that is less than the max occupancy, we need to disclose that. We put in all of our leases that exceeding the maximum occupancy is grounds for immediate eviction with no refund. We are villa owners ourselves and know the drill.
3. We need to know your minimum rental period, whether you have a standard "roll" day of the week, whether you want us to bother you with a "lower-than-rack-rate" offer and whether you have any "special" rates for holiday weeks, etc.
4. All of our rates advertised include the Cayman Island DOT 10% occupancy Tax. Please provide rates that reflect the 10% tax.
5. For homes on this plan I also provide photography-- but I am not a professional-- I wholeheartedly recommend David Wolfe. He charges CI$800 for a half-day but is worth it. www.davidwolfephotography.com
6. Also, GCV&C WILL NOT knowingly lease your villa to local (Caymanian) guests without disclosing it to you. We also have had good/bad experiences renting to locals. Also, if there is to be a wedding, we need to know if there are any additional requirements to make the guests aware of.
7. We must have a www.homeawayconnect.org calendar for your property. We want to do the homework up front and bring you a lease and invoice to approve without a lot of effort on your part. No back-and-forth e-mails checking availability-- if it is shown available on the calendar, we should be trying to fill that vacancy for you.

LEASE TERMS

GCV&C will draft the lease for the rental period. A copy of that lease will be e-mailed to the villa owner/agent as "blind" copy for his/her approval and to have a copy for their records.

A.     Our standard PAYMENT terms are 50% deposit to "Book" the villa and the remaining balance 60 days prior to occupancy (yours can be different).

B.     Our standard CANCELLATION terms are somewhat unique (yours can be different, but know these are what we send out unless you specify):

1.    Once "booked" (paid 50% of Rental Charge); should the client decide to cancel prior to paying the full charge, 25% of the Rental Charge will be returned to the guest as soon as it is received from the villa owner. Should GCV be able to replace the reservation, the other 25% will be forwarded immediately upon receipt of replacement booking funds, less any discounts or fees paid. Should Grand Cayman Villas & Condos not be able to replace the reservation, the remaining 25% is forfeited.

2.     Once "paid-in-full" (paid 100% of Rental Charge); should the client cancel; every effort will be made to re-lease the property. We will contact other rental agencies, managers, travel agents, etc. in an effort to re-lease the property. Should we be able to replace the reservation, you will receive 100% of your Rental Charge, less any re-booking charges, commissions or discounts incurred. Should GCV&C not be able to re-lease the property, the entire rental amount will be forfeited; however, 50% of that amount will be credited on a non-assignable basis towards a subsequent available week at the same villa (regardless of high/low season). This credit will be exercisable by the lessee for 13 months. We think this feature is both unique and very fair, as rebooking within 60 days is very difficult (air fares, etc.), and most families have already made their vacation plans well in advance. You might consider travel cancellation insurance to protect yourself from unforeseen events.

Grand Cayman Villas & Condos, LLC (GCV&C) operates strictly as a marketing/booking agency for rental villas located on Grand Cayman.

1. No Contracts, No Annual Fees. Each lease stands on its own.
2. Pay for Performance (rental contracts) Only. If we bring you a rental, it costs you a fixed 12.5%. You don't have to accept every rental, but if you do-- it is the 12.5%. We don't offer any owner a better rate.
3. If a travel agent brings me an inquiry-- I have to pay them 10% of the pre-tax "base" rate-- see TRAVEL AGENTS for the commission adjustment.
4. Our commission comes out of the second 50% payment. We take risk of cancellation.
5. More "owner-friendly" cancellation terms protect both the owner and GCV&C.
6. Much lower commission rate than full-service agents, www.caribbeanway.com, www.villascaribe.com, etc..
7. No Photos to upload or rates to change
8. Professional Website Design, Search Engine Submission, pay for clicks, SEO program
9. Island (Local) Knowledge is very important to the Clients; We send them Concierge Service Contacts.
10. Knowledge of Villa Proximity Leads to Multiple Villa Bookings for Larger Parties/Weddings.
11. Standardized Lease Terms (Deposit/Cancellation).
12. Payment via USA (Wachovia) Draft mailed to your Preferred Address.
13. Ability to Accept Credit Cards (Visa & Mastercard).