Not every property manager gives each home the personalized attention it truly deserves—and it all comes down to incentives and structure.
Some managers—especially the big national firms, many of which are publicly traded—are focused on one thing above all: scale. Their priority is to sign on as many homes as possible to meet shareholder expectations and aggressive growth targets. But when a business model revolves around volume, it becomes nearly impossible to deliver the kind of dedicated, thoughtful service that high-end properties—like luxury vacation rentals in Sonoma County—truly require. Even if these firms attract substantial traffic to their direct booking sites and social channels, each individual property gets diluted within an ever-expanding portfolio, which means less visibility and fewer direct bookings for you. This challenge is often compounded by misaligned incentives, such as steering guests to book through their branded sites—where they collect extra fees—rather than maximizing exposure on OTAs like Airbnb or VRBO, which still drive over 80% of vacation rental bookings. Pricing can suffer too: large firms tend to lean on generic, one-size-fits-all pricing algorithms that overlook the unique features and premium potential of your home—leaving money on the table. And the misalignment doesn’t stop there: some national firms also profit from in-house cleaning and maintenance markups, which can incentivize them to underprice stays to drive higher occupancy—and more cleaning and maintenance revenue—ultimately at your expense.
On the other end of the spectrum, smaller local managers can run into the opposite problem. They may limit the number of homes they take on, creating the impression of personalized service. But too often, they lack the operational backbone—robust systems, clear processes, and the right technology—to run efficiently and proactively. Instead of staying ahead, they spend their time reacting and putting out fires. While it might feel attentive day to day, it rarely translates into stronger long-term performance—especially if they’re stretched too thin to consistently refine marketing strategies and optimize pricing to maximize your property’s earning potential.
So what does the right approach look like? The answer is balance.
You want a property manager who combines the operational sophistication of a larger firm—clear processes, strong vendor relationships, and modern tech tools—with the intentional, curated approach of a boutique operator. This means they’re selective about which homes they take on and scale responsibly, ensuring each property gets the care and oversight it needs to succeed.
When you find a manager who strikes that balance, you get the best of both worlds: personalized attention backed by professional systems that actually drive results. And that’s how your property doesn’t just feel cared for—it performs better too.
At Vinifera Homes, we believe we bring that balance. Our decades of experience in the hotel industry and managing top-performing vacation rentals have equipped us with the systems and expertise you’d expect from a larger firm. But we didn’t build Vinifera Homes to collect as many clients as possible—we built it because we genuinely love doing this work. That’s why we’re intentionally selective about which properties we take on, ensuring we can deliver the focused, personalized attention each one deserves.
Written by Anish Patel, Head of Owner Relations at Vinifera Homes (anish@viniferahomes.com)
