How Home Team Vacation Rentals Drove $22,614 in Direct Bookings Through Outbound Guest SMS in just 8 days

The Challenge

Home Team Vacation Rentals, a leading short-term rental operator, was facing a familiar problem: too much dependence on Airbnb and Vrbo.

While OTAs filled calendars, they also kept guest relationships — and data — locked away. Without that data, Home Team couldn’t nurture past guests or drive repeat bookings directly.

They needed a way to speak directly to guests again — to create personal, one-to-one conversations that filled their properties on demand.

The Strategy: Outbound Guest SMS

Home Team partnered with Yada, the guest marketing platform built for short-term rentals, to launch an outbound SMS campaign targeting past guests and recent inquiries.

Instead of waiting for Airbnb’s algorithm, they took action — sending personalized text messages that felt like a friendly follow-up from a local host, not a blast from a marketing system.

Each message included:

• Personalized stay references (“We’d love to host you again at the lake this fall”)

• Clear, conversational CTAs (“Would you like to reserve your favorite home again this year?”)

• Real replies that opened booking conversations inside Yada’s CRM

The campaign ran for 8 days, with automation handling delivery and response tracking.

The Results

The numbers were remarkable — especially for a single outbound SMS campaign:

Each message cost pennies. Each conversation was personal. And together, they drove tens of thousands of dollars in direct revenue — zero commissions, zero OTA fees.

Why It Worked

• Speed – SMS creates instant engagement; most guests replied within hours.

• Trust – Messages came from a known brand they’d stayed with before.

• Simplicity – No logins, no friction — just a quick conversation and a booking link.

• Data Ownership – Every reply, every stay, and every dollar flowed back into Yada’s CRM — not Airbnb’s.

“Your past guests are your cheapest source of revenue. Outbound guest marketing turns them into repeat customers — without paying 15% to an OTA.”
— Alex Mackenzie, Top Shelf Vacation Rentals

The Takeaway

Home Team’s campaign proved one simple truth:

The future of hospitality belongs to operators who own their guest communication.

With Yada, outbound SMS becomes a revenue engine — not just a messaging tool.
It’s how modern hospitality brands:

• Fill slow weeks fast

• Drive repeat bookings

• Build guest loyalty

• Break free from OTA dependency

8 days. 2,500 texts. 68 conversations. 9 bookings. $22,614 earned.
All through direct, personal guest messaging.