With the New Forest being one of the most visited tourist hotspots in the UK, the demand for short-term and holiday let properties in the region have increased significantly over the past few years and it continues to grow. We interviewed Darren Loose to see what attracted him to the short-let industry in the New Forest and Christchurch area.
Hi! My name is Darren Loose, Owner of BrightWater Estate Agency, and now Director of Pass The Keys New Forest & Christchurch. Having started my sales and lettings business in the area of Ringwood and the New Forest with no previous experience in the market, I have successfully grown a large lettings client portfolio. I have always been attracted to anything to do with property so having a residential property business, a block management business and owning several investment properties of my own, moving into the holiday let market seemed to be the next step in my portfolio of property businesses.
Pass the Keys is proud to announce our latest partner.
We caught up with Darren to find out why they’re so passionate about the area and its thriving short let industry
Q: What advice would you give to property owners if they want to short-let their property?
Firstly, ensuring your home is exceptionally clean and well-maintained is an absolute must. Short letting on Airbnb is all about positive reviews from previous guests to give future guests the reassurance to book your property. Reaching Superhost status as early as possible in your short let/holiday let journey will not only help future bookings but, also enable you to maximise booking fee potential. Staying on top of guest enquiries and responding within a few hours, day or night will enable Airbnb to promote your property to ensure bookings are made.
Why the New Forest & Christchurch?
Ringwood is my hometown which is within The New Forest so I know the area very well. The New Forest and Christchurch has so much to offer all year round with many attractions and of course many forest and coastal walks.
Having done my research and found out that the New Forest was the third most popular area to visit for a staycation, it was an easy decision that this is the best place to start my new venture.
With the rise in tourism and staycations in the New Forest and the surrounding area, I felt that the options for accommodation were limited, especially with the change in trends with a lot of people now preferring their own privacy when they go away (home from home) and not stay in a hotel.
Why does the New Forest & Christchurch area need a short-let property management service like Pass the Keys?
Managing short let properties can be a lot of hard work. Cleaning, linen changes, guest questions, guest check-in, guest check-out, cleaning, washing, repeat… there is a lot more work to it than long term lets. However, with that work comes great reward. At Pass the Keys, we take all the stress away from the property owner so they can enjoy the reward without the hard work.
We can also help increase revenue using algorithms and by optimising the listings to get more bookings and maximise the nightly rates with sophisticated dynamic pricing.
If you have a passion for the short-letting industry and are looking to become your own boss, then why not consider becoming a Pass the Keys Franchise Partner? Operating and managing properties across their local area, our Franchise Partners are supported by the reputation and technology of a national brand, to grow a successful, cutting-edge local business.
To request more information, please visit us at https://franchise.passthekeys.co.uk/request-info/ or give us a call on 020 8050 2818 today.