Vacation rental management company sets up in Summit

A new vacation rental management company recently expanded to Summit, offering listing, marketing, cleaning and other services at the cost of commission. The Glenwood Springs-based service expanded to Basalt, Aspen and other areas before joining the county in December.

“I was very surprised, when I traveled (to Summit) in December, at the number of rentals there,” Keylink founder Kate Dehm said. “There’s a lot of demand for this kind of service in your area and I’d like to expand.”

Dehm is partnering with a Silverthorne cleaning company to keep rentals in shape before the next guest arrives. For an 18-percent commission, Keylink will offer cleaning, laundry services, guest services, a professional listing, booking and marketing.

For those on a budget, the company will offer professional listing, marketing and booking management for a 10-percent commission. Cleaning, laundry services and guest services are available separately for a monthly fee.

Dehm said Keylink will manage short-term vacation rentals, as well as year-round rentals. Selling a weekend getaway, however, can get more complicated.

“I customize it to the needs of the homeowner,” Dehm said. “For every property, there’s someone in line to rent it.”

Prior to listing a home or condo, Dehm will do a free home evaluation, taking into account the location and age of a residence, recent updates and the value of surrounding properties to create an income projection. While just about every home will rent, a newer building with upgrades, stainless steel appliances and a good location will go for more.

“Those rent well, just at a different price point,” Dehm said.

At the beginning, a house may go for less, as a homeowner builds up a “reputation,” with property reviews adding value to a rental. Through Keylink, properties are listed on VRBO sites, Airbnb, Flipkey and a variety of others.

“A new property has no reviews, so it’s good to try to go a little lower rate for first few months,” Dehm said. “We try to go into it with a lower price, and build that person’s rental business quickly to get reviews.”

The company will cover $1,500 to $3,000 worth of damage through a refundable deposit paid by the guest. Deposits of $300 and up are collected at the time of reservation.

Prior to renting, she encouraged homeowners to review local homeowners’ association or town restrictions on rentals.

“We want to stay within the guidelines of the HOA,” she said. “It’s something a homeowner wants to explore before they look to far into it.”

Breckenridge offers guest service training

Last year, the Breckenridge Tourism Office offered its first “One Breckenridge,” guest service influencer training class. This year, the office is offering a similar program on Feb. 2 and 3 at the Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center.

The two-day “Guest Service Influencer Train the Trainer” session will provide training for employees to enhance existing training programs, especially related to guest service. The session may serve as a tool to launch training programs within an organization.

After the session ends, team members will still have access to training resources, to help reach goals of consumer engagement, net-promoter scores or improve visitor experience. The session costs $50, and 30 seats are available. To sign up, email bwishowski@gobreck.com with the names, email addresses and phone numbers of the team members who wish to attend.

Regis, Elevate offer it support for startups

Regis University’s College of Computer and Information Sciences is partnering with Elevate CoSpace to offer free IT support to startups in the Rocky Mountain Region. The program will pair the college’s graduate students with companies to provide IT consulting to smaller businesses that might not have the resources on their own.

“A lot of businesses here might not have an IT but can be in need of tech support,” Elevate co-founder Amy Kemp said. “I know for Elevate, it provided a tremendous value.”

Two local businesses tested the new program, the Frisco-based coworking space and Adrenaline Escapes, a Summit County startup that pairs outdoor adventures with guides through an app and website. Throughout the duration of the eight-week session, three groups of seven Masters students worked with each business.

For Elevate, groups of students worked to create mock requests-for-proposals, source vendors and present proposals to make operations more efficient. For Adrenaline Escapes, they helped launch the business’ online platform that links visitors to local guides and professional adventure services.

The program is expected to continue beyond this session. For more information about how to apply or get involved, contact amy@elevatecospace.com.

—Compiled by Elise Reuter