Coordinating turnover for vacation rentals

by Summer Stevens

It’s “turnover day” on the Outer Banks and rental companies throughout the area are managing the incredible challenge of getting thousands of properties emptied, cleaned and ready for another week of excited vacationers.

Cate Jordan, personal coordinator at Sun Realty, glances at the clock as she picks up the ringing phone. It’s 3 p.m. She does a quick mental calculation. Most of the early check in reservations should be settled into their houses, most of the housekeepers should be finished with the large houses, and most of the check-ins beginning at 4 p.m. are just about ready.

“Thank you for calling Sun Realty, this is Cate,” she says.

She listens and nods her head. “Can you tell me the code you’re using to unlock the house?” She pulls up the reservation and confirms. “Yes, that’s the correct code.” She troubleshoots with a guest on how to open the KABA lock.

“It works? Good! Have a great week, and let me know if you have any more trouble with it.”

She says goodbye but doesn’t put the phone down. Another call is coming in, and she can see that all her other co-workers are talking with customers already.

COVID-19 changed a lot of things, including the reservation check-in process. With mostly automated locks, express check-ins and communication via email, phone and text message, Cate misses the personal interactions. “We don’t get to see as many of our guests anymore,” she said.

“Thank you for calling Sun Realty, this is Cate,” she answers.

She listens and says, “Congratulations on making it through the traffic early. That can be quite a challenge! …Yes, let me check. Your rental is available for check in after 4 p.m.”

“I’m sure you’re ready to relax at your beach house as soon as possible, and it will be ready for you to check in sometime after 4, though not necessar- ily right at 4. Our cleaners are working carefully to make sure all homes are cleaned, inspected and ready for your arrival, and we’ll get you in as soon as possible. You’ll receive a text message when the house is ready, and then you can go right in. I promise you, we’ll be sure you’re notified as soon as it’s ready. Okay, then, have a great week and let us know if there’s anything you need once you’re inside.”

More calls come in. A guest wants to bring their dog at the last minute, another person is sick and is wondering if she can move her reservation. Someone calls to say they can’t find their linens. Another guest calls to say that the hot tub isn’t working. To someone else, Cate recommends a nearby restaurant for their first night on the OBX.

There’s a lull in the phone calls, and Cate checks her work email, answering future guests’ questions about whether there are linens in the house (answer: depending on the property, it may include linens or a linen package can be added). She contacts Sun’s Pool & Spa division about the hot tub, based on the homeowner’s preferences, and schedules the repair.

“A lot of people think Sun Realty owns the houses, but we don’t. All the houses are privately owned, and we manage them for other people. When maintenance requests come in, there’s a process we follow to be sure the right vendors are contacted and that the homeowner is fully aware and oks the work,” she said.

She calls the guest back to let them know that the hot tub repair person will be over on Monday afternoon.

A large part of her job is staying organized. She has a notebook with pages of notes in different colored highlighters, so she can keep up with the 34 different properties she oversees for Sun Realty. In the offseason, she coordinates thorough inspections of each property and works with homeowners on recommended home maintenance. She and her co-workers rotate as the after-hours on-call person for guests who have late night emergencies.

“In the summertime when the phones keep ringing off the hook, we try to keep it light in the office,” she said. She said her “work family” cares for and supports each other, and it’s the people that really make her job fun.

The clock ticks toward 4 p.m. The busy part of the day is far from over, but Cate smiles and picks up the phone once again, happy to help someone have a great week of vacation.

4:00pm