The Blue Pearl Suites Apartment: http://www.homeaway.com/138081 The Playa del Carmen section of HomeAway.com currently has 137 property listings. That may sound like a lot, but really is a very manageable market to stand out in (As of Jan. 8th, Destin has 619!). Most of the properties highlight their oceanfront or ocean view locations and extol the cultural appeal of the area. One thing that the ads definitely don't lack is color, so if you want yours to be eye-catching you're going to have to fight color with more color. No poorly lit photos will suffice.

PROPERTY HEADLINE & PROPERTY ACCOMMODATION SUMMARY

“Freedom and comfort at the heart of playa” is catchy, but what does it really tell the renter? Remember when writing your headline, that you're competing for inquiries with all of the other properties in your area. Your headline has to be descriptive and has to articulate why a renter should click on your listing for more information. With a location like Playa del Carmen, one of the first things that a renter wants to know is the distance to the beach and to 5a avenida. Perhaps, put that in your headline. Your thumbnail photo is great because it's not exactly like any other thumbnail picture in your area and gives the renter the impression that your home would be a great place to kick back and relax.

PHOTOS AND CAPTIONS

Like I said above, the photo of the hammock and Jacuzzi on your terrace is terrific and is great way to start your property photo section. Is there a reason why you have two pictures of your master bedroom from the exact same angle? If I were you, I'd nix the first one because the lighting doesn't exactly exude “beachfront fun”. The photo taken during the day displays the room much more appealingly. The shot of your living room is okay, but doesn't really show the size of the room. If you can, take a photo standing farther back and get both couches in the picture. The photo of the exterior of your apartment is good because it gives renters a sense of the atmosphere of your home's location, though the tree obstructs a clear view. When taking photographs of their property, owners sometimes make the mistake of being “artsy” in their photos. Renters aren't judging the property based on the aesthetics of the photos, but by how the photos showcase the property. Your photographs of the seashells, bird, beach, and of the people on the street are beautifully shot and certainly give the renter a sense of the area';s appeal, but with a popular well-know destination like Playa, instead, use the photo section as an opportunity to sell your property specifically. The shot of the sunset is a good idea, but I'd try to get the side of your terrace in the picture, so that it's obvious that's the view from your balcony. The second to last picture of your living area is poorly lit and oddly framed. To highlight the décor of the room, take the picture during the day and frame the shot from a different angle to try to get the railing out of the picture. The last photo of the décor detail on the pillows is fine, but before you start highlighting the décor details, I'd make sure that you had wide-angle shots of the each bedroom, the living areas, the kitchen, the exterior of the building, and of the view.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY

You have great details in your description, but the prose is a bit choppy. The details about the two levels and their floor plans are good to include in the description, because many renters will only read this paragraph and move on. The use of biodegradable cleaning products is great, but I'm not sure if it's a selling point for most renters, so I'd recommend including it in a different section of your listing. Here's a quick rewrite of your description just to give you a few ideas: This beautiful two-bedroom, two-level apartment sits just one block away from the beach and the 5a avenida, home to Playa's greatest restaurants, shops, and nightlife. After a long day on the town, watch the sunset from the private jacuzzi on the terrace or read a book in the hammock under the stars. Tropical wood stairs join the apartment's two levels both decorated with natural accents (wood, stones, soft colours) and handcrafts by Mexican artisans from Chiapas. On the first level is a full kitchen, living area, bedroom with a king size bed, and full bathroom. The second level offers a second bedroom with a king size bed and sofa bed, a full bathroom, and another living area with two sofa beds all outfitted with real mattresses for comfort. The apartment offers the conveniences of home (full kitchen, king size beds, restocked kitchen available), as well as, the perks of a hotel (jacuzzi, rooftop lounge pool and solarium, daily maid service available). The location and distance information should be included in both Metric system and the US customary system of measurement. You can convert the distances here: http://www.onlineconversion.com/length_common.htm. Your location description is great and really paints a picture of Playa and the experiences a renter could enjoy while vacationing there. Though, I don't really get your use of ellipses. Your paragraph reads like a story and with the ellipses, I feel like there are parts of the story missing. Are there?

AVAILABILITY CALENDAR

Great job using the availability calendar. Empty calendars are one of the biggest frustrations that we hear from renters. To book those hard-to-rent weeks, consider offering a Special Offer.

RENTAL RATE & FEE TABLE

Your rental rates are clear and easy to find. Is there a reason that you lowered your rates for the upcoming year? Consider structuring prices more seasonally to insure that you get top dollar during the peak season and that you're not overcharging and sitting empty during the off-season. Do you charge a cleaning fee above and beyond your rental rate? Small correction: You might want to say “check prices for other suites on our web” site rather than “in.”

BASIC PROPERTY FEATURES

Very complete and detailed descriptions in this section. How neat that all of your cleaning products are readily biodegradable! It sounds like you really take care of your guests.

AMENITIES & ATTRACTIONS

Bravo offering wireless broadband internet! That is definitely something that more and more renters are looking for these days (no one can just sit back and relax for a whole week anymore). Great usage of the “Notes” section, though the punctuation is a bit wacky. You might also want to explain “Golf-Privileges-Optional” in this section.

Great use of the further details section. The only thing: In the rental rates section you mention a website, but there is no link in this section. Either, add the link or if your website doesn't comply with HomeAway linking policies remove that phrase from your rental rates description. It looks like you've yet to take advantage of the reviews feature. Get past renters to fill out reviews to give your future renters peace of mind. Good choice in using a toll-free number. I usually recommend offering a local number to show the renters that they are dealing with an actual person, but in this case, I think that renters will be grateful to forgo the long distance charges. The Diagnosis:  The listing sells Playa del Carmen, but doesn't properly sell the property itself. You should showcase what your property specifically has to offer by first sizing up where it fits in the marketplace. By playing up your property's strengths (jacuzzi, daily maid service, high-speed internet), renters will see the competitive advantages of renting your vacation home. Do you have additional suggestions for this ad? Email us.