Gen Z is coming of age. Those born between 1997 and 2012 are entering the workforce in droves and choosing to independently make travel decisions. And they love vacation rentals! In fact, by 2022, 75% of Airbnb guests are expected to be from the Millennial and Gen Z demographic.
And unlike the boomers and millennials, Gen Z is more open to a work-from-anywhere lifestyle.
You know what that means for vacation rental owners – longer, and more repeat, stays.
Clearly, the needs of this new generation must be nurtured. That’s why turning your vacation rental into a smart home has become more of a necessity than convenience.
Technology must be integrated into every aspect of the vacation rental experience, especially since the generation has literally grown up on smartphones, property automation, and voice assistants in their homes.
Read on to find out what short-term rentals need to do to stay ahead of the game and give the tech-forward Gen Z (zoomer) travelers what they really want.
The importance of property automation for Gen Z
To capture the Gen Z guest’s imagination and share of wallet, property managers need to start really listening to what makes them tick.
Since these zoomers are not just tech-literate but tech-native, to make them feel at home your property needs to undergo a complete digital transformation.
Property automation technologies can do that. It can also cater to their tastes for convenience, control, security, cost-savings, sustainability, and transparency.
In fact, a recent survey shows that 62% of Gen Z renters care deeply about having smart-home technology integrated into their apartment space. Smart locks, thermostats, and energy-efficient appliances were found to be more of a Gen Z magnet than extra space.
Property owners who are ready to meet these smart home expectations can propel their rental business into a secure future.
So what does Gen Z expect from vacation rental automation?
Smart locks. Smart lights. Smart speakers. Smart pools. There are so many new vacation rental automation technologies that appeal to the climate conscious and affordability-driven generation.
Here are some of the features of property automation sure to excite the nation’s youngest cohort of vacationers:
- Cost-savings: Just like the Millenials, Gen Z too suffered the hardships of recession immediately after graduating from college. So, having learnt to live with less they would be a lot more appreciative of the fact that property automation can cut down on their utility bills when on vacation. IoT devices like smart bulbs, thermostats, water heaters and even your TV can be programmed to switch off when not required.
- Sustainability: Gen Z is leading the sustainability agenda, be it in terms of where they shop from, who they work for, or even where they stay. Here too, vacation rental automation checks the right boxes as it makes very visible and positive changes in the property’s operations. For instance, online check-in and check-out eliminates the use of paper for invoicing and other documentation and smart locks do away with plastic keycards. Also smart devices offer meaningful usage statistics that guests can use to reduce carbon footprint.
- Safety: If there is one thing that the pandemic proved, it is that hygiene and safety are critical to every travel business including short-term rentals. To reassure Gen Z guests that their physical wellbeing will be taken care of, your smart home should enable periodic contact-free sanitation, touchless check-in and check-out, and remotely controlled smart locks. Best-in-class property automation technologies also permit short-term keyless access to delivery persons and maintenance staff.
Make Gen Z your guest for life
Gen Z is increasingly playing a big role in family vacation decision-making.
To help your listing stand out and capture the attention of this technophile generation, it’s important to invest in smart tech.
And to help prepare for the smart home transformation, start by choosing the right tech-stack that will help you build a comfortable, safe and affordable holiday space. Once implemented, it is sure to deliver repeat Gen Z guests for life.
Contact us to find out more about our smart home solution.
