How to Sell Your Property to Vacation Home Shoppers
There are two main types of buyers in real estate – those looking for a primary residence and those looking for a vacation home.
As a seller, you’re likely to market your home as a primary residence by default. You may not have considered the option of leveraging the vacation home market as an avenue to reach a different subset of buyers. But you should! This tactic provides additional listing exposure that can help you generate more offers, leading to a faster sale.
A recent study from Inman News, the go-to source for real estate technology information, explains how prevalent the vacation home market has become and offers tips on how to attract vacation home shoppers to your listing. Let’s take a look at some of the high-level takeaways.

Shockingly Large Stats
In the United States, 28% of home shoppers are looking for a vacation home. Not only that, but in the west, unlike the rest of the United States, most of these vacation buyers are looking inland for vacation properties. Perhaps the sky high prices of coastal California explain this phenomenon.
Top Destinations For Vacation Buyers in the West
Can you think of the top destinations for these buyers?
- Arizona and California buyers focus on Lake Tahoe.
- All of the Southwest looks to Palm Springs, Palm Desert and surrounding areas.
- In Washington and Oregon, buyers look to their own coastline or the local wilderness areas.
Hyperlocal Vacation Spots
As life becomes busier, we have also seen the concept of hyperlocal, less traditional vacation spots rise in popularity. For example, the San Francisco tech crowd has been purchasing vacation homes in places like Auburn. Though not traditionally a vacation hot spot, it’s outside of the bustle of the big city, is quicker to get to than Lake Tahoe and is less expensive. This new generation of vacation home buyer likes to get away, even if just for 24 hours.
How to Attract Vacation Buyers To Your Listing
If you want to gear your listing description toward a vacation home buyer, do the following:
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Mention that your home would make a great vacation home in your headline or listing description. Doing so will also make it easier for buyers seeking a vacation property to find it in search results.
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Highlight any low maintenance features of your home.
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Tell your vacation buyer what they can do on your property that they can’t do at home.
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Highlight local hot spots, restaurants and entertainment venues.
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Describe local amenities, particularly those that lend to rest and relaxation or excitement.
By making your listing as versatile as possible, you’ll attract a wide range of buyers, increasing your opportunities for a quicker and easier sale.
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