Revenue management, answered

How should I price when new listings flood my market and demand is down year over year?

Compress your rate floor, not your entire rate curve. Protect peak and shoulder nights with disciplined minimums while opening mid-week and shoulder-season inventory at competitive rates that win bookings before oversupplied competitors do.

By Jack Murphy, Head of Revenue Management at UpRev. Running pricing for US vacation rental managers since 2017. Last updated September 1, 2026.

Separate Your Inventory by Demand Tier

Stop treating your portfolio as one flat pricing problem. Sort nights into high, medium, and low demand tiers based on historical pickup patterns and local event calendars. High-demand nights hold rate even in a soft market because scarcity still exists on those dates. Mid-week and off-peak nights are where you adjust aggressively to maintain occupancy and cash flow for your owners.

Compete on Value Position, Not Just Rate

When new supply floods a market, guests have more options at every price point, so your listings need a clear value story. Audit your content, photos, and amenity presentation across the portfolio and fix weak spots before cutting rates further. A listing that converts at a slightly higher rate beats one that sits vacant at a discount. Rate cuts without positioning work are just margin erosion.

Monitor Competitive Pickup, Not Just Listing Count

New listings matter less than how many of them are actually booking. Track lead time and occupancy across your comp set weekly so you know whether supply is absorbing demand or truly outpacing it. If competitors are sitting empty at their rates, that tells you where the real floor is. If they are booking, your rate strategy needs to match or beat their positioning on the specific nights you are trying to fill.