LiveRez launches new website, tools for rental managers

Vacation rental software company LiveRez announced a new website for booking professionally managed vacation homes as well as other improvements to its reservation and scheduling software at a recent conference for vacation rental managers in Boise.

Founder Tracy Lotz says he registered the domain name iVacationRental.com 15 years ago, before the launch of the iPod and other i-prefixed technology tools. The new site is a shift for the Eagle-based tech company, as a customer-facing website where people can book rental homes. Most of LiveRez’s products are business-to-business tools that help property managers market and manage their properties.

“We’ve always looked at the property manager as a partner to us, not just someone we sold our software to,” Lotz said. He said the website, much like LiveRez, will have an advisory board of property owners to get input on the site’s business model. In its soft launch, the site’s bookings aren’t generating revenue for LiveRez, though Lotz said that could soon change to a small commission on each booking.

“The managers are excited about it, because they look at it as a place where the business model will stay the same,” he said.

LiveRez also launched a new mobile housekeeping and maintenance app for smartphones or Google Glass smartglasses, which lets property inspectors assess and take photos of any rental properties if there are problems after they have been cleaned, with that data then connected to the company’s scheduling system. Lotz said many professionally managed properties have an inspector quickly check a site after it has been cleaned to ensure it’s suitable for guests.

The company has also partnered with an Oregon technology company, PointCentral, on a cellular-connected smart lock that provides keyless access to guests, with new codes generated for each booking.

LiveRez has an 11-person team that works on the company’s technology efforts. Lotz said the company  would like to expand.

LiveRez held its first week-long partner conference in Boise Sept. 8-10, with more than 225 attendees and guests including Priceline Chief Marketing Officer Brett Keller and several local politicians.