How to create a successful car listing on Turo
Set yourself up for success from the moment your car is listed
Congratulations on deciding to become a Turo host! Now, let’s get to the fun part: listing your first car with the right settings. From taking great photos to writing compelling descriptions and adjusting default settings, this guide will help you make your listing stand out and attract more renters.
Start by taking great photos
A picture is worth a thousand words so here examples of good and bad photos.
Tips:
Wash it, put on tire shine.
Take a photo in a scenic background, even if it’s just an open road.
Photograph from a lower angle.
Make sure there is plenty of space around the car because in the listing it will be zoomed in.
A good description starts with ChatGPT
Image yourself in your customer’s shoes. They noticed your car, they liked the price, now it’s time to learn more. This is where you get to keep or loose a customer!
The description should make the user feel like this is the perfect car for them, that it will perfect for their trip or occasion. If you asked me a year ago I would say this is the hardest part of listing the car, but with ChatGPT on our side this becomes a super easy task.
I took an example description from the same 2010 Prius above:
* This vehicle is equipped with Michelin All-Season radial tires. They have extra sipes (line cuts) for greater traction on ice/snow and a directional design to increase grab. It is completely compliant with Colorado high country highway winter traction laws.added the included features and entered this prompt into ChatGPT:
I want to list my car for rental on a Turo car sharing platform. It is a 2010 Prius with 50mpg, 5 seats, equipped with Michelin All-Season radial tires which have extra sipes (line cuts) for greater traction on ice/snow and a directional design to increase grab, and these features:
Automatic transmission
AUX input
Backup camera
Bluetooth
GPS
Heated seats
Keyless entry
Long-term car
Snow tires or chains
Toll pass
USB charger
USB input
Cell Phone Holder
Catalytic Converter Shield
Create short, enthusiastic and compelling description for the listing page.Here’s what it gave me:
Adjust default settings
Turo lists your car with default pricing, discount and availability settings which may not be to your liking. Review at least the following:
Protection plan
Turo offers 5 different plans that can be a bit tricky to choose from but here’s how I think about it:
If you only have 1 car and you need it, choose 75 or 60. The 60 plan includes loss of income but’s by far the most costly to you.
If you can afford any deductible payments in case of an accident you can choose the 80, 85 or 90 depending on your savings account.
I keep all my cars on the 90 plan. The few accidents I’ve had were all covered by the guest’s deductible payment.
Here’s some math you can use for comparing plan values have deductibles for a car that can do gross bookings of $5,000 in a year. Since the cheapest coverage ($2,500 deductible) is in plan 90 we can compare others against it.
85 plan ($1,625 deductible) will cost you $250 extra and will reduce deductible by $875. The extra cost would pay for the extra deductible in $875/$250 or 3.5 years.
80 plan ($750 deductible) will cost you $500 more and will reduce your deductible by $1,750. The extra cost would pay for the extra deductible in $1750/500 or 3.5 years.
75 plan ($250 deductible) will cost you $750 more and will reduce your deductible by $2,250. The extra cost would pay for the extra deductible in $2250/750 or 3 years.
60 plan ($0 deductible) will cost you $1000 more and will reduce your deductible by $2,500 and pay back in 2500/1000 or 2.5 years.
Large accidents are rare, Turo doesn’t disclose exact numbers but they will vary based on the cars you’re renting. Sports cars are probably more likely to get involved in an accident than a family minivan.
Pricing range
Turo’s default pricing range tends to be on a cheaper side. If you don’t know what you should set your range to, checkout https://turbopricing.com where you can find prices for all cars in your market.
Discounts
Depending on the car you’re listing these may vary. You may also need to adjust them if you don’t get enough bookings. Here are my settings for my 2021 BMW X5.
The 3-day and 1-week discount is probably the most used one. Having a larger discount will make your car cheaper among others but will also reduce your earnings potential. Revisit this after a few months or after you’ve gotten at least 10 trips.
Although most trips are booked within the same week, the longer trips are booked more in advance and for the busier seasons. I keep this at 5% as it usually combines with multi-day discount which further reduces my take.
Trip preference
These settings can lead to canceled reservations and poor ratings so really thing about your time availability. Can you get the car ready on a short notice? Do you have someone that can help in case of a last minute booking?
Trip buffer is a time between potential bookings, how much time do you need to check out and prepare it for another customer.
During busy seasons I turn this on, but when it’s slow I leave it off to maximize bookings.
Distance limits
Distance limits are critical for customers looking for longer trips. Depending on your car you may be ok with 1000mi over 2 days but most hosts set the limit to 250mi/day.
Consider your area, if you’re close to destinations that require 500mi round trip then offering 200/day won’t help those customers. For example, I live 170 miles away from a very popular destination so offering 200mi limits never been an issue for me.
The Unlimited miles can be a great way to attract customers but beware of the increased maintenance costs. Enabling it for the slower months can be a great competitive advantage.
Create automated messages to save time
Turo introduced an ability to create message template that get sent upon different stages of the trip. For example, you can send an automated welcome message right after the car is booked. It’s a great way to engage a customer, say thanks, tell them about the car or pickup.
Summary
By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating an appealing and competitive Turo listing. Remember to adjust your settings based on your needs and preferences, and take advantage of tools like automated messages to save time. Happy hosting, and may your Turo experience be rewarding and successful!