Bid on Nantucket

by Sarah Teach
 
For thousands of years, buyers and sellers alike have regarded sale by auction as a straight path to a win-win situation. But what our ancient predecessors didn’t figure out was how to minimize the costs of the middleman. That’s exactly the issue that Ed Tranter took on when he launched BidOnNantucket.com, a tool for forming direct relationships between vacation renters and Nantucket homeowners.

Tranter realized that costs could be lowered for both parties with a website operating as the “rental agency.”  BidOnNantucket.com allows prospective renters to search rental listings by price, location, house specifications, amenities, and availability.  Once criteria are selected, renters can begin placing bids on properties that match.  It’s that simple!  No questionable surcharges, no agency visits.  You don’t even need to get off your couch to arrange your vacation on this idyllic island.  Tranter says, “As a renter, I always wanted to speak with the people whose home I’d be staying in.  That was never possible through a rental agency. But why not make it possible?  That’s one of the main ideas behind BidOnNantucket.com.”

There are just as many advantages for those on the selling end of the transaction, as well. If you are a homeowner who rents out your Nantucket home, you needn’t pay any exorbitant fees to an agency.  Instead, list your property on BidOnNantucket.com and you can literally see every offer you receive.  Chances are, you’ll wind up with a significantly greater profit than you’ve gotten via other avenues.  After all, you will literally have renters one-upping each other as they compete to rent your home! But as we all know, money isn’t everything.  Tranter says, “A person’s home is really their most prized possession.  It’s important to feel comfortable with the people staying there.” The site enables you to screen the folks who will be enjoying your prized possession while you are away from it. To list your rental property at auction, it takes a three-step listing process through which you can monitor interest levels, adjust rates according to market demand, and ultimately control the rental price of your home.

Sign-up and browsing are always free for prospective renters. Because the site was just launched this past March, sellers’ listing fees have not yet been determined. However, Tranter promises that rates will always remain low, and will definitely be insignificant compared to the savings this method offers. Tranter welcomes you to get in touch with him via his site and let him help you do some number crunching. Both sides win when you visit BidOnNantucket.com for your Nantucket rental needs!