Barefeet Rentals: Vacation Rentals “In, On or Around the Water” in Key Largo

Barefeet Rentals
Website: BareFeetRentals.com
Location: Key Largo, FL
Quick Quote: “For New Year’s week we booked out in October – the earliest I’ve ever done that, and I’ve been in this business, in this area for 22 years. I really attribute that to LiveRez.”

If you’re looking for a vacation focused on warm weather and water, look no further than Key Largo.

And if you’re looking for a vacation rental in Key Largo, look no further than Barefeet Rentals.

You see, Annie Mathews and her staff at Barefeet Rentals specializes in anything “in, on or around the water.” And, when it comes to staying on a beautiful Island off the southern tip of Florida, who wouldn’t want to be close to the water?

Mathews said a lot of her guests come to the area to experience the world-class scuba diving of the Florida Keys. Divers in the area can take in the beautiful underwater scenery that features stunning coral reef, 600 species of tropical fish and even a number of ship wrecks. In fact, the local chamber of commerce touts Key Largo as the “Dive Capital of the World.”

“The only living coral reef in North America is right off shore from us,” Mathews said.

In order to protect this coral reef, Florida created John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. It’s a park unlike any you’ll see in the United States. Why? Because it’s completely underwater.

Just down the road at the south end of the company’s property range is Islamorada, which, conversely, is touted as the “Sportfishing Capital of the World.” According to the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce, “internationally-known anglers visit Islamorada to test their skills as they hunt for sailfish, swordfish, marlin, bonefish, permit, redfish, tarpon and trout, among other species.”

Another reason people visit Key Largo is for the area’s amazing winter weather.

“Not counting wind chill, we have never been below 32 degrees here,” Mathews said. “I don’t know if there’s anyone else in continental United States that can claim that.”

Barefeet Rentals offers a wide variety of lodging choices in the area. While the company focuses on many upper-scale vacation rentals, they still offer a wide variety of properties. These properties range in from price from budget to high-end, or, as Mathews says, from “modest to magnificent.”

Mathews, a 22-year veteran of the vacation rental industry, actually got into the business by accident.

“I intended to go into real estate sales, and the brokerage that I worked for needed a property manager,” she said. “And, they kind of talked me into doing that.”

Mathews helped build that company’s vacation rental program from the ground up. About two years ago when the real estate firm she worked for closed shop, Mathews started Barefeet Rentals.

“I had a choice at that to point to either retire or take the bull by the horns and do something with the business that I had built up,” she said. “And, here we are.”

Mathews’ and her staff’s longevity in the area and in the industry is one of the major things that sets Barefeet Rentals apart from its competition. Another thing that keeps the business successful is that its staff loves working with people.

“It’s not a job to us,” she said. “It’s just what we do.”

In the future, Mathews hopes to further expand the concierge services she offers her guests. Currently, Barefeet Rentals has its own travel division to help guests plan activities in the area. But the business is planning on further integrating travel with its lodging services. And, they’ve partnered with a travel agency in offering travel plans (flights, cars, etc.) to travelers.

Speaking of partnerships, in October the business celebrated it one year anniversary as a LiveRez partner. That same month, they experienced another first.

“For New Year’s week we booked out in October – the earliest I’ve ever done that, and I’ve been in this business, in this area for 22 years,” she said. “I really attribute that to LiveRez.”

Mathews described LiveRez as a “lighter” program, in that completing tasks in the system takes far less time than the two programs she had used in the past.

Since switching to LiveRez, Mathews has also been very pleased with the company’s technical support. She said that when she e-mails a question to support, they typically get back to her within 24 hours, something she called “vitally important.”

“I think anyone considering whether or not they are going to go with LiveRez needs to know that,” she continued. “When you’re looking at a new software or switching from another software company, (customer service) is absolutely key. I don’t care how good the program is.”

Mathews said that regardless of the software, companies are going to face some problems. And, waiting for a lengthy resolution is not an option.

“You have to have immediate access,” she said. “You can’t wait three or four days. … I think LiveRez really deserves high kudos for that.”

Mathews has also noticed LiveRez’s commitment to continually developing its software to meet its partners’ needs and then properly educating its partner base about the updates.

“Another thing LiveRez is really doing well is continually listening to the needs of its customers, with the updates and the upgrades,” she said. “It’s not a stagnant software.”

Among the many features that initially attracted Mathews to LiveRez was how easy it was to find and book a property on a LiveRez-powered website. Specifically, she noted the “compare properties” function available within LiveRez websites.

“People shopping get confused really easily,” she said. “So, that’s a very nice feature.”

One thing guests are definitely not confused by when visiting Barefeet Rentals’ LiveRez-powered website is what the company specializes in. It’s pretty apparent by the stunning background image: a beautiful underwater scene.