OTA's and the more vacation rental specific ones, such as HomeAway network (Now Expedia), Tripdvisor Network (includes holidaylettings, flipkey and Niumba) and hotel ones now focused e.g Booking.com really don't have a solution to the multiple problems: lack of synchronisity for real time booking, millions of individual part time owners, crazy cancellation polices, damage deposits, vetting of guest (although Airbnb just bought a company to automate it) and price and cost management levels can be so high its better to refuse a booking than take it.
We did 2017 prediction which seems to be coming true, which includes OTA direction. Anybody out there thinking of buying and renting its not a cottage industry anymore!
Thanks for the insight @richardvaughton!! Great to see you are here in Steemit as well. :)