About Us

RentABeach.com is a beach vacation rental advertising service specializing in North Carolina beach houses and condos. We work with rental agents, property managers, and property owners to help them market their properties through our multiple listing service for vacation rentals. Shoppers use our site to compare properties and find the best deal for their specific needs, and then they contact the agent or owner to make a reservation. Property owners or their agents pay RentABeach a fixed annual advertising fee. RentABeach does not charge commissions, and the service is free to shoppers.

RentABeach was started by Fred and Lori Sheffield in 1998 in an effort to better market their oceanfront condo in Topsail Dunes. As an avid photographer and a computer geek, Fred saw an opportunity to apply his skills in a way that could make it easier for families and friends to go to the beach more often: by making it easier to shop for beach vacation rentals. He asked Lori to help him come up with a name for the website. He told her that it had to emphasize "rent" and "beach". Almost immediately, she replied: "RentABeach!" After a quick visit to the registrar site, RentABeach.com was born!

Seven years later, RentABeach now offers over 800 vacation rentals on Topsail Island--far more than any individual agency!

RentABeach differentiates itself from other listing services by providing photography services with its listings. When an owner signs up for a listing, a RentABeach photographer takes photos of the property. As a result, there is consistency between listings, making it easier for shoppers to compare properties.

While growth continues on Topsail Island , in 2005 RentABeach began offering its services at other North Carolina beaches. So far the formula for success on Topsail Island is working well in the newly-added locations of Corolla, Crystal Coast, Wrightsville Beach, and Pleasure Island. Shoppers love the photos and the format of the site, and agents and owners love the additional reservation requests they receive.

RentABeach is based in Cary, NC, where Fred's and Lori's twin daughters go to school and where, until recently, Fred worked full time as an internet project manager for a large international computer services company. Now Lori and Fred work full time on RentABeach, Fred handles marketing, sales, and technical development, while Lori manages listings, accounting, and photography. RentABeach is a member of the Vacation Rental Manager's Association and Fred and Lori have had the pleasure of getting to know many of the agents, property managers and property owners in the areas they serve.