Thanks For Visiting

What does it actually take to scale a short-term rental business without burning out? In this episode, we sit down with Amy Ruocco, founder of Hosted Guest, who went from running herself ragged in her business to building a more profitable, sustainable, and scalable operation. Amy shares how she transitioned from instinct-based decisions to data-driven strategy, what finally helped her let go of d...

Airbnb changed the fee structure again… and most hosts are asking the wrong question. Everyone is debating which option to choose, but almost no one is looking at what actually happened to their numbers after the last change. In this episode, we break down what Airbnb quietly updated, the biggest mistakes hosts are about to repeat, and the four audits you need to run before touching a single setti...

If your Airbnb listing is getting views but not bookings, your title might be the problem. In this episode, we’re breaking down one of the fastest and most overlooked ways to improve your listing performance: your Airbnb title. Because your title isn’t there to describe your space, it’s there to win the click. We’re sharing the exact prompts we use (and teach our students) to create high-convertin...

Most hosts think once the cleaner leaves, the property is ready for guests. But that assumption is exactly where five-star reviews start to slip. In this episode of Thanks for Visiting, we’re walking you through the exact pre-arrival inspection checklist we use across our properties to ensure consistency, elevate the guest experience, and protect our reviews. We break down the difference between “...

The short-term rental market is shifting—and what worked even a few years ago won’t cut it anymore. In this episode, we sit down with Kenny Bedwell to break down the new rules of buying short-term rentals in 2026. From changing demand patterns to increased competition and rising guest expectations, we’re unpacking what’s actually happening in the market—and how to adapt. Kenny shares how he’s stil...

Are you lowering your nightly rates because your calendar looks empty? If so, you might be panic pricing and leaving money on the table. In this episode of Thanks for Visiting, Sarah and Annette break down one of the most overlooked metrics in short-term rental pricing strategy: your booking window. Your booking window tells you when guests actually start shopping and booking their stay. If you do...

If you’re hosting in 2026, chances are you’ve asked yourself at least one of these questions: Am I underpriced if my calendar is filling faster than everyone else’s? Should I switch to midterm rentals during the slow season? Why is my listing cheaper than the competition but still not getting booked? In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down three real questions from hosts inside the Priced an...

If your cleaner controls your calendar… this episode is for you. Today, we’re breaking down how to actually hire a five-star cleaner (not reactively, not desperately, and definitely not based on price alone). Because here’s the truth: You are not hiring a cleaner. You are hiring the guardian of your five-star brand. In this episode, we walk you through: The four hiring questions you must answer be...

If you feel like you’re working harder than ever but not seeing the profit you want from your short-term rental, this episode is for you. Today, we’re breaking down the pricing mistakes we still see hosts making every single day and how those mistakes are quietly costing you thousands in missed revenue. We cover: Why seven-day pickup is the most underused pricing lever in your business Why your ba...

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is coming to the United States, and for short-term rental hosts, this is not just another busy weekend. It is a multi-week, multi-city revenue opportunity. In this episode, we break down what is really happening behind the headlines, including those $17,000 Airbnb listings near MetLife Stadium, and what smart hosts are doing differently. This is not about price gouging. It...

Where you host matters, but how you operate matters even more. In this episode of Thanks for Visiting , Sarah and Annette break down what it really means to host legally and responsibly in today’s short-term rental landscape. From host-friendly states to high-risk markets, they explain why relying on outdated advice, spreadsheets, or assumptions can cost you everything. You’ll learn how state and...

If the idea of hiring a virtual assistant feels overwhelming, or like something only “big hosts” do, this episode will change how you think about leverage. In this episode, we break down five practical ways short-term rental hosts can use virtual assistants to improve follow-through, stay organized, and grow their business without handing over the keys or losing visibility. Virtual assistants aren...

Many hosts say “I feel like my listing is buried.” But feelings don’t get bookings—data does. In this episode, we break down the four Airbnb metrics that actually impact bookings and show you how to use Airbnb’s Professional Hosting Tools to pinpoint exactly where guests are dropping off in your funnel. Instead of randomly tweaking photos, prices, or descriptions and hoping for the best, you’ll le...

What if your short-term rental could make money without guests sleeping there? In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down unconventional — but proven — ways hosts are generating additional revenue by leveraging their properties during the day, shoulder seasons, or slower periods. From commercial photo shoots to coworking days, private events, pool rentals, and wellness experiences, this convers...

If you haven’t looked at the 2026 calendar yet, this episode is your wake-up call. In 2026, major holidays fall on Fridays and Saturdays — and that one detail changes how guests book, arrive, and leave. If you price holidays the same way you always have, you risk blocked calendars, forced turnovers, or sitting empty on some of the biggest revenue weekends of the year. In this episode, Sarah and An...

This Hosting Hotline episode looks a little different. Instead of answering a listener question, Sarah and Annette are pulling back the curtain on a big decision: sunsetting the Hosting Hotline format and refocusing their time, energy, and creativity on deeper ways to support hosts. In this episode, they share the real reasons behind the shift, what they’ve learned from years of Hotline questions,...

AI is no longer a future concept for hosts. It is already shaping how guests search, discover, and choose where to stay. In this episode, Sarah and Annette sit down with AI strategist Rick Mulready to break down what hosts actually need to understand about AI right now and how it impacts visibility, bookings, and direct booking websites. From generative engine optimization to answering guest searc...

Should you rename your Airbnb listing photos with SEO keywords before uploading them? In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette break down when photo naming actually matters and when it doesn’t. They explain how Airbnb and other OTAs interpret image data, why guest search behavior matters more than marketing adjectives, and how intentional photo naming can support long-term visibility and...

Furnishing a short-term rental can feel overwhelming and expensive, especially when you’re trying to stand out in a competitive market. In this episode, we break down exactly where hosts should splurge and where they can save when furnishing their properties. After furnishing dozens of short-term rentals and helping hosts across the country do the same, we’ve seen the same costly mistakes over and...

Airbnb’s host fee changes have left many hosts wondering where, and how, to make adjustments without breaking their pricing strategy. In this Hosting Hotline episode, Sarah and Annette answer a question from Jenna Louise about whether management fee changes should be handled inside PriceLabs or directly through Airbnb or a PMS. They walk through why your base rate must remain stable, why there’s n...

What do the most-downloaded Thanks for Visiting episodes of 2025 have in common? They weren’t about shortcuts or trends. They were about pricing, revenue, and running a smarter hosting business. In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down the top-performing episodes of 2025 and what they reveal about how hosts are thinking differently. From pricing strategy and upgrades to insurance, taxes, canc...

This week on the Hosting Hotline, Vanessa brings a highly unique scenario: an off-grid cabin by the river and a big decision to make: stay fully off grid or add water to potentially increase demand. Rather than treating this as a technical upgrade question, Sarah and Annette zoom out to what really matters: your goals, your values, and the kind of hosting business you actually want to build. In th...

AI is everywhere—and short-term rental hosts are using it more than ever. But where does AI actually help, and where can it quietly create risk? This week, Sarah and Annette are joined by attorney Scott Brown to break down what hosts need to understand before relying on AI in their business, especially when it comes to legal agreements, contracts, and compliance. In this episode, we cover: How AI...

This week on the Hosting Hotline, Randa writes in with a question many new hosts face: What should I be focusing on while I’m waiting to take possession of my first short-term rental? Sarah and Annette walk through exactly how to use this in-between time wisely—so you’re not scrambling once the first guest checks in. In this episode, we cover: Why buying an STR means starting a business—not just f...

Every market has a slow season—and no, it doesn’t mean your listing is broken. This week, Sarah and Annette break down how to use your slow season strategically so you can maximize revenue when demand returns. In this episode, we cover: What actually defines a slow season (and why every market has one) How to stop “panic pricing” when demand doesn’t exist The industry secret: using a slow season t...