Straight Fire VR

Send us Fan Mail With 2024 almost in the rear-view mirror, we wrap up the year by mentioning a few on the naughty and nice list. We have our eyes set on 2025 and the positive signs ahead. Returning guest Michelle Marquis discusses with Co-Host Miriam Ramsey and Host Steve Milo what will continue to 2024 and what may end up on the yule log.

Send us Fan Mail Q3, 2024 results are out and we go over the results. We also react to VRMA Fall 2024 in Phoenix. Guest Dennis Goedheid discuss with Co-Host Miriam Ramsey and Host Steve Milo discuss the results and respond to how AirBnB and Uber's new entry to the market means.

Send us Fan Mail With micro/ DYI property managers crowding the market, many consumers are feeling like the vacation rental market is the "Wild West" in standards. Professional Property managers are working hard to win back the trust in the market. Guest Richard Vaughton speaks with co-host Miriam Ramsey and Host Steve Milo about how standardization of quality can help boost confidence i...

Send us Fan Mail Building a solid future in the vacation rental world means building purpose built.  Hosts Steve Milo and Miriam Ramsey speak with experts in the propco world, Mike Harrington and Sebastien Long about the challenges and pay offs of considering all of the special considerations that need to be made when designing new constructions meant for use as a vacation rental.

Send us Fan Mail Our returning ALL STARS Amy Hinote and Jason Sprenkle join the panel to go over the latest moves in the vacation rental world. See what ideas are seen as shining examples and which are just dim wattage.  Co-Host Miriam Ramsey and Host Steve Milo bring enlightenment to the topics.

Send us Fan Mail The summer 2024 numbers are out and they are not rosy. A tough fall "harvest" is to be expected however it seems that some part of the harvest can be saved. Guest Michelle Marquis and Jeff Robertson speak with Co-Host Miriam Ramsey and Host Steve Milo about strategies that may mitigate impending doom. We also speak about #vacasa #marriott and #sonder

Send us Fan Mail Returning Guest Alex Nigg joins host Steve Milo on covering publicly traded Vacation Rental companies and analyze by the numbers their current trajectories. Can AirBnB continue with their stock high? Will the Sonder & Marriot deal be a new force in the industry to contend with? Will Vacasa's risky debt pay off?

Send us Fan Mail Straight Fire VR Investigates: The Vanishing Act . Where has the middle market gone, and will it come back? When pricing is crucial to a strategy, acknowledging the missing middle is key to putting together the ADR puzzle. We analyze the numbers to understand the forces driving the market and how to best plan for fall 2024 and 2025. We also discuss the international markets and ho...

Send us Fan Mail Straight VR in this Emergency Episode discusses Governor Ron Desantis' final decision on SB 280 and what that means for Florida Property Managers.  We also take a temperature check of the current market

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the Straight Fire Summer Games where we pay tribute to those in the Vacation Rental Royalty.  A leaner market means only the fittest will survive. Those who have been treading water the past year may be fated to sink in an untimely manner. Joining in the games is a returning guest and expert of Revenue Management the Founder and CEO of Wheel House Andrew Kitchell Overse...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2 Episode 13 : Paying the price of silence (Guests Scott Fasano, Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Amy Hinote)

Send us Fan Mail Out in the open! Straight Fire VR speaks with guests about their outspoken opinions on three very important players in the industry: the three V’s, VRMA, Vacasa, and VRBO. Joining us this week in the crossfire are two outspoken industry experts: the Founder of Seattle Vacation Homes, Andy Morris, and the Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Manager at Short Cutz, Michelle Marquis. Both go...

Send us Fan Mail Straight Fire VR is keeping an eye on the market that is heating up in time for summer. AirBnB’s stock prices have seen a rocket ride this past year and they have taken a bigger bite of the market share. Will it last and what does their high rise mean for the industry? Also, does Expedia need an exit ramp for VRBO? Our experts debate. And with more troubling news over at Vacasa, w...

Send us Fan Mail Vacasa, a onetime Unicorn in the Vacation Rental industry is now a struggling property management company. With prices as of April 9, 2021 of of over $200 a share to now trading under $6.00, where did it all go wrong? Straight Fire VR performs an autopsy to investigate the cause of death. Our Guests former Vacasa Sales Executive Dan Sawyer and Vacation Rental Consultant Drew Ewing...

Send us Fan Mail VRMA is the largest Vacation Rental Manager's association in the world. Recent low attendance and leadership shakeups has raised eyebrows in the industry. Our panel guests Scott Leggat and Amber Carpenter do a deep dive to try to uncover what is at the root of recent chaos.

Send us Fan Mail The firestorm that the vacation world has seen in the last few years may have cleared the forest floor a bit and allowed the surviving players to grow. In this week’s episode, our guests speak about the players that are left on the board and the new moves they may take to raise capital and grow using a leaner and more profitable model. Guests Marcus Räder, Matt Golis, and Roopak P...

Send us Fan Mail Message Received? Answer: MAYBE. Have you noticed your emails falling short lately? Many property managers may have noticed their emails being sent coming up short, and this could be due to new changes over at Google. If undeliverable messages and email kickbacks seem like a real “kick in the business,” it could be that your marketing team is unaware of how to maneuver these new e...

Send us Fan Mail    If as a property manager you are feeling that the headwinds are quickly turning into a hurricane, you are not alone. Increasing labor prices, lowered ADR and shortened stays require a manager ro become more sophisticated with your marketing and data collection.  Straight Fire VR Episode 6 goes in depth with Jeff Robertson and Co Founder of ShortCuts on what can be done to mitig...

Send us Fan Mail Women make up 70% of the vacation rental industry workforce but hold only a fraction of leadership roles. In this episode we speak with two female business owners about the landscape of the changing industry and technology challenges. We also touch upon recent domestic violence claims in the industry and how speaking up and standing together helps victims pick up the pieces person...

Send us Fan Mail SPECIAL ALERT EPISODE! An urgent CALL TO ACTION is needed. Our latest Straight Fire VR episode outlines Florida SB 280 which passed the house and now threatens the industry if Governor De Santis signs it. Our fellow vacation rental owners and industry experts, Tiffany Edwards and Ben Edwards talk about the lobbying efforts being made on our behalf to stop this problematic bill. We...

Send us Fan Mail Spring may be the time of the year that the weather finally thaws winter's stronghold on the ground. This spring, as the weather gently warms across America it is also the time we are seeing bookings start to increase.  The cooler markets of the last two years may be seeing a warming up as ADR drops. Property manager are looking closely at where market pricing may end up. In...

Send us Fan Mail Season 2 Episode 2: Team Pink and the Pink Slip examines the recent layoffs industry wide. From #Vacasa, #Expedia, #Sonders and #Frontdesk have rattled the industry. Returning Guest Michelle Marquis discusses with Host Steve Milo what is rooted in these layoffs and what it means for the industry in 2024. First quarter of 2024 may almost be done, but what does it mean for the comin...

Send us Fan Mail Straight Fire VR is back and no topic is safe from our sights. It is 2024 and we are ready to take score. In our sights this week we will be looking at women on the rise to powerful positions in the industry, decoding Airbnb “Hot Air” reports.  We will also be taking a serious look at what the moral and ethical responsibilities for a  company when crimes are reported that involve...

Send us Fan Mail 🗓 As we wrap up 2023 and look to plan for 2024, and beyond for some of us. As the man who is best known for both the lightening rod ⚡ and the 💵 $100 USD note Benjamin Franklin put it best, " If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail."  Our latest Episode of Straight Fire VR covers the latest Women's Summit, DARM and our 2024 predictions.   ▶ Click now to liste...

Send us Fan Mail 🤔 Can we be frank? 💻 Social Media is a great place to get the word out, however it can be MORE conducive to toxic positivity than actual constructive critical discourse.  🍭 Sugarcoating potential threats, hyping up systemic inadequacies, and flat out omitting any industry criticism is a recipe for failure.  😭 Blunt honesty may sting; however it can allow for opportunities to c...