STR Investing, The Podcast

Andy Newman shares how a backpacker’s curiosity turned into a 140-property, multi-state operation - and why the true moat isn’t software, it’s a team with years of lived hospitality “stories” you’ll never find in a manual. We dig into hiring for heart and skill, right-sizing tech, and building resilient portfolios that survive seasonality, HOAs, and hurricanes. What you’ll learn Why tenure matters...

Monday Market Data Panama City Beach, FL Airbnb Performance Data ___________________________________ 3 Bedroom Annual Revenue 50th Percentile: $38,588 75th Percentile: $56,232 90th Percentile: $74,794 Average Daily Rate 50th Percentile: $308 75th Percentile: $375 90th Percentile: $446 Occupancy 50th Percentile: 44% 75th Percentile: 57% 90th Percentile: 67% ________________________________ 4 Bedroo...

Taylor sits down with Alex, co-founder of Whimstay - the OTA built to fill your unsold gap nights inside 30 days. Alex shares his journey from theater to Yelp to startup life, why Whimstay is “HotelTonight for STRs,” and how hosts can add revenue without stealing a single booking from Airbnb or Vrbo. In this episode: Incremental revenue, not cannibalization: Why Whimstay targets 0–30 days to captu...

Monday Market Data Broken Bow, OK Airbnb Performance Data ___________________________________ 3 Bedroom Annual Revenue 50th Percentile: $47,820 75th Percentile: $66,493 90th Percentile: $90,007 Average Daily Rate 50th Percentile: $358 75th Percentile: $421 90th Percentile: $498 Occupancy 50th Percentile: 38% 75th Percentile:48% 90th Percentile: 59% ________________________________ 4 Bedroom Annual...

This week on the STR Investing Podcast, Mark sits down with Valerie Gangas, CEO of Juniper Holiday + Home, author, meditator, and lifelong hospitality pro. Valerie shares how a childhood split between Chicago restaurants and apartment buildings shaped her “guests-first” operating system, why there’s never a checkout chore list, and how sending a real human (often with a pie!) can turn hiccups into...

Monday Market Data Galveston, TX Airbnb Performance Data ___________________________________ 3 Bedroom Annual Revenue 50th Percentile: $21,524 75th Percentile: $33,875 90th Percentile: $51,117 Average Daily Rate 50th Percentile: $253 75th Percentile: $317 90th Percentile: $392 Occupancy 50th Percentile: 29% 75th Percentile: 42% 90th Percentile: 55% ________________________________ 4 Bedroom Annual...

In this episode, Taylor sits down with Zach Busekrus, growth marketer and co-founder of Journey, a game-changing loyalty platform designed for STR operators and independent boutique hotels. Zach shares how his winding path from higher ed marketing and podcasting to nomadic Airbnb living during COVID ultimately led to Journey: a mission-driven platform curating “stays with soul” and giving operator...

Monday Market Data Hot Springs, AR Airbnb Performance Data ___________________________________ 3 Bedroom Annual Revenue 50th Percentile: $27,062 75th Percentile: $37,715 90th Percentile: $51,713 Average Daily Rate 50th Percentile: $179 75th Percentile: $246 90th Percentile: $330 Occupancy 50th Percentile: 38% 75th Percentile: 49% 90th Percentile: 59% ________________________________ 4 Bedroom Annu...

What if you could turn everyday travelers into a social media content army - one that boosts your visibility, drives direct bookings, and promotes the local experiences your guests already ask about? In this episode, Mark sits down with Maddie Rifkin, founder & CEO of Mount, to unpack how she’s helping short-term rental operators, property managers, and even mom-and-pop vendors monetize recomm...

Monday Market Data Boulder, CO Airbnb Performance Data ___________________________________ 3 Bedroom Annual Revenue 50th Percentile: $61,792 75th Percentile: $87,580 90th Percentile: $122,967 Average Daily Rate 50th Percentile: $347 75th Percentile: $445 90th Percentile: $550 Occupancy 50th Percentile: 53% 75th Percentile: 66% 90th Percentile: 78% ________________________________ 4 Bedroom Annual...

In this special co-hosted episode of the STR Investing Podcast , Mark Lumpkin and Taylor Jones sit down together for only the second time to deliver a real-time “State of the Union” for short-term rentals in mid-2025. From front-end data and acquisitions to back-end renovations and management, they share what’s working, what’s not, and where the smart money is moving right now. You’ll hear: Why in...

What happens when the short-term rental playbook stops working? You adapt or you get left behind. In this episode of the STR Investing Podcast, Mark sits down with Jeremy, founder of BNB Calc, property manager, mastermind host, and investor behind some of the most jaw-dropping “super properties” in the country.  Jeremy shares his journey from buying turnkey cabins and Florida pool homes in 2020 to...

Taylor sits down with one of the most in-demand short-term rental photographers in the U.S., Sam Smith.  From humble beginnings shooting real estate listings with his wife to becoming a go-to STR photography expert traveling cross-country, Sam shares what it really takes to create photos that sell the experience , not just the property. You’ll learn: The key differences between real estate and STR...

Mark sits down with Connor Paton, CEO and co-founder of Noshable , a grocery concierge service designed specifically for short-term rentals. What started as a simple idea, stock the fridge before guests arrive, has grown into a national service that enhances hospitality, improves reviews, and opens up new revenue streams for STR operators. You’ll learn: How Noshable partners with STR managers to p...

What if you could work directly with professional designers for free on your next short-term rental project? In this episode, Mark sits down with Erin and Asia from Wayfair’s Project Solutions team to explore one of the STR industry’s best-kept secrets: Wayfair Professional . From full installs in the Bahamas to creating on-brand, photo-worthy spaces that drive bookings, Erin and Asia break down e...

Taylor sits down with Nico, a former tech sales executive turned short-term rental entrepreneur, to unpack one of the most creative and strategic STR journeys we’ve heard. Nico shares how he: Went from selling software to CFOs of billion-dollar tech companies to flipping homes in Austin Used STRs to offset a major tax bill after a liquidity event—and never looked back Bought and converted a 110-ye...

In this episode, Mark sits down with Shawn Moore, a 25-year real estate veteran and founder of Vodyssey , to unpack two decades of lessons in the short-term rental space. Shawn shares how he stumbled into STRs in 2006, built a thriving portfolio, and eventually launched one of the most respected coaching communities in the game: all while staying rooted in authenticity and real results over flash....

In this episode, Taylor Jones sits down with the “Airbnb Data Guy” himself, John Bianchi, co-founder of STR Search and the brain behind hundreds of profitable short-term rentals. They unpack John’s exact process for identifying high-performing properties, avoiding bad buys, and why analyzing revenue drivers like pickleball courts and hot tubs can mean the difference between $80K and $200K. You&apo...

Mark Lumpkin sits down with Shaun Shirazian, the new CEO of Lodgify — one of the biggest tech names in the vacation rental industry. Shaun shares his journey from hosting in San Diego to leading a global company from Barcelona, and breaks down the major shift happening in tech: from Software as a Service (SaaS 1.0) to Service as Software (SaaS 2.0). You'll hear about: How Lodgify plans to mak...

In this episode of the STR Investing Podcast , Taylor sits down with Pedro Rivera, Head of Customer Success at Summer OS , to explore how his unique background in hotel acquisitions and build-to-rent communities shaped one of the most powerful tools in the short-term rental space. Pedro shares: The key differences (and surprising similarities) between hotel and STR investing What institutional rea...

In this episode, Mark Lumpkin sits down with Jay Ullrich, STR operator, tech founder, and CEO of HostBuddy.ai - to unpack his journey from cold-calling landlords and scrubbing his own units to managing 45+ short-term rentals and launching one of the most advanced AI guest communication tools in the industry. Jay shares: How he built a thriving STR property management company without outbound sales...

What if you could give your guests a memorable, screen-free experience and stand out in a crowded short-term rental market—without adding a $10K hot tub or building a pickleball court? In this episode, Mark sits down with Rachel from QR Clue, a former property manager turned entrepreneur who’s on a mission to turn everyday rentals into unforgettable guest experiences. QR Clue is a ready-to-go, int...

In this special live episode, Mark and Taylor sit down in person to riff on one of their shared obsessions: sales. But this isn’t your typical sales 101 chat. It’s raw, real, and full of battle-tested strategies that have helped them close deals from cars to real estate to STR investments. Here’s what they dive into: Why “assuming the close” only works if you believe in your product The “cancer pi...

It started with a simple problem: take the trash out, bring it back in. But that tiny pain point? It turned into a full-blown logistics revolution for short-term rental hosts nationwide. Taylor Jones dives deep with Alex Shapiro, co-founder of Can Monkey, the tech-powered trash service that's now serving over 5,000+ properties across 28 states and 475 cities. What began as a favor for a frien...

Host Mark Lumpkin sits down with Stefan St. Marie , founder of Revnest , to unpack how his journey from first-time Airbnb host to tech entrepreneur is helping solve one of the short-term rental industry’s most frustrating pain points: transparency in regulations and property data. Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode: How Stefan turned a wild first guest experience into a thriving property man...