Thanks For Visiting

Your Airbnb payout hitting your bank account is not the same thing as knowing your business is profitable. In this episode, Sarah and Annette walk through the monthly payout routine they use to track revenue, catch missing money, compare actual payouts against forecasts, and move income into the right financial buckets. They break down why every hosting business needs a dedicated business bank acc...

Your Airbnb might be beautiful, but that does not mean guests are going to book it. When hosts struggle to fill their calendars, they often blame demand, competition, or the Airbnb algorithm. But the real problem may be sitting right inside the listing. In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down six common mistakes that cause guests to scroll past a property or abandon it before booking. They c...

If you've ever blamed the Airbnb algorithm for slow bookings, this episode might completely change how you think about your listing. Sarah and Annette break down what the Airbnb algorithm is actually looking for—and why most hosts are focusing on the wrong things. Instead of chasing algorithm "hacks," they explain the five controllable factors that determine how often your listing appears in searc...

Most Airbnb hosts are leaving money on the table without realizing it. In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down four common guest requests that hotels routinely charge for but short-term rental hosts often provide for free. From early check-in and late checkout to pool heat, grocery stocking, and celebration setups, these services take time, coordination, and operational effort. The hosts sha...

Think your bookings are down because of the algorithm, seasonality, or increased competition? The real problem might be hiding inside your Airbnb settings. In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down the Airbnb features that could be creating friction for potential guests and limiting your visibility in search. They share three settings they recommend turning off immediately and five settings ev...

If your Airbnb rating is sitting at 4.6, 4.7, or even 4.8 and you're wondering why bookings aren't growing, this episode is for you. The truth is that most review-damaging mistakes aren't obvious. In fact, experienced hosts often make them because they're too close to their own properties to see the gaps. In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down six silent mistakes that can cost you five-star...

You don’t need to spend more money to make your Airbnb look expensive. You need to spend in the right places. In this episode, we’re breaking down what actually makes a property feel elevated to guests and more importantly, what gets them to click, book, and leave better reviews. We’re sharing where hosts should invest, where they tend to overspend, and how to design with performance in mind so yo...

If it feels harder to get bookings right now, you’re not imagining it. The Airbnb landscape has changed and the hosts who are still operating the same way they did a year ago are starting to feel it. In this episode, we’re breaking down the new rules for 2026 and what it actually takes to compete in today’s market. From mindset shifts to pricing strategy to understanding your numbers, we’re sharin...

Laura Wegner didn’t get into short-term rentals because it was trendy. She got into it because her business disappeared overnight during COVID. What started as a way to survive turned into a highly strategic hospitality business in Whistler, British Columbia. Today, Laura owns and manages premium ski-in/ski-out rentals and is preparing to expand into boutique property management with a very specif...

Josh Peterson didn’t start in short-term rentals by chasing deals. He started by solving a problem. After too many mediocre hotel stays visiting his daughter at UNC, he bought a home near campus. What started as a second home quickly turned into a high-performing short-term rental—and then a full-on business. But here’s where it gets interesting. Instead of rushing to scale, Josh hit pause. He wen...

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...