Thanks For Visiting

Even if you LOVE being a property manager, practically everyone hits a point where they realize “You know what? Maybe I don’t want to be managing all of my own properties forever.” When you get there, there’s only one thing to do: start hiring. But when it’s time to hire, how do you make sure you find a great property manager, co-host, or hosting company? We’ve narrowed it down to eleven things to...

We’ve spent a lot of time focused on two phases of the property-owning process: buying and renting. But there’s another step we have had a chance to dive into yet, and that’s the selling process. Jacoby Olin has been involved in short-term vacation rentals, litigation consulting, food and beverage, and real estate for over a decade. He’s one of the preeminent M&A consultants in the short-term...

Mike Hicks is a real estate maverick. He’s been involved throughout the industry for over 20 years, beginning in new construction and working his way to long-term rentals, flips, and short-term rentals as well. When he converted a duplex to a STR in 2016, he was hooked. We talk about real estate, his journey into short-term renting, the pros and cons of short and long-term renting, and building a...

We always try to be transparent about what is going on in our businesses in the hopes that doing so will serve you. We share our hopes, ideas, struggles, and more. And on that note, we’re going to share one of our most recent embarrassments because you can learn from it. As we’ve worked together, we have evolved from wanting to focus on education (don’t worry, we’ll still be doing that!) and into...

Some people like to dip their toes into the short-term rental world. Others, like today’s guest, go all in from the beginning. Despite having no background in the market, Callie Witcher is a Superhost from Fredericksburg, TX in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, where she and her husband built three short-term rentals from the ground up. She shares why short-term rentals were right for her family,...

One of the questions we get asked most often is: how do you hire a team that has the same ethos and attention to detail as you? Taylor Arbaugh is a property coordinator at The Cliffs Hocking Hills and a team member of Sarah's. She helps to host the property. She is a mom and local in the area where The Cliffs is located, in Hocking Hills, Ohio. She doesn’t come from a property management backgroun...

When it comes to safety, it always feels like an accident will never happen with you – until it does. Justin Ford, our Safety Captain, is professionally trained by the coastguard, volunteers as a firefighter, and previously ran a 600-property vacation rental company. He has personally experienced tragedy at one of his own properties, so he speaks from a high level of experience. This time, we’re t...

There are so many things to clean within your short-term rental, so it’s worryingly easy to overlook something. We’re exploring the top five things that could save you a trip to your rental thanks to some smart, preventative cleaning. Resources: barkeepersfriend.com breezeway.io #STRShareSunday: @loosecreekcabins Thanks for Visiting is a production of Crate Media . Mentioned in this episode: Hosti...

When you’re running a business, keeping track of your expenses is just as important as tracking income. But there are some costs that you’d never think of. We’re going to cover one hidden expense that’s going to give you a real gut check – and that’s your time. Most expenses are pretty straightforward: how much are linens, how much is WiFi? But when it comes to the cost of time, there’s far more i...

So many hosts complain about the drawbacks of online travel agencies – but few actually do anything about them. Most don’t even know how! In an ever-competitive marketplace, Mark Simpson helps short-term rental hosts thrive. After successfully coaching over one thousand hospitality businesses to date, Mark’s current mission is to help one million hosts increase their direct bookings so they are no...

Lauren Noble is a Superhost from Austin, Texas whose short-term rental was featured on the CNBC show “Cash Pad” with the Bachelorette's JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers in the fall of 2019. Hosting was supposed to be a fun part time project for her, but it has turned into a busy side gig that has jump started her desire to get more involved in real estate investing. She’s also an ICU nurse and fir...

Looking for a creative, fun, and accessible way to get into the short-term rental space? Look no further! Matt Mitchell is a digital nomad who turned his passion for campervan travel into a short-term rental business. Through each rental experience, he’s able to educate travelers about their investment in adventure and outdoor recreation. He spent a year traveling across the US & Canada in his...

Marketing and branding are how you take your short-term rental business to the next level, but how do you introduce your brand to all of your guests - especially those that book through online travel agencies? And how do you capture email addresses during their stay? Arthur Colker is the Founder and CEO of StayFi, the #1 provider of WiFi marketing services for vacation rental companies. Vacation r...

You’re all here because you want to learn more about the short term rental industry. Maybe you want to get involved, but don’t know how to get started. Turns out, it might be that the best way to get into the world of short-term rentals isn’t to own, but to invest. If you’re interested in getting a short-term rental started with an investment group, Tribevest makes it easy to get started. You can...

Solo travel is a rising trend, but it can be dangerous — especially for women. Yaa Birago is a tech entrepreneur, philanthropist, mentor, and the co-founder and CEO of FemmeBnb, the first social networking vacation and STR platform for women, by women. FemmeBnb allows women to rent their spaces to other women in the hopes of maximizing safety, peace-of-mind, and comfort. It also provides users wit...

If you had the opportunity to purchase a historic home, what would you do with it? James and Jacob created an Airbnb rental, a country retreat, and a hub for fine dining, photoshoots, weddings, and more. The two now own Farrand Hall, a historic estate built by Henry K. Farrand in the magic capital of the world: Colon, Michigan. Farrand Hall was added to Michigan State Preservation Office’s List of...

Safety is such an important component of the rental industry. You’re inviting people who aren’t familiar with the space and carry responsibility for their safety while they stay. We’re talking to our Safety Captain, Justin Ford, once again to discuss safety when it comes to pools and spas. With summer just around the corner and the world opening up after the pandemic, people are itching to get out...

Who wouldn’t want to vacation on a Caribbean island for free? That was the goal for Larry Nettles, a short term rental property owner in St. Croix. He bought one property as an investment with no experience but he is bringing the dream to life. His story is relatable for anyone looking to start their own STR journey and shows what’s possible in just a few years. Resources: Larry’s Airbnb: abnb.me/...

What if we told you that the actual reservation is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the true value your guests represent? We’ve been in a reflection mood lately. Part of looking back on our hosting journey is recognizing how much we’ve grown while looking closely at the mistakes that we’ve made along the way. There are three giant missteps that we’ve made that we can’t stop thinking ab...

Being a successful host requires more than being reactive to issues — you have to be proactive and preventative. Andrew Kaiser of MendBnb chats with us to cover the top five maintenance issues that all hosts can prevent to improve the guest experience. Resources: mendbnb.com Visit https://mendbnb.com/thanksforvisiting/mend/59/ for 50% off your first month Request MendBnb in your city: mendbnb.com/...

In Part One of this interview with Shannon Leyh, we heard how she wanted to get into the short-term rental game and purchased a rental in Snowshoe, West Virginia. Thanks to some recording magic, you don't have to wait months to hear how that story ends — we have the answers for you right now! Resources: Shannonleyh.com Instagram: @shannon_realestate_life | @happyshamrock68 Are you ready to master...

What if you could follow someone’s journey from hopeful host to burgeoning success and see what exactly it takes to make it in this business? Shannon Leyh reached out to us just as she decided to take part in this world and asked us to chronicle her experience — and we couldn’t say no! She’s vulnerable, honest, and shares all of the numbers behind what it takes. Don’t worry — you won’t have to wai...

Anyone who’s worked in the industry long enough begins to identify some of the pain points. Still, it takes a true entrepreneur to turn the solution into a business — one that’s going to make the lives of all rental property hosts and managers easier. Jeffrey Iloulian has been in the vacation rental industry for over a decade, setting up, managing, or operating over 250 vacation rental properties....

Should you be focused on short-term or long-term rentals? Julie Gates is a real estate investor, and while she enjoys the complex world of short-term rentals, she specializes in stays of 30 days or more. She’s been in the long-term rental industry for a while now, renting out a guest home on her property, but making Airbnb a part of her business allowed her to grow tremendously — to over 30 proper...

We’ve talked about what the short-term rental industry can learn from the hotel industry… but what can Airbnb and other short-term rentals do even better than big chain hotels? Wil Slickers is the creator of hospitality podcasts Slick Talk and Good Morning Hospitality and co-founder of Recreation Rentals, a boutique rental management company. He always had a love for people but didn’t know where t...