Unlocked by Matt Landau

In this episode, Matt sits down with Linda Sylvester, formerly of Great Vacation Retreats, to talk about the complex realities of being acquired and the often unglamorous, difficult-to-scale practices she uses to make vacation rental businesses profitable. This episode is brought you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property care and automa...

In this episode, Matt sits down with Michelle Hodges of Meyer Vacation Rentals to discuss building on the legacy of a family enterprise and finding creative solutions to the massive staffing problems of a seasonal business. This episode is brought you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property care and automations platform.  Additional show...

In the first episode of our Unglamorous season, Matt sits down with Rocio of Cleancio  to discuss the challenges of vacation rental housekeeping and some actionable ideas for solving them. This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property care and automations platform.  Additional show notes can be found at www.vrmb.c...

As a way to offset some of the unprecedented hype our vacation rental sector is experiencing, Season 7 of the Unlocked Podcast is going against the grain...pulling back the curtain...taking off the rose-colored glasses...and revealing HOW the vacation rental SAUSAGE is made. The theme of the season: Unglamorous! Running a vacation rental company is not sexy. It's unpredictable, messy, and incredib...

As part of our divergent thinking series, Matt sits down this week with Bob Pease, President of the Brewer's Association.  The extraordinary success of the craft beer industry in the last several decades provides real insight into how vacation rental professionals can band together to achieve a host of goals.

In this episode, Matt reflects on Season Six and shares thoughts from our guests that come together to create a framework for configuring your vacation rental Magic Zone.        

Darrell Looney and Sherry Woodhouse have refined ideas and practices for a level of hospitality we can all aspire to in the vacation rental industry.  This week they walk Matt through what goes into making their Villa Mais Oui such a special experience for guests. This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property care...

For our first in-person recording since early 2020, Matt sat down with Julie Brinkman of Beyond  at the recent VRMA Connect event in Sandestin Florida.  Julie is part of a new wave of CEOs entering the vacation rental industry with perspectives that benefit us all. This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property car...

This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. Most vacation rental professionals tend to over-work because they wear many hats.  Over-working is not sustainable...it will eventually burn you from the inside out.  In this episode VRMB Communities discusses the solution: a forced break!

This week Matt and Jed Stevens of Koloa Kai   detail a six step program for building a sustainable and profitable vacation rental business and soft-launch the VRMB Accelerator Program. This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property care and automations platform.   

In this episode Matt sits down with Andrew McConnell of Rented.com   for some must-listen industry analysis and...a few 'twerks'. This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property care and automations platform. 

This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. Have you ever come across a product whose presentation is so on point in that it subliminally sucked you in and persuaded you to buy?  Finca Victoria is a farmhouse style B&B on the small island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, and every vacation rental professional can take something away from their websi...

This week Matt speaks with Eddie Gray, the housekeeping and laundry manager for Newman-Dailey Resort Properties.  With 17 years in the business, Eddie has amassed wisdom that can benefit every vacation rental business.  Best practices, checklists, delegating, software, employees, covid...Eddie covers it all. This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, an...

This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. "Moments of engagement" is one way of thinking about those special interactions in which you win over guests, turning them from stranger to friend (and reviewer/repeat/referral booker). Moments of engagement are interactions that connect us: the openings for lines of communication and meaningful re...

This week Matt sits down with Anthony Gantt of At Ease  which was created to solve challenges with vacation rentals for military personnel and their families.  Anthony's story of discovering and executing in his niche is must-listen content for anyone looking to level up with the biggest current opportunity in the vacation rental business.  This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the lea...

This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities . Any vacation rental property can be made more "limited edition" with the introduction of a landmark feature: a structural, decorative, or recreational aspect of the home's offering that is unique (in your competitive set), photogenic (for promotional purposes), and perhaps most importantly enjoyab...

This week Matt sits down with Amber Carpenter of DemandIQ to talk about a significant source of revenue we've all been missing.  What started as a capstone project for Amber's master's degree has become must-use tech for the entire vacation rental industry.   This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property care and...

This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities . Not all listings are created equally.  This week, the community discusses 8 deep adjustments that are designed to maximize bookings in a crowded listing site landscape. Read the full thread, here: https://community.vrmb.com/threads/8-deep-adjustments-to-your-listings.5955/   

Bob Garner and his husband, Ian, have built their Casal dei Fichi into a powerhouse of repeat bookings, positive environmental action and the profitability needed to achieve a fun, balanced lifestyle.  In this episode Matt and Bob dig into the how's and why's, and explore a 'two loops model' for vacation rental businesses that is critical listening for anyone in the industry.  This episode is brou...

This week Sibylle Kim gives us a masterclass in the single property lifestyle business.  She bought her dream vacation home in Waterbury, Vermont, and turned it into Villa Ausblick , a profitable, family-friendly short-term rental sanctuary, where she created years of memories for her family and her guests.  Now, after nearly two decades in business, Sibylle is sharing wisdom that is of value to e...

Part 2 of Matt's sit down with Carl Shepherd, co-founder of HomeAway. T his week we get into the fun stuff. Where's the opportunity? How to build brand? What deep trends should you be keeping an eye on as they evolve? This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property care and automations platform. 

In this episode, Matt sits down with Carl Shepherd, co-founder of HomeAway, for an oral history of some of the vacation rental industry's formative moments and a visionary look at its future. This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property care and automations platform. 

In this episode Matt sits down with Kirsten King of Big Sky Vacation Rentals for some big takeaways on building and ultimately selling a supremely profitable and sustainable vacation rental business.  This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property care and automations platform. 

In this episode Matt talks finding your niche and your balance with Sheron of Scurlock Farms.  Sheron mixes a working farm, famous art, pet friendliness and a friendly family to create the ultimate limited edition vacation rental business.   This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the best in class property care and automations platfo...

In this episode, Matt sits down with Kyle Finley of Legalbnb and Briefhomes to talk about how Kyle went from the wild west of vacation rentals to helping other hosts legalize their businesses.  They also cover tools and operations, finding work life balance, and recovering from Coronavirus.  This episode is brought to you by Point Central , the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway , the...