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Updated Feb 09, 2023
I think this will be a watershed year for vacation rental conferences, so I'm encouraging any member who wants to up their game with some advice around the most common questions I get!
Drop your fav conference into comments for other members...as well as what kind of attendee would be a good fit!
Note: I've also begun hosting a series of private events myself called "Keystone Retreats" --...
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Latest reply by - Kiwandanicole
NWVRP Conference is coming up in Reno! We definitely believe we are the "Biggest Little Conference in the World". Fun, but intimate spaces...
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Last week marked the end of our third round of Keystone Retreats, which are small-group learning experiences for short term rental professionals (new but still ugly website here) and I’d like to share one of my favorite takeaways.
"No Matter What Happens, You Can Always Pick Up And Move To France"
We hosted this particular retreat at Spring Lakes Ranch which used to be a drug rehab facility.
When they learned...
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Latest reply by - DMartinez
Ever since @Heather's first conference I had a great desire to attend a vacation rental focused event/conference. I would have made it there were it not for life interfering. My goal then and continues to be not only to gain knowledge and skills, but...
I have been deep in Ai reading for the last few months. The unknowns are overwhelmingly agreed (few could have fathomed what big disruptions like the steam engine or the internet would bring).
It's the speed of the onset of these unknowns that's most radical. Other disruptions took place slowly and steadily by comparison. This morning I read about a professor's Ai detector falsely accusing a student of cheating...
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Latest reply by
- DMartinez
Next up is to legislate AI. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) has proposed a bill to add a disclaimer on products generated by...
Setting and meeting a guest's expectations is an essential factor in any hospitality marketing campaign. After all, if you don't set and meet expectations (no matter how spiffy your direct booking funnel) there's no repeat or referral stays.
And I don't think I've ever come across a question that sets the tone for the booking and stay process quite as well as the following:
"What's the purpose of your visit?"...
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Latest reply by - RichardC
We tend to direct guests to our FAQ’s page and a link to our home page, but we follow up with the comment. If you can’t...
Season 2 of The Vacation Rental Show is presented by Booking.com.
Click here to go Behind the Booking with Matt and learn more about listing your property, or to see other episodes: http://book.i.ng/6003TE4wX
This episode of The Vacation Rental Show with Matt Landau explores Bali through the eyes of local vacation rental professional Mailie Green of Global Villas, LTD.
In this episode, Matt ventures to...
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.
[UPDATE]
Official Accelerator Program Sign-Up Page
For more information, send a direct message to @Jed
This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best-in-class property...
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Latest reply by
- Will Franco
[UPDATE 05/12/23]
Official Accelerator Program Sign-Up Page
I'm currently in the process of purchasing the townhouse I have rented since moving to South Beach, Miami in 2020.
Back then, I wrote this article about moving to the epicenter of the pandemic and I should really write an update soon.
But purchasing this townhouse is lowkey a pretty big deal for me personally:
My first home: decades of entrepreneurship and carving my path capitalized!
But it's also causing...
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Latest reply by - RuthM
First of all, congratulations! A new purchase is always worth celebrating! Next, I absolutely agree with you. There are short term rentals that are...
This week's tip comes from @Jed in VRMB's Accelerator Program where we walk managers through the foundational elements (step by step) for creating a company that lasts. We're accepting applicants for our next cohort beginning this month~!
Here's one of your instructors @LindaS and I talking about the power of realtors...
Local realtors can be a great source of leads. Local realtors are trusted by their...
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Latest reply by - LindaS
When you create strong relationships with realtors you not only receive referrals from them when they are in the process of the real estate sale...
IDEA
An inside joke is humor that requires information only available to a group.
It can be as small as a joke between you and your guest.
And when pulled off, it forms a connection that deepens the relationship: making you more than just another place to stay, but a true insider friend.
@StacyW recently shared with me this text message interchange between her team member Lacey and a Guest:
Lacey: Good...
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Latest reply by
- DMartinez
I first met this guest on the trail in front of our house while it was under construction for remodeling. As he was chatting...
My mother is a brain scientist who has earned an incredible array of accolades over the last few decades. Becoming a scientist wasn't common for women in her generation so (with the help of great mentors) she chose to blaze her own trail.
My father was a shopkeeper whose family business served as a keystone to the community of Princeton, New Jersey his entire adult life (he has since retired and the shop...
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Latest reply by - StaySavvy
I had a teacher, Mrs MacMillan, who thought I was special and made me feel special. I was about 9 or 10 years old when she arranged for a psychologist to come to the school to test my IQ and they found I...
This week's discussion -- featuring anecdotes from the world of horse racing and illegal weed -- argues that markets shouldn't bet against relationships.
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Latest reply by - StacyW
Love the connections you made above Matt! Since Covid I refuse to do business with people I can't speak with (like booking.com). I think when you make business relational you invest more into it. I think if someone is...
Chances are, you aren't getting enough distance from your business.
The upside to being in the trenches is the personal payoff (the 5-star review, sense of purpose, an especially great paycheck). The risk is fatigue. Fatigue + control freaks = a dangerously unstable operation. ESPECIALLY unstable in a hospitality environment that depends on human connection.
ACTION: Take vacation in order to make vacations...
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Latest reply by - SScurlock
I have taken your advice and trained one of my sons that also lives on the farm on running my short-term rental business. I am going on a...
Most great stories have contrasts: people/characters, opinions, places, emotions, really anything that is different from something else in juxtaposition or close association. Contrasts move the story along, add flavor, and yes! When you use contrasts, people are doubly likely to resonate with your story!
Stories without contrasts lack texture and feel just kinda beige.
When you're in the process of formulating...
My friend Molly is on vacation in India and shared with me how hospitable everyone is: how strangers were so generous and welcoming with food; how everyone refers to her as Miss and Madame; how she felt like royalty and soon discovered the Sanskrit phrase:
Atithi Devo Bhava which translates as "The Guest is God."
Note: You can read more about this 'code of conduct' here.
In our world, many argue a mantra that...
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Latest reply by
- DMartinez
I suggest each owner or property manager needs a MISSION to drive their business that makes sense for their goals with 2 fundamental cornerstones: Guest Satisfaction and Profit. Every single successful business needs a relentless focus on these two areas and your...
Last week I visited @Tarkan and Julia in Istanbul, Turkey and WOW what a gigantic bustling historic crossroads of world history (if you haven't consider planning a visit -- Turkish Airlines is amazing and Julia and Tarkan's properties rock).
For dinner one evening my best friend Adam and I booked our maiden meal on Eat With, which is basically like a listing site for home-cooks. In short, home cook makes a menu...
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Latest reply by
- SScurlock
My sister has traveled all over the world, and she and her husband always book a meal in someone's home (not sure through who)...
If you do one thing thing this year, double down on your hospitality brand.
Your hospitality brand is your unique style of taking care of guests (both internally with your team and outwardly with guests) and it's the single most valuable asset *fully in your control* that deserves attention, resources, and in some cases serious course corrections. Remember, Quality Branded IP stands the test of time.
I just...
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Latest reply by
- Matt Landau
I guess my issue with branding is that it feels like a marshmallow. It's a little hard to get a real concept of, and I can't quite put a finger on something concrete. And then how...
Every restaurant was closed at 9:00 PM. Phoenix airport shuts down early. Rather than a couple barstools and industry gossip, we settled into stiff airport seats to talk shop.
I started in the vacation rental industry in 2008 as a Marketing Director on the Outer Banks. I...
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Latest reply by
- DMartinez
FYI Fractional ownership is being outlawed in many communities for fear of becoming a version of Timeshares in the...
In this special episode, Christina Thoreson takes us through the complicated reality of selling a business she'd built from the ground up to a big industry name.
Wondering if you might sell one day or what happens in the aftermath? Or just contemplating big changes in life? This episode is for you.
This is also the final episode of the Unlocked Podcast in its current form. We expect you'll hear from Matt...
In this episode, we're thrilled to have Vina Rathbone-Falvey, a market research expert, joining us. Throughout the season, we've been exploring ways to quantify the challenging questions surrounding public sentiment and community feelings towards vacation rental regulations for our scorecard.
Vina guides us through the power of market research and polling in understanding and navigating these complex issues...
A robust all-in-one PMS solution doesn't really exist for smaller operators. But new tools are popping up with some innovative alternatives. This is an excerpt from VRMB's 2023 Trends Report: The Roadmap.
For years I’ve referred to those who don’t view STR hospitality as a business (but rather a hobby or side gig) as “Lifestylists.” Lifestylists typically hold down separate jobs, rent for the cashflow, and use...
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Latest reply by - Terry
Hi Terri,
Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you're saying...but I'm pretty sure I'm one of these 'lifestyle' operators. I own a small portfolio of homes and manage them myself. I am not intimidated...
Note: Hospitality Gestures: The "New" Marketing will be featured in VRMB's 2023 Trends Report, which drops first week of January. Early bird specials via newsletter sign-up here.
Back in 2009, with the listing sites (and our category in general) starting to gain momentum, the members of this community and myself predicted that "listing site independence" (ie. marketing diversification for vacation rental pros)...
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Latest reply by - keystokelowna
Yes, yes and yes...
These are not new ideas for us at Moving Mountains, but I love the reminder to double down on this in...
In this episode we sit down with Lino Maldonado, the CEO of BeHome247, to discuss where the industry is headed in 2023. Lino also offers advice on how to navigate the changing landscape of life and capitalize on new opportunities.
This episode is brought you by PointCentral: https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/ the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, https://www.breezeway.io/vrmb the best in class...
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Latest reply by
- Terry
Great podcast.
Takeaways:
18:00 minute mark > Do way more in the PMS which I have been saying since /2018.
24:00 minute mark > PMS Light, no threat.
34:00 minute mark > Bloodbath, could not agree more. The self proclaimed Airbnbers are in big...
In this episode we dive into the world of advocacy technology and how it’s being used to prevent bans and improve regulations. Our guest is Nils Erik Mattisson, the CEO and co-founder of Minut, a company that specializes in noise monitoring devices. Nils shares his insights...
In this episode, we take a look at big leaps, both personal and professional with @alexhusner -- as the newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Casago and co-host of the popular podcast, "Alex and Annie," Alex's personal brand has flourished alongside her success in the industry. Join us as we gain insight into her journey and strategies for achieving your own professional aspirations.
This episode is brought...
In my endless pursuit for limited edition (full workshop here if you haven't watched it) I am starting to assemble chunks of a "how to" process that we can say to new STR operators "here's a good start."
But seeing as though Limited Edition is so personal and unique and IRREPLICABLE lol the process of creating universal rules is difficult!
Inspired by @CJ who pointed out to me recently the operational...
I use the term "lifestyle brand" to describe a vacation rental business whose marketing leads not with the property, but the vibes (or lifestyle) guests experience when staying there. You can immediately feel a lifestyle vacation rental brand when you come in contact with it.
For instance, @Kristi and Starship Landing Retreat. The property itself is still there. But it's not the centerpiece of the photography...
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Latest reply by
- Will Franco
We enjoyed the atmosphere and provenance of the cabin itself, but most notable (aside from the gorgeous hill country views) was the experience of walking through the...
Limited edition management recommends emphasizing your one-of-a-kind virtues -- family owned/operated, locally based/headquartered, and specialized in a property type or location -- to create a moat of defense from competing vacation rental offerings. Some activities DO scale (and can be automated or done en mass). But I keep coming back to the word "Unscalable" as not just a good thing (for independents) but...
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Latest reply by - davidliedl
Thanks for asking @davidliedl
Here is a link to the housekeeping checklist (scroll down to the bottom): https://community.vrmb.com/threads/ep109-the-trickiest-challenges-of-vacation-rental-housekeeping-and-how-to-solve-some-of-them.6896/
Thank you!
Happy 2023, listeners! This week we're letting Matt Landau's Unlocked podcast takeover our channel and share an interivew with Matt Durrette of Cozi Vacation Rentals. Matt is emblematic of the kind of Homerunner that the Unlocked podcast loves talking to, but he's also been thrown into one of the fastest moving advocacy situations in the country and we think his takeaaways will be invaluable to the How to Save...
Matt @Durrette is emblematic of the kind of Homerunner that is positioned to be the biggest winner as our industry evolves. In this episode we'll talk limited edition positioning in the growth to 300 properties, entrepreneurial operating systems and and advocacy in the latest Texas battlegrounds. Also featuring @EmilyRead
This episode is brought you by PointCentral: https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/ the...
Kelly Hill is at the center of a network in McCall, Idaho that has real power against the regulatory tide sweeping our industry. She's even tackling seemingly unsolveable problems like low-income housing. Not every owner in her region can keep up with the dizzing pace of change, however. In this episode we find out what Kelly can teach us about balancing stakeholders and inch closer to an 'enforcement' score...
@KarenHunt 's pre-vacation rental career included selling everything from candy and rice to Ben and Jerry's ice cream to Francis Ford Coppola and a whole lot of wine. Now she's running a lifestyle vacation rental business that is the perfect cap to a legendary career. In this episode she gives us perspective on sales, people, and goal setting that will be useful to industry players of any size.
This episode is...
Welcome to VRMB!
I’m Matt Landau, the founder of this forum. It was created in 2016 when a group of us wanted a safe space to discuss our growing STR businesses.
Today, you can join our community of 1,000+ creative, thoughtful, and generous members who believe in a better future.
The Accelerator Program
Each quarter, we choose vacation rental managers to join our 1-year, mentorship-driven accelerator, providing hands-on business building and access to our network.
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