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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 - StacyW
This year as we head into conferences I am going to make a list of needs, must haves, and who to...
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 podcast episode, Matt Landau and Guy discuss personal growth, business insights, and transformative experiences. Matt talks about his life-changing trip to Israel and how travel can trigger transformation. Guy shares his enlightening experiences with psychedelics and how they altered his perspective on life. The episode also covers Guy's journey into parenthood and its profound impact on him, emphasizing...
Join us for a conversation between Matt and his mother, Barbara Landau. This episode offers a glimpse into Barbara Landau’s rich life experiences and adventures. She reflects on her career choices, emphasizing the importance of building a network of mentors and allies for success. Barbara's impressive achievements are a testament to her dedication and determination.
Intriguingly, the episode delves into the core...
Join us for a captivating conversation with Valerie Gangas as she shares her inspiring journey of growth, spirituality, and resilience. From starting a vacation rental company during the pandemic to exploring the depths of her spiritual awakening, Valerie's story is a powerful testament to the human spirit. Tune in for a dose of inspiration and insights into embracing change, seeking support, and creating...
Does anyone have a practice or something that they do to acknowledge and focus on the positive?
We are small organization (manage 20 houses) and my business partner and I feel overwhelmed sometimes with the negative/complaints/problems.
We primarily have great guests...
Lots of air quotes in the title of this thread -- because the definitions of all these things are blurry.
Have you heard about my home state of Florida's "Live Local Act," which aims to help combat the lack of affordable housing by incentivizing new construction through tax breaks?
The Live Local Act allows developers to get around height and density restrictions like those in historic areas.
Such as my...
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Latest reply by - Dana
It's important to address the affordable housing issue with practical solutions, and that may look like reevaluating our zoning codes to allow for more dense builds. While many individuals express a desire to address the affordable housing crisis without solely blaming...
This week in a NYT travel article I learned the word Flâneur. Here's some of my fav quotes:
A flâneur is an idle stroller who wanders aimlessly and lets 'accident' be their guide: one of the best ways to explore a destination is not with goals or itineraries but by following your senses
To walk a city led by your senses rather than a destination is to awaken to the city and, possibly, to yourself.
It’s...
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Latest reply by - davidliedl
We definitely introduce guests to one another, at our weekly pizza party where guests get to meet up and we all make pizza together (not this year of course) - taking it in...
Aloha Community,
This is Kim Johnston, @TerryC Craven’s daughter. I am writing on behalf of my mom because internet access in Lahaina is not back up at the moment.
Our property management company has been in business for over 40 years and we are located on Maui in the...
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Latest reply by - AMiller
Hi from Maine. We in Maine are sending positive thoughts. How about traveling nurses? We are having a statewide vr meeting...
From Phocuswright's STR study Through The Roof, 87% of travelers agreed or strongly agreed that they actively seek out properties with an interesting look and feel. "Character" was not a make it or break it moment of the conversion -- but definitely a big appeal.
Character is where a huge new wave of vacation rental entrepreneurs are investing: tree houses, tents, themed homes...etc.
So I wanted to start a...
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Latest reply by - Tarkan and Julia
@RuthM recently shared this article with me
"Why You’ll Be 750x Better Off Running An Airbnb Than A Vacation Rental Or Holiday Let" suggesting that how you feel about terminology does not matter...it's the public search statistics that should dictate your marketing.
The article makes a valid...
When I would get feedback/reviews at my vacation rentals in Panama, my instinct was to respond with pride because I created that experience!
Proudly, the good reviews gave me ego boosts and the bad reviews’ root causes went unnoticed (because I could not or would not see em) and the problems therefore persisted. Unimaginable. Impossible!
It took me a while to figure out that pride means taking a defensive...
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Latest reply by
- Matt Landau
From the Guest:
The big and short of it:
The yard was terrible and embarrassing with an ant infestation and weeds everywhere. It was unusable. The...
Vtrips is one of the fastest growing companies in our industry and its leader, Steve Milo, has advocacy in mind with every aquisiton he makes. In this episode we dive into his advocacy masterplan, talk about what he looks for in a destination and see how we can apply it to our scorecard. We also hear from Amy Gaster and Dusty Church who are working with Vtrips on Tybee Island to save vacation rentals there...
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
Something to consider if using AI for blogs and/or other marketing purposes. They scrape data from copyrighted property. Then it repurposes it into books, screenplays, research papers, news stories, photos, art...
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 as mentioned above, to connect with...
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...
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 responsibly managed and then there are the "pay, come, do whatever you want, leave" models that are not good for the building...
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...
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 about his vacation stay there, I...
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...
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)...
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 cruise in...
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 mission is...
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) when in another country. She has said those meals are some of the highlights of their trips!
It sounds like you had a fantastic 40th birthday...
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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 do you express it? Develop a set of words that are used repeatedly to...
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 very expensive...
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...
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.
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