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Prior to launching Season 9: Homerunners this week, Matt sat down with Breezeway founder and perennial Unlocked sponsor Jeremiah Gall to discuss highlights from last season and the state of the industry moving forward.
Episode One of Homerunners featuring Lukas Krause of Skyrun Vacation Rentals drops with the VRMB newsletter Thursday September 8th.
This episode is brought...
I first learned the phrase "creative destruction" from my co-founder in Esperanza Social Venture Club (gang intervention program).
Brief Aside: Building a demobilization program was new and uncharted territory. No one had done anything like this in Panama. So with little experience, we assembled a team, raised money, planned a pilot intervention program with Gang #1 and it went surprisingly well. So...
Brief Aside: Building a demobilization program was new and uncharted territory. No one had done anything like this in Panama. So with little experience, we assembled a team, raised money, planned a pilot intervention program with Gang #1 and it went surprisingly well. So...
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Latest reply by - Lauren Madewell
Creatively destroying my homeowner acquisition process as we speak. Up until Summer of 2020, onboarding a new owner was like meeting a new friend- I met the seasoned OWNERS in person, this was their vacation home that they wanted rented out when they weren't...
I recently came across an insightful case study (attached) titled "From Niche to Movement to Mainstream" about the rise of the food truck movement (and hip hop).
Reading it, I couldn't help but see the parallels with our work (and think about a similar discussion Can we copy the craft beer movement?)...here are some of the interesting nuggets I gleaned from the food truck PDF (attached):
The catalyst...
Reading it, I couldn't help but see the parallels with our work (and think about a similar discussion Can we copy the craft beer movement?)...here are some of the interesting nuggets I gleaned from the food truck PDF (attached):
The catalyst...
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Latest reply by
- Lauren Madewell
@Dawn what a wonderfully relevant moment for the Hedgehog to make its return to the community.
@TomG and @Lauren Madewell -- I'm curious (been thinking about your family...
I recently came across a scene from 'Sense of Place' Blue Ridge that I wanted to share because I know a lot of our members are thinking about staffing and team building.
When I asked @CJ how he plans to grow, he says, "I'm going to invest in people."
Watch it first...
Investing in your people is one of the most impactful ways to allocate funds as a modern day vacation rental...
When I asked @CJ how he plans to grow, he says, "I'm going to invest in people."
Watch it first...
Investing in your people is one of the most impactful ways to allocate funds as a modern day vacation rental...
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Latest reply by - SScurlock
Here's the full episode in case anyone wants to see me jump off an abandoned boat after drinking moonshine:
@Matt Landau this is my favorite Sense of Place! I laughed out loud several times at your antics - especially slipping off the sunken houseboat, then not being...
I've known Matt Hoffman for what feels like an eternity. I remember talking to him back when I was running my vacation rental business in Panama in 2008 and his passion and enthusiasm for vacation rentals has not faded since...if anything they've sharpened.
Matt is the Senior Vice President and Product Leader at Kigo, which is a vacation rental management software...
I am currently visiting @Godfrey in Sun Valley, Idaho where the supply of vacation rental properties is so limited (and the demand for this destination so great) that property owners and managers need to be extra intentional about how they spend their time. To a degree, I think this focus is increasingly playing out across the world.
Every activity falls somewhere on the profit spectrum, but which...
Every activity falls somewhere on the profit spectrum, but which...
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Latest reply by - Catherine
Here's a full interview so you can understand better:
Thanks, as always, Matt! 👌
This week's podcast episode (embedded below) featuring @TomG of Mt. Laurel Chalets in Gatlinburg, TN includes a very special segment (starts at 11:05) about an idea Tom calls Hometown Heroes here's how it's described on his site:
Every hometown has its heroes. The unseen caregiver who is called to serve. An unlikely achiever who tackles obstacles with a can-do spirit. Perhaps it's the unsung...
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Latest reply by - Debi
Matt and I had a discussion about our Hometown Hero Contest on his podcast Unlocked back in May...
Dana Young is one of those people who is just unyieldingly passionate about technology. But so are a lot of people. What makes Dana unique is the way he is applying that obsession -- specifically with voice activated devices -- to the vacation rental space. He got started in our industry managing a property with his mom. But the ramifications of his singular and relatively...
Good property names stand out and inspire.
Even cooler, good property names drive repeat and referral bookings!
But bad property names disappear from our memories the moment we depart.
Settling on great property names is tricky.
I am recently going through this process with @MeganM about her new property in Cocoa Beach, FL.
Even cooler, good property names drive repeat and referral bookings!
But bad property names disappear from our memories the moment we depart.
Settling on great property names is tricky.
I am recently going through this process with @MeganM about her new property in Cocoa Beach, FL.
- It's located on the Space Coast where Megan grew up (she had friends whose...
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Latest reply by - Sherry
Whatever you do pick something that is easy to spell and easy to pronounce. Our property name is a marketing blunder. The name is French, Mais Oui and is a good play on words in the...
Hospitality is one of the few sectors that customers touch, feel, experience, walk-into.
Which makes us hyper-connected to our local communities.
(We should really have a code of ethics, but I digress)
And hyper-connected means disruptive: for better and for worse.
Good disruption: guests spark the local economy, managers/hosts are closely tied to local causes and issues, business contributes as...
Which makes us hyper-connected to our local communities.
(We should really have a code of ethics, but I digress)
And hyper-connected means disruptive: for better and for worse.
Good disruption: guests spark the local economy, managers/hosts are closely tied to local causes and issues, business contributes as...
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Latest reply by - Curated Stays
I posted this recently in a local FB STR group.
Advocating for Short-Term Rentals: Keeping a Good...
I recently came across this quote (above) and realized how many of the most successful vacation rental pros I know are masters of leverage AND how many of the most knowledgable vacation rental pros I know could use leverage in fun new ways to thrive (however they may define that).
So I wanted to begin a thread about using subject matter expertise as a "force multiplier" -- giving members the potential to...
So I wanted to begin a thread about using subject matter expertise as a "force multiplier" -- giving members the potential to...
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Latest reply by - TeenaNH
Happy almost Independence Day everyone,
First of all - I had to look up the word leverage as it pertained to business.
Verb
Leverage: use (something) to maximum advantage.
"the organization needs to leverage its key resources"
I spent a...
I just agreed to lease one of our long-term extended-stay rentals to a local family who live about a one-minute walk away from Skönhuset (Swedish for "the nice house"). Our neighbor's son is terminally ill with four to eight weeks to live. Hospice (and a hospital bed) will be...
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Latest reply by - Matt Landau
This week's discussion thread is perhaps more validation than motivation.
On the heels of my friend Leyla's passing this week, I...
In this episode you'll get a taste of what's to come in the next season of Unlocked themed "First Mover Status" in which we'll interview owners and managers who are gaining HUGE advantages by being first to market with new innovations. But until then, enjoy this brief audio essay from Matt's visit to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Where he visited...
This week’s discussion all about niche marketing ideas comes directly from the golf course! @CJ sent me the following photo of a vacation rental owner who scatters golf balls with contact information around the backyard of his golf course-front vacation home in Georgia. This is a cheap, creative, and focused way of speaking directly to his target audience.
View attachment 4880
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
View attachment 4880
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
- Where are...
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Latest reply by
- SScurlock
What a great idea! A previous guest painted encouraging messages on small rocks and left them all over the farm - it was fun to find them. I...
Report of Survey results - includes questions. Can be used by VR managers to better understand guest behaviour in order to tailor property amenities / services to them.
Storm Watching is a creative marketing strategy by the destination of Tofino on Vancouver Island in British Columbia...turning lemons into lemonade...taking a low season and turning it into something new and aspirational.
Stoke the fire, pull a chair up to the window, and snuggle into a down comforter to watch Mother Nature assault the land and sea outside your hotel window. Gale force winds whip the...
Stoke the fire, pull a chair up to the window, and snuggle into a down comforter to watch Mother Nature assault the land and sea outside your hotel window. Gale force winds whip the...
As a follow up to my April 20 post.....we opted to play up all the wonderful amenities inside our property and let this sell itself. The property, with or without higher water levels in our surrounding...
As a follow-up to the popular discussion 8 Deep Adjustments To Your Listings, in this week's podcast featuring @Heather we talk about what is simultaneously the biggest challenge AND the biggest differentiator (when you solve it) for independent vacation rental marketers: standing out in a crowd. You can skip forward to 12:15 to hear that part of the discussion:
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Latest reply by - Robin
We Zigged - Moving Mountains is not a conventional name by any means, and this has served us well...
Our niche is Luxury - in the true sense of the word, and...
Hey @EBadia -- what do you think about the word “boutique” to describe what makes vacation rental companies great? Used in all of our marketing materials and in our day-to-day, could "boutique" successfully convey what makes vacation rental companies great in ways that other words (we've come up with) can not?
Side Note: For those of you who haven't listened, Evelyn and I are on a mission to...
Side Note: For those of you who haven't listened, Evelyn and I are on a mission to...
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Latest reply by
- Debi
I added the word "boutique" to my listing title on Airbnb when this thread first came out. My summer is filled. However, Airbnb has recently ELIMINATED titles in their listing search. I understand this is a new AI standard for...
In this final episode of Season 8 we speak with the godmother of vacation rentals, Heather Bayer of the Vacation Rental Success podcast, which has featured more than 440 vacation rental innovators and given an enormous wealth of knowledge to our community. Heather recently sold her vacation rental business after twenty years and we dig into that process, the state of the industry, and how well she has been...
In this episode producer Stuart Hooper gives an update on progress at Mangofish Studios, an off the grid creative retreat center in Panama and talks to Matt about his recent article for Phocuswire.com on the challenge of scaling what cannot be scaled.
Phocuswire Aritcle...
Phocuswire Aritcle...
Victoria O'Connell is the creator of GoLightly, a home sharing platform for women. In this episode we dive into the genesis of the platform, talk about creating accountability and deep ties in a network and discuss broader concepts in niche marketing.
GoLightly: https://www.wegolightly.com
This episode is brought you by PointCentral: https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/ the leaders...
GoLightly: https://www.wegolightly.com
This episode is brought you by PointCentral: https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/ the leaders...
Tom Goodwin of Mountain Laurel Chalets in Gatlinburg, Tennessee is celebrating 50 years of making limited edition memories for guests. In this episode we dive into his direct marketing techniques, which are among the most holistic and comprehensive we have ever encountered.
- Mountain Laurel Chalets: www.mtnlaurelchalets.com
- Rue Bar Rue: https://www.ruebarue.com
- Track...
Sarah Bradford (of Sarah & Tim fame) recently shared with me I Illustrated National Parks In America Based On Their Worst Review And I Hope They Will Make You Laugh.
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Latest reply by - Karla
I have been thinking about this recently on a "review" level, based on reading about this Chinese restaurants responses to bad/dumb reviews I read awhile ago...
Lately I've found myself especially drawn to hotel and vacation rental photography that uses props or staged items to evoke a warm, welcoming scene or aspirational vignette.
With our exploration of "first mover" marketing plays, I have to think staged photography is right up there at the top of the "What doesn't currently exist in your market, but will become ubiquitous once someone starts doing it?" list don't...
With our exploration of "first mover" marketing plays, I have to think staged photography is right up there at the top of the "What doesn't currently exist in your market, but will become ubiquitous once someone starts doing it?" list don't...
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Latest reply by - RuthM
I have battled it out with a few of my team over the years about staging a photo to set the scene, vis. a more conventional real estate style of photography, which some are more used to seeing. These images are...
Michael Skinner of Savvy Travels is a member of VRMB’s first accelerator cohort and in this episode we’ll take a look at achievements like his knowledge base and org chart. We also talk about retrofitting your business for better decision making.
Savvy Travels: https://www.savvytravels.co
Notion: https://www.notion.so
Taskrabbit: https://www.taskrabbit.com
OwnerRez...
Savvy Travels: https://www.savvytravels.co
Notion: https://www.notion.so
Taskrabbit: https://www.taskrabbit.com
OwnerRez...
I just finished Dan Pink's The Power of Regret -- all about turning negative emotions into positive actionable lessons -- and the book includes this, one of my favorite quotes:
The book explains how "boldness" regrets ("things I didn't do") were almost 2x as common as action regrets (things...
The book explains how "boldness" regrets ("things I didn't do") were almost 2x as common as action regrets (things...
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Latest reply by - Sallie
I was always encouraged by my family to be an entrepreneur (like they all were) but devoted my most of my working life to a health care career...
Content idea time!
IDEA: We're all familiar with the press pieces featuring THE TOP {insert adjective} VACATION RENTALS IN {insert destination}.
There are plenty of variations but for the sake of this post I'm referring to these pieces as "Top X." And typically, the author has little to no subject matter expertise. Sometimes companies being mentioned in the article are paying to be featured!
But these...
IDEA: We're all familiar with the press pieces featuring THE TOP {insert adjective} VACATION RENTALS IN {insert destination}.
There are plenty of variations but for the sake of this post I'm referring to these pieces as "Top X." And typically, the author has little to no subject matter expertise. Sometimes companies being mentioned in the article are paying to be featured!
But these...
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Latest reply by - KarenB
You were asking "where to publish" a Top "XYZ" article... We are in the middle of writing one right now.... We are including some of our favorite competitors and also an AirBnB,, which I didn't think of, until Matt suggested it...
Kelly Hill of DoneRight Vacation Rentals/Casago Mcall has forged deep ties with her community and enjoys a sterling reputation but regulations have still come knocking. Her relationships give her a unique voice in the process and there is hope these decisions will be beneficial for the community and her business but the specter of unfair regulation always looms. We spoke with Kelly before and after critical...
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.
Here Goes Nothin'
Retreats, workshops, and discussions that spark creative leaps in your business.
Upcoming Retreats
Matt's first Here Goes Nothin' retreat is slated for THIS NEW YEARS Dec 26-30 (cohort 1) and Dec 30-Jan 3 (cohort 2).
This retreat is all about creativity as an advanced leadership technique and is open to anyone exploring more creative risks in business (and life!)
Simply reach out to [email protected] with a bit about your current goals to learn more...