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Hello community members, I'm sharing with you my big trend for independent owners and managers in 2022, along with links to all mentioned resources below.
Please use the thread below to share any trends you believe are worth doubling down on...
Resources Mentioned:
Please use the thread below to share any trends you believe are worth doubling down on...
Resources Mentioned:
- Vacasa has gone public [Skift]
- Matt Roberts on Unlocked
- Carl Shepherd on Unlocked
- The Agile...
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Latest reply by - JanS
In Vacasa's quest for more more more properties, they are going to run smack into the regulatory issues we are all struggling with. I'm waiting to see what they will do. Will they join the fray and make a positive difference?
Crowdsourcing means collecting information from other vacation rental people. It allows you to save time and money while tapping into lessons from owners and managers with different skills or perspectives from all over the world.
Crowdsourcing works best at early, pivotal stages of your vacation rental growth: believe it or not, many other VR pros have been through that challenge before. They may even have...
Crowdsourcing works best at early, pivotal stages of your vacation rental growth: believe it or not, many other VR pros have been through that challenge before. They may even have...
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Latest reply by - AshleyK
Hi Ashley, I'm happy to share my pack with you and let you know how I do this.
I would be so grateful for anything you can share with me! You can email me at [email protected] Thank you!
Trial and error 'metabolism' is one of the most popular ways to build vacation rental muscle.
But once you've reached a sweet spot, trial and error metabolism tends to slow: either because you've build a seamless machine OR you've lost motivation for growth.
One way to mix things up is to adopt the mentality that "everything is a test."
"Everything is a test" gives us the confidence to try a myriad of mini...
But once you've reached a sweet spot, trial and error metabolism tends to slow: either because you've build a seamless machine OR you've lost motivation for growth.
One way to mix things up is to adopt the mentality that "everything is a test."
"Everything is a test" gives us the confidence to try a myriad of mini...
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Latest reply by - Matt Landau
Reference Discussion (for anyone who wants to learn more about QR codes): https://community.vrmb.com/threads/qr-code-for-marketing.6301/
- Founder, VRMB
In vacation rentals we talk about listing sites.In the restaurant world, it's delivery apps like Grubhub, Door Dash, and Post Mates. These tech companies have taken a sizable bite out of restaurant economic models and margins -- especially in the wake of the pandemic as demand for delivery surges.
To discourage the use of delivery apps (aka. "book direct") Domino's Pizza got creative. Domino's...
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Latest reply by - RuthM
Just seeing this now. WOW. What a powerful choice for an advertisement. Makes you want to order Domino's, right? Doing...
The vacation rental (VR) industry is undergoing a renaissance as the COVID-19 pandemic transitions out of its position of global dominance. Our industry has received an enormous amount of press in the past few years—some good and some bad—all of it culminating in increased awareness of what our industry offers.
The term “renaissance” is used deliberately here. Some refer to our industry as “new” or “young,” but...
The term “renaissance” is used deliberately here. Some refer to our industry as “new” or “young,” but...
This guest post is by Inner Circle leader James Olin, CEO of C2G Advisors LLC, who has been involved in M&A activities in vacation rental industry since 1992. He is the only person to be CEO of both the nation’s largest privately owned vacation rental company (Abbott...
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Permission to Prune
IDEA: Tree pruning means selectively removing injured, dead, or infected parts of the tree in order to improve the tree’s structure, and promoting new, healthy growth. Vacation rental businesses can prune too by selectively removing parts of the business that are weighing us down and impeding our goals.
ACTION: Prune parts of your business that may be...
Permission to Prune
IDEA: Tree pruning means selectively removing injured, dead, or infected parts of the tree in order to improve the tree’s structure, and promoting new, healthy growth. Vacation rental businesses can prune too by selectively removing parts of the business that are weighing us down and impeding our goals.
ACTION: Prune parts of your business that may be...
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Latest reply by - StacyW
We are removing our property service homes as we no longer have the band width to take care of them for the peanuts we are making. We are dropping 12 homes where we do security checks and clean for owner use from time to time. It was a drain on staff and I am excited to...
This post is designed to inspire Property Managers everywhere to run best-in-class, functional and profitable businesses, while staying healthy, happy, and free. And we think it's more salient today than ever before.
The biggest lessons from 3 years of explosive...
The biggest lessons from 3 years of explosive...
Most owners and managers respond to the same inquiries and questions frequently. And the more advanced folks use automation such as canned messages and auto-responders.
But very rarely do we realize that not all guests are equal, and that responding in the same way to...
But very rarely do we realize that not all guests are equal, and that responding in the same way to...
No matter how much we plan, prepare, maintain, improve, innovate or do, we can’t control everything.
Construction noise, power outages, severe weather, medical emergencies, road closures, and land crab migrations through the shower can spoil our guests’ vacations—yet...
Construction noise, power outages, severe weather, medical emergencies, road closures, and land crab migrations through the shower can spoil our guests’ vacations—yet...
Niches are the next big thing in vacation rentals.
They are the essence of Theory of Limited Edition: that if you do the things only/inimitably YOU, that no bigger/richer company can ever compete.
Special interest and geographic niches possess significant profit: they are not scalable: and they tend to be more intimate than the big box managers... therefore less hazardous to communities.
If you are an...
They are the essence of Theory of Limited Edition: that if you do the things only/inimitably YOU, that no bigger/richer company can ever compete.
Special interest and geographic niches possess significant profit: they are not scalable: and they tend to be more intimate than the big box managers... therefore less hazardous to communities.
If you are an...
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Latest reply by - DMartinez
A surprising spike in a keyword search bump was noticed today for my website -with thanks to a blog post I wrote a while ago about a potential niche that never really came to be...but COULD be if someone had an inclination.
Apparently...
- Founder, VRMB
IDEA: I recently learned the word “strip mining” which destroys landscapes when trees, plants, topsoil are cleared. This leads to erosion when the rain washes away the loose soil until the foundation is gone. OK, I didn’t only just learn the word (I’d heard it before).
But only recently did I learn it as a metaphor for what can happen to our ecosystem if we don’t work together to protect and preserve our...
But only recently did I learn it as a metaphor for what can happen to our ecosystem if we don’t work together to protect and preserve our...
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Latest reply by - Debi
At Host2Host we were just developing a monthly Host Tea program when the pandemic descended upon us. The intention was to have a different member host a tea at their property. We wanted to gather, share our enthusiasm for hosting and introduce...
While editing next week's Unlocked interview with Theo Kracke (who sued the City of Santa Barbara for the right to operate short term rentals -- and won) I learned a neat trick that Theo uses to get the owners (of the properties he manages) to contribute money to the fair regulation fight. Listen to this...
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"The Presumptive Close" is when you intentionally assume that the prospect has already...
View attachment 4288
"The Presumptive Close" is when you intentionally assume that the prospect has already...
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Latest reply by - Karla
SScurlock, thank you so much! I think I’ll condense my Presumptive Close to one simple gesture: The person who makes the reservation will be given a one year membership ($30)...
IDEA
Some marketing activities -- like listing sites and email newsletters -- are common. But other activities that generate equal (if not BETTER) results are far less obvious. I spent the last week with over 500 vacation rental virtuosos at the Streamline Summit in Scottsdale, AZ. And one of my most salient takeaways is that there is massive ROI in baked goods.
Yes, you read that correctly. In a handful...
Some marketing activities -- like listing sites and email newsletters -- are common. But other activities that generate equal (if not BETTER) results are far less obvious. I spent the last week with over 500 vacation rental virtuosos at the Streamline Summit in Scottsdale, AZ. And one of my most salient takeaways is that there is massive ROI in baked goods.
Yes, you read that correctly. In a handful...
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Latest reply by - CareySue
We own the local donut shop and put donuts in our arriving guests units... they LOVE it! Mentioned in almost all the reviews #donutlove
***UPDATED NOVEMBER 2, 2021***
I’m departing the last few conferences with a lot to report back. My theme for this conference season is “first mover status” because that’s what all the attendees (advanced owners and managers) seem to be enjoying as a result of their choices and hard work. I've come to think of first-mover vacation rental leaders as "quintessential waveriders" who, with the right positioning and...
I’m departing the last few conferences with a lot to report back. My theme for this conference season is “first mover status” because that’s what all the attendees (advanced owners and managers) seem to be enjoying as a result of their choices and hard work. I've come to think of first-mover vacation rental leaders as "quintessential waveriders" who, with the right positioning and...
Evelyn Badia is a New York City based, five-star, Airbnb superhost. Through her online community and podcast she helps people become better hosts and use those hosting skills to build better financial futures.
Evelyn and Matt have a history of banter when it comes to professionalism and the vacation rental industry and in this final episode of season 7, they dive into a...
Disclaimer: This may sound stupid simple but it really works. I recommend you try.
IDEA
To solve a fellow VRMB Community member's very important messaging question, we recently spent $700 for one hour with a copywriting consultant. Yes, this is a huge amount of money. But I had been following this particular expert for many years, have listened to every one of his podcasts, admire his expertise and...
IDEA
To solve a fellow VRMB Community member's very important messaging question, we recently spent $700 for one hour with a copywriting consultant. Yes, this is a huge amount of money. But I had been following this particular expert for many years, have listened to every one of his podcasts, admire his expertise and...
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Latest reply by - jlynnmoscrip
As usual, right on target @Matt Landau. Yes: I was worried about telling guests the same thing in an email and on my website but it works! Absolutely key: repeat, repeat, repeat!
Here’s a guest communications tip :
My welcome book has an intro 1...
The latest research from Booking .com makes for compelling reading if you are interested in sustainability in our industry. Sustainability both for the environment and the future success of YOUR business.
In summary
In summary
- 83% of global travelers think...
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Latest reply by - BobG
Building on my post above about Google travel listings now we have an interesting development on flights.
Check out Google Flights planner. You can see the carbon...
Travelnet Solutions Co-founder and CEO Ryan Bailey has been working since the early days of the internet to provide technology solutions for the hospitality industry. Their property management software Track has twice been named the software of the future by the VRMB Keystone awards.
In this episode, Matt sits down with Ryan to talk about building enterprise platforms, the...
Theo Kracke is a true vacation rental advocacy avenger. Fed up with unfair regulations in his home town of Santa Barbara, he sued the city and spent a great deal of his time and money to create precedent setting law that benefits owners and managers up and down the California coast. In Phoenix at the recent Streamline conference, Matt sat down with Theo to get his story.
...
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Thought this might be useful for other property managers to get ideas on how to present property results.
Sallie Mitchell, formerly of Casa Mar Azul vacation rental in San Pancho, Mexico knows what it's like to plan for a dream, live with the realities of that dream, and ultimately exit the dream in a positive fashion. Onwards to the next chapter.
In this episode Sallie and Matt explore the idea of finding your guest type and catering to them, action items to build an exit strategy and dip into Sallie's fears of an...
In this episode Sallie and Matt explore the idea of finding your guest type and catering to them, action items to build an exit strategy and dip into Sallie's fears of an...
(OK so I apologize about the title: it's something that early-marketer-Matt would have written. But I couldn't resist the cheesy sensationalization on this technique because it's worth the hype.)
If there was one technique that I wish more owners and managers would try, it's talking head video.
Talking head video is you: in front of webcam: saying something meaningful to your guests. It's like...
If there was one technique that I wish more owners and managers would try, it's talking head video.
Talking head video is you: in front of webcam: saying something meaningful to your guests. It's like...
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Latest reply by
- Matt Landau
@Matt Landau - Well, heck seems like me, Google, and Youtube will be holding our own classes?
Yes, I...
Matt Roberts is the CEO of Vacasa, one of the largest vacation rental companies in the world. Matt was previously the CEO at Open Table -- the app that allows you to reserve tables at your favorite restaurants -- but he’s not entirely new to vacation rentals as he was previously on Vacasa’s board: granted a very different vantage point than being CEO.
But as a disclaimer and...
But as a disclaimer and...
Ashley Kubiszyn is CEO of River Ridge Rentals in Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and Keystone Colorado.
The company has been around for 20 years but Ashley took it over form her mother: conducting a full re-haul on systems and technology, while buttressing the aspects that make them market leaders like specialization, localization, and community involvement.
Most of the...
The company has been around for 20 years but Ashley took it over form her mother: conducting a full re-haul on systems and technology, while buttressing the aspects that make them market leaders like specialization, localization, and community involvement.
Most of the...
Note: I learned this idea from Bryce Leonard of Key Data Dashboard at (where so much conference learning takes place) the hotel bar.
Perhaps Obvious Fact #1: Technology is the single biggest game-changer that propels today's vacation rental pros (compared to their hospitality predecessors) to entirely new heights: so taking advantage of all the new technology is a no-brainer to make more money (and...
Perhaps Obvious Fact #1: Technology is the single biggest game-changer that propels today's vacation rental pros (compared to their hospitality predecessors) to entirely new heights: so taking advantage of all the new technology is a no-brainer to make more money (and...
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Latest reply by - Terry
@AFirmani, the most important piece of tech anyone possesses whether they have one property or a thousand is your PMS. You can't have a tech stack without a PMS. Find the right PMS for you and then build out from there.
A great place for you to start in no particular order is OwnerRez...
“Long before Walmart starting pushing into South Texas, H-E-B began studying the company’s success, and it adapted the productivity loop to its own business. They anticipated Walmart’s arrival and they cut the advantage that Walmart has over every other retail chain. H-E-B is...
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Latest reply by - JPrugh
A few years ago, Lindsborg’s family-owned grocery store stopped Walmart in their tracks and probably saved our town in many ways. Here’s what happened.
One of their brands is the Walmart Neighborhood Market -...
In this episode, Matt sits down with Jessica Sheedy Black -- a neighborhood advocate and regional leader of the Texas Neighborhood Coalition -- for a sobering look at the other side of the vacation rental advocacy debate.
As a warning Jessica is not a short term rental advocate. So you may be wondering what’s she doing on this podcast? Our big mission of Unlocked is to...
As a warning Jessica is not a short term rental advocate. So you may be wondering what’s she doing on this podcast? Our big mission of Unlocked is to...
Only after publishing this week's Unlocked Interview with Eric Broughton of InhabitIQ -- who is buying up various property management software companies -- have I (finally) come to (fully) understand the (irreversible) way our cottage industry is evolving:
- Starts out fragmented = large number of small players
- As popularity grows, a smaller number of larger players begin to consolidate the...
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Latest reply by
- Karla
Two chairs @Matt Landau, what a great find. I have thought about those two chairs. What if you had found only a single chair? Would you have taken only one chair anyhow? A single chair reminds me of the sound of “one hand clapping.” One chair would...
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...