Comparing STR data sources (AirDNA, Rabbu, Mashvisor, etc...)

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Comparing STR data sources (AirDNA, Rabbu, Mashvisor, etc...)

Ryan Leake
Property Manager · Austin, TX · Member since 2021 · 88 posts · 72 votes

Hey STR folks, trying to make a clear comparison of the different STR data sources and curious to hear your thoughts on which STR data tool you find to be most accurate out of AirDNA, Mashvisor, Rabbu, BNB Calc, PriceLabs, STR Insights. Let me know if I missed any worthy candidates also.

Some pros and cons you've found with any of these specific sites would be highly valued as well. Look forward to hearing your thoughts!

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Adam WindhamPro Member
Lender · San Diego | Phoenix | Miami · Member since 2019 · 39 posts · 65 votes
2y

From purely a lending perspective, the projections from AirDNA and Rabbu are the only commonly accepted sources for underwriting a short term rental purchase or refinance DSCR loan.

[email protected]619-304-9507
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  • Adam WindhamPro Member
    Lender · San Diego | Phoenix | Miami · Member since 2019 · 39 posts · 65 votes
    2y

    From purely a lending perspective, the projections from AirDNA and Rabbu are the only commonly accepted sources for underwriting a short term rental purchase or refinance DSCR loan.

    [email protected]619-304-9507
    5Reply
  • James Carlson
    Real Estate Agent · Colorado | stan.store/JamesCarlson · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    2y

    @Ryan Leake

    I've always stuck pretty closely to AirDNA when running numbers for STR clients here in Colorado. I've tried Rabbu a few times, tinkered with BNB Calc. The latter two are just a little erratic to me, meaning they produce projections further away (above or below) from what I see in my clients' own vacation rentals.

    Not sure I can give you a great breakdown. Interested to hear from others. None of the sites, including AirDNA which I like and use, are to be trusted at face value. It's more a ballpark to quickly gauge different homes and see if any of them are worth going deeper on. If they are, then the enemy method works. Find the closest properties in terms of location, amenities, etc. on Airbnb/VRBO and compare that way. Not brainiac stuff here, but in the end, it's the simple-but-tedious work that gets the best results. 

    2Reply
  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    2y

    That's interesting @Adam Windham as one of our portfolio lenders also uses my projections based on market reviews.

    0Reply
  • Chris Plummer
    Member since 2024 · 10 posts · 4 votes
    2y

    I live in the Rabbu site - I like the customization aspect, with most sites it provides enough information to make accurate assessments, you can also pretty clearly see the difference between a well run STR and a MEH run STR.

    1Reply
  • Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
    Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    2y

    As a PM Co owner and broker specializing in STR Acquisitions I use AirDNA - but only the premium version. Free version is useless. I use AirDNA as a start point and double check via enemy method. Also for those using DSCR most accept AirDNA projections.

    [email protected]813-563-0877
    Vacation Rentals of Florida53 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • Jeremy Werden
    Member since 2023 · 5 posts · 6 votes
    2y

    Hey, disclaimer I am a Co-Founder of BNBCalc. I am also an operator with 25 Airbnb listings (some that I own others that I manage). 

    We get our STR data from Airdna and Airbtics. We leverage as much data as possible including long-term rental data, tax information, and property information so you can have a better idea of the full investment picture rather than just a single revenue number. We even estimate your projected tax savings via the "short-term loophole" and provide branded property management reports and airbnb arbitrage analysis.

    Personally, I recommend looking at as many data sources as possible and once you're confident with that number plugging it into BNBCalc and sharing the reports with your colleagues / business partners to get their feedback on your investment analysis.

    2Reply
  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    2y

    I would never invest in anything based upon something some computer or software spit out.

    [email protected]806-672-7102
    SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
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    0Reply
  • Pete Morgan
    Member since 2024 · 6 posts · 2 votes
    2y
    Quote from @Jeremy Werden:

    Hey, disclaimer I am a Co-Founder of BNBCalc. I am also an operator with 25 Airbnb listings (some that I own others that I manage). 

    We get our STR data from Airdna and Airbtics. We leverage as much data as possible including long-term rental data, tax information, and property information so you can have a better idea of the full investment picture rather than just a single revenue number. We even estimate your projected tax savings via the "short-term loophole" and provide branded property management reports and airbnb arbitrage analysis.

    Personally, I recommend looking at as many data sources as possible and once you're confident with that number plugging it into BNBCalc and sharing the reports with your colleagues / business partners to get their feedback on your investment analysis.

     Jeremy,

    I have been looking at your site lately and do like how it is laid out to be able to see which rentals it is using as comps.  I also like that it will give estimates on LTR as well.

    However, I don't like that there is no flexibility on how or what it grabs as comps. I just checked my lake house because we are considering an off-market house down the street for STR. We just started renting our house as an STR, so it is too soon to tell how well it will do.

    I have seen detailed reports from airdna where you can see how long it has been listed.  This is very valuable for me because the houses around us only rent in the spring and summer.  So, if data is only from the spring and summer then interpolated over the year, it will be way off.

    Also, there are some areas on the other side of the lake which are WAY nicer and can ask higher dollars.  However, when I put in my address, rather than taking the houses listed near me, it is pulling houses in that higher priced area (even though there are tons of houses listed near me).

    So with that said, I am considering an airdna membership.

    Thoughts?  Am I missing something.  DM me if you want to get into the weeds.

    UPDATE:  I also noticed the seasonal revenue is completely wrong.  It say the peak season is March when in reality it is July/Aug.




    1Reply
  • Jeremy Werden
    Member since 2023 · 5 posts · 6 votes
    2y

    Hi Pete,

    Thanks for the feedback.

    We are working to provide more comps at some point in the near future. Don't have a time-table on this yet. Currently we provide 10 comps and make the seasonal projections based off those. However, the specific comps can vary and its hard to make it a perfect apples to apples comparison. 

    We leverage Airdna and Airbtics data and I personally recomend looking at every data source humanly possible and plugging in your best estimates for conservative, ok, good, and best as well as your best possible estimates for expenses in order to really get a firm grasp of the potential profit. 

    BNBCalc is a complimentary service to all the STR and LTR data providers out there. We create brand-able and share-able reports with all the variables and charts to help visualize an investment in order to share the reports with business partners, realtors / clients, banks, potential clients, etc.

    Hope this helps, let me know if there is anything else I can be helpful with.




    2Reply
  • Shannon Vistisen
    New to Real Estate · MI · Member since 2021 · 54 posts · 13 votes
    1y

    @Jeremy Werden Hi Jeremy, I have a question regarding BNB Calc data vs. Airdna data. I'm using both to figure out the potential revenue for our property with comparing the listings that surround it. When I compare the listings on both sites, the Revenue is drastically different.

    Example: The one listing on BNB Calc says the revenue was $157K where on Airdna is says the Revenue was $17.5K. Does BNB Calc show the lifetime of the properties revenue or is it an estimate of what it could make or is it showing the last 12 months of revenue?

    Thanks for the insight!

    0Reply
  • Jeremy Werden
    Member since 2023 · 5 posts · 6 votes
    1y

    Hey Shannon!

    BNBCalc partners with several data providers for short-term rental revenue estimates (Airdna), comparable properties (Airbtics), long-term rentals, tax information, and property information.

    Our comparable properties provider airbtics provides "revenue potential" estimates which it defines and calculates as the following:

    Revenue Potential is the revenue that the listing could have earned if it was active every day for the past 12 months.

    Formula:

    Revenue Potential: = (Revenue / Days available) * 365

    Example:

    ($33,500 / 304)*365 = $40,222

    You can find more info about their data on their FAQ!

    https://airbtics.com/support/faqs/

    Hope this is helpful and let me know if you have any more questions.

    0Reply
  • Sarah Vann
    Real Estate Consultant · Charleston, SC · Member since 2024 · 37 posts · 9 votes
    1y

    In parts of FL they are all very off in some places.. Naples, Saint Augustine, FLL & Palm Beach are probably the worst.  I collect true financials from every seller or agent I work with that is willing to share them & all of the websites tend to dramatically underestimate in these areas.. I have had to share them with underwriters on multiple occasions 

    0Reply
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