I Just opened my own STR Property Management Company!

I Just opened my own STR Property Management Company!

Kimberlie P.Business Member
Property Manager · Knoxville, TN · Member since 2015 · 7 posts · 6 votes

Hi all, 

In October of 2025 I opened my own STR PM company. I was laid off by a big PM company and prior to being hired by that company I had already made it a goal to open my own some day. So here I am...

Anyway, my company is a very boutique style company. I believe in servicing both owner and guests. I also think every property is unique and needs their own plan. Not one single strategy will work for every property. 

One thing I noticed working for a big company was their lack of oversite on each property. No making sure the home was clean and ready for guest. They relied on subcontract cleaners to be the final eyes on the property. Which they have no skin in the game (Technically). I also believe that I should also invest is my business. So I supply the locks, linen and towels. As well as I just launched my starter supply and Bath product campaign on my current properties and will include it with new ones. 

One other thing that I am constantly seeing is the set it and forget it on 3rd party platforms. No residual marketing and no marketing for each properties uniqueness. I think that's the problem... With my strategy I have already surpassed a big companies net profit for my client since October. But it is constant rate oversite... 

Business has really gotten busy lately. Right now I have two properties live. With 5 more in the works. The goal is to have 15- 20 by year end. 

Right now I subcontract almost everything and I do walk thrus before and after all the cleanings. I will continue this no matter what because I believe it makes a difference in reviews.

At what point should I hire another me? I was thinking of hiring this summer. Or maybe when I meet a certain amount of company revenue. 

Anyway, excited to be here and chat about it all.

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Real Estate Agent · Louisiana · Member since 2017 · 215 posts · 149 votes
1y

Congratulations. Sounds like you've had a great start to your entrepreneurship. Keep providing value add options for your owners & they'll keep knocking.

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15 Replies

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  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    1y

    Yours sounds like a much better model than most. You are local and adding value add!

  • Real Estate Agent · Louisiana · Member since 2017 · 215 posts · 149 votes
    1y

    Congratulations. Sounds like you've had a great start to your entrepreneurship. Keep providing value add options for your owners & they'll keep knocking.

  • Member since 2022 · 529 posts · 413 votes
    1y

    Congratulations.  I would say hire another you when your value proposition begins to slip (e.g. you can't stay true to your boutique goals because of the volume of work) or when the work is too much for you alone.  Assuming the financials make sense to do this of course.  Good luck to you!

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

    Congrats!

    When we were scaling up, our first hire was "field manager".  He scheduled maintenance and did quality control on cleans.  This allowed me to stay in the office to work on the business and virtual side of things.

    Good luck!

  • Property Manager · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2019 · 58 posts · 38 votes
    1y

    This is great! Congrats on taking the leap and your success so far! The sky is the limit! 

    We have an STR/MTR management company in Indianapolis. We manage about 45+ STRs and a handful of MTRs. I started this company in 2022 and it was just me, myself and I. Now, we have a team of about 5ish with another 4 VAs.

    Only you will truly know when the right time is. But I highly recommend reading "Who Not How". It was a complete game-changer for me!

    Would love to connect as I am starting a mastermind for STR PMs and Co-hosts! First meeting is on Feb 5th!
     

  • Residential Real Estate Agent · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2009 · 381 posts · 134 votes
    1y

    Congraduations on your new company. A VA can be trained to fill out contracts and paperwork anytime to free up your time.

  • Collin HaysBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    1y

    Great job and good luck to you!

  • Mike GrudzienPro Member
    Lender · Eugene, OR · Member since 2019 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    Congratulations on this next big step!

  • Investor · Hendersonville, NC · Member since 2016 · 498 posts · 285 votes
    1y
    Quote from @Kimberlie P.:

    Hi all, 

    In October of 2025 I opened my own STR PM company. I was laid off by a big PM company and prior to being hired by that company I had already made it a goal to open my own some day. So here I am...

    Anyway, my company is a very boutique style company. I believe in servicing both owner and guests. I also think every property is unique and needs their own plan. Not one single strategy will work for every property. 

    One thing I noticed working for a big company was their lack of oversite on each property. No making sure the home was clean and ready for guest. They relied on subcontract cleaners to be the final eyes on the property. Which they have no skin in the game (Technically). I also believe that I should also invest is my business. So I supply the locks, linen and towels. As well as I just launched my starter supply and Bath product campaign on my current properties and will include it with new ones. 

    One other thing that I am constantly seeing is the set it and forget it on 3rd party platforms. No residual marketing and no marketing for each properties uniqueness. I think that's the problem... With my strategy I have already surpassed a big companies net profit for my client since October. But it is constant rate oversite... 

    Business has really gotten busy lately. Right now I have two properties live. With 5 more in the works. The goal is to have 15- 20 by year end. 

    Right now I subcontract almost everything and I do walk thrus before and after all the cleanings. I will continue this no matter what because I believe it makes a difference in reviews.

    At what point should I hire another me? I was thinking of hiring this summer. Or maybe when I meet a certain amount of company revenue. 

    Anyway, excited to be here and chat about it all.


    If you're already stretched thin and expecting to hit 15-20 properties by year-end, hiring by summer makes sense, specially if revenue can support it. Maybe start with a part-time ops manager or a reliable lead cleaner to free up your time while keeping quality high. A virtual assistant can also help with a lot of this. Do you have a specific revenue target in mind for hiring, or are you basing it more on workload?

  • Specialist · West Hartford, CT · Member since 2016 · 549 posts · 53 votes
    1y

    Congratulations! 

  • Kimberlie P.Business Member
    OP
    Property Manager · Knoxville, TN · Member since 2015 · 7 posts · 6 votes
    1y
    Thank you for the feedback this is very helpful! 
    Quote from @Dominic Mazzarella:
    Quote from @Kimberlie P.:

    Hi all, 

    In October of 2025 I opened my own STR PM company. I was laid off by a big PM company and prior to being hired by that company I had already made it a goal to open my own some day. So here I am...

    Anyway, my company is a very boutique style company. I believe in servicing both owner and guests. I also think every property is unique and needs their own plan. Not one single strategy will work for every property. 

    One thing I noticed working for a big company was their lack of oversite on each property. No making sure the home was clean and ready for guest. They relied on subcontract cleaners to be the final eyes on the property. Which they have no skin in the game (Technically). I also believe that I should also invest is my business. So I supply the locks, linen and towels. As well as I just launched my starter supply and Bath product campaign on my current properties and will include it with new ones. 

    One other thing that I am constantly seeing is the set it and forget it on 3rd party platforms. No residual marketing and no marketing for each properties uniqueness. I think that's the problem... With my strategy I have already surpassed a big companies net profit for my client since October. But it is constant rate oversite... 

    Business has really gotten busy lately. Right now I have two properties live. With 5 more in the works. The goal is to have 15- 20 by year end. 

    Right now I subcontract almost everything and I do walk thrus before and after all the cleanings. I will continue this no matter what because I believe it makes a difference in reviews.

    At what point should I hire another me? I was thinking of hiring this summer. Or maybe when I meet a certain amount of company revenue. 

    Anyway, excited to be here and chat about it all.


    If you're already stretched thin and expecting to hit 15-20 properties by year-end, hiring by summer makes sense, specially if revenue can support it. Maybe start with a part-time ops manager or a reliable lead cleaner to free up your time while keeping quality high. A virtual assistant can also help with a lot of this. Do you have a specific revenue target in mind for hiring, or are you basing it more on workload?


  • Kimberlie P.Business Member
    OP
    Property Manager · Knoxville, TN · Member since 2015 · 7 posts · 6 votes
    1y
    Quote from @Sameul Ahsan:

    Congrats! I'm out in mass near cape cod. Knightlyproperties.com feel free to connect - we are also a super host on Airbnb 


     Thank you! I definitely will. I have friends up there! 

  • Kimberlie P.Business Member
    OP
    Property Manager · Knoxville, TN · Member since 2015 · 7 posts · 6 votes
    1y
    Quote from @Gabe Chase:

    This is great! Congrats on taking the leap and your success so far! The sky is the limit! 

    We have an STR/MTR management company in Indianapolis. We manage about 45+ STRs and a handful of MTRs. I started this company in 2022 and it was just me, myself and I. Now, we have a team of about 5ish with another 4 VAs.

    Only you will truly know when the right time is. But I highly recommend reading "Who Not How". It was a complete game-changer for me!

    Would love to connect as I am starting a mastermind for STR PMs and Co-hosts! First meeting is on Feb 5th!
     


     Hey thank you! I am definitely interested in the master mind. Send me an invite! 

  • Realtor · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2017 · 87 posts · 48 votes
    1y

    @Gabe Chase would love to hear more about your mastermind group!

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