Hi all! Just starting out, and looking into a good market for my first short term rental. There seem to be so many resources out there, with such variable price tags, and was wondering if any are more helpful/more accurate than others. I have been using AirROI just because it’s free, but there seem to be some discrepancies between its data and some recent articles about market trends I was reading, and was thinking of purchasing an AirDNA membership or other. Any advice would be helpful! Thanks!
Investor · Pacific Northwest · Member since 2026 · 536 posts · 300 votes
2d
I wouldn’t pay for anything yet.
The discrepancy you’re seeing is actually useful. If two data sources disagree materially on a market, that’s the exact place I’d stop trusting the headline number and start pulling the thread.
Take one neighborhood and 15–20 properties that genuinely compete with what you’d buy — same bedroom count, quality, amenities, location, guest profile. Then compare what each platform thinks those specific properties are doing.
You’ll learn very quickly whether the difference is coming from occupancy assumptions, ADR, seasonality, blocked calendars, cleaning fees, the comp set, or something else.
That matters more than deciding whether AirDNA, AirROI or BNBcalc is “the accurate one.”
For a first STR, I'd use the software to narrow the search and actual comps to make the decision. Then independently verify regulations, insurance, taxes and the expense side. Revenue projections can be wrong and still look incredibly precise.
We’ve been doing a lot of work around property data lately, and one lesson keeps repeating: disagreement betwe