All Forum Posts by: Erin Lenhardt

Hi there, yes, I can open your link now. Thanks!

Please take what I am going to say with a big grain of salt - it's not personal, and I can tell that you DID set your home up with care. 

I would not book this home -- and as a property manager, I wouldn't represent it, either. Your furnishings look sufficient but not imaginative. The most unique and interesting thing about the space is the game room, but it doesn't really look like a place I want to spend time in (no accent walls, no art ... it doesn't really look like FUN!). The game room looks like an afterthought. 

MTR and STR are two completly different strategies. If you want to attract guests for longer stays, you'll need to set your price up to match, and write a listing description that speaks to long stays and all the ways you've set your home up for that.

If you're wanting to do STR, then you'll need to position your listing for that market instead. Today's STR guests want EXPERIENCES, not accomodations. You've got an accomodation, but not an experience. 

In terms of some smaller suggestions, take a critical look at your top 5 photos. They should represent the experience. While the blue in the picture of the toaster oven is visually appealing, I definitely don't want to book your home just because you have a toaster oven. WHY should I book your home? Make sure the photos tell me the story of why.

I also want to suggest that you spend some time studying your competition. What are the other 4BR / 2BA homes in the area? What do their photos look like? How does their listing description read? What is their nightly rate, cleaning fee, etc? You need to figure out why guests are chosing other homes and not yours.

Speaking of 4BR and 8 guests, your cover photo looks like a place that's suitable for 2. So if I'm traveling with 8 guests, I definitely wouldn't choose this home based on the cover photo. What cover photo can you use the show the ENTIRE EXPERIENCE for up to 8 people?

Does your living room seat 8? The first photos of any dining spaces show 2. Then I see you have another dining space for 4. Your listing reads "sleeps 2" because your photos and the common spaces show space setup for 2 people. How can you get your photos to show the entire experience, and a space that's suitable for 6-8?

I hope this helps. 

Hi Italy, we can't open your Airbnb link because you accidently shared the editor rather than the preview :) 

Winning at Airbnb is more complex than its ever been. If you want to share your view link, I'm happy to give you a quick take on what you might be lacking. It's also a game that requires patience - you'll need to build your reviews, and make sure that you're taking guest feedback into consideration in order to optimize your listing for the right travel avatar and what they care about.

That said, Airbnb DOES give new listings a big boost in the first 90 days, and if your photos / amenities / pricing are RIGHT, you should see a big pickup. 

All the best,
Erin 

We were able to register our OpenPhone number through the signup process so that our calls go through and are not being blocked. It's working well for us for right now, but I don't know what kind of call or text volume you are doing. 

Furnished MTR is another route you can go. This space is also getting competitive, but you could try listing for monthly stays only on Airbnb, VRBO, etc. There are other sites and also insurance housing companies that focus on longer furnished stays (for instance, furnished finder), but having done both MTR and STR I much prefer STR. Other operators prefer MTR. Good luck!

Congrats! I'm a long-time STR host of 11 years. I echo the recommendations of others to find yourself a local property manager with expertise in STR.

Looks like fun, Brian! Wish I could be there. I've stayed at that Aloft. 

I manage short term rentals as a co-host. I'm about 5 months out from qualifying for my Broker's license in Florida to be able to provide full-on property management services for STRs (currently licensed in another state without reciprocity). 

In the meantime, I'm looking to partner with a licensed Florida broker for a monthly flat fee in order to begin laying the ground work. 

Would love to start some conversations with qualified individuals -- or for those of you with experience and knowledge in this space, hear your advice! Thanks in advance.

Join our LIVE VIRTUAL SUMMIT all about Short Term Rentals, and we'll show you how you can...

About this event

★ Start an AirBnb, Short Term & Mid Term Rental Business

★ Scale your Short Term Rental Business to multiple locations and properties

★ Attract Relocation Clients with a Mid-Term Rental Program for guests needing 30-60-90 day stays

★ Learn to earn extra money and create Passive Income by building your OWN brand

★ Maximize your profits by including "Add On" Services for your guest

★ And So Much More

We hosted a LIVE in Person event in Charlotte in June and the response was tremendous! We had many people asking if we could do an online Summit so they could attend from afar, so here we are.... We are excited to host this Virtual Summit and looking forward to a Full 3+ hour day of teaching the nuts and bolts of running an STR business.

You will leave the Virtual Summit with a step-by-step blueprint of exactly what you need to do and implement to run a profitable Lead Generating and Money Making STR (short term rental)

We are also Hosting an "After Hours" Zoom Happy Hour Networking event for our VIP Guests where we will answer all questions and break into groups to:

★Network with your hosts, vendors and other STR like minded entrepreneurs.

★Private breakout rooms with Q & A.

★Deep-dive and mastermind to hear new ideas, connect different strategies and avoid risk from hearing previous mistakes.

★Bonus Checklists and Worksheets

Workbook Includes:

Niche road map worksheet

Where to start worksheet

Property must-have list

Cost analysis sheet

Hey BiggerPockets community!

I'm hosting, along with 4 other real estate women entrepreneurs, an STR mastermind event in Charlotte on June 29th. We'll cover starting and growing your portfolio of short term rentals through co-hosting, arbitrage, and/or acquisition and share best practices for finding your niche and scaling your operations. Want to join us?

https://strtowealth.com

We have a few VIP tickets left.

Erin

Cool! Looks like a fun event.