All Forum Posts by: Garrett Brown

If you plan to advertise on social media, video is a must. What is even better is vertical format 4K video and drone footage that can be clipped for phone social media formatting. 

Pro photos= yes

Drone photos and video = yes

Vertical video = yes

horizontal video = only if you have a direct booking website and/or YouTube. 

I have three sets of cleaners and they get the offer to accept the job in order of my preference. I tell them that if they accept the cleaning, then they have to go in the day of. I have some light flexibility, especially if they rarely ask for changes, but I always make sure someone goes the day off to mitigate any damage or problems that may have arisen. 

These two have become very popular over the last few years, and you'll get mixed reviews from all sides. I'm a fan of co-hosting pretty strongly over arbitrage, but I am trying to hear stories of success (or failure) on both sides. Who has done both? What are your advantages and disadvantages to each? Let's hear your wins and losses with them and your plans for the future. 

Thank you! 

Hey Marc, congrats on going under contract. There are several STR insurance options nowadays. The most popular are Steadily, Proper, and CBIZ. You can also get a specific STR policy done by some of the bigger ones (State Farm, etc.). by looking into things with an insurance broker that can shop around for you. I think 1 million is enough as well and is what I have on my property.

@Annette Margolis Let's do it! I am on the STR panel at 3:30 Pm Monday. Come check it out and let's chat.

Welcome @Christopher Crooks! There are several great resources located in these very forums. @Andrew Steffens hit it on the head, in my opinion. I wouldn't pay a crazy amount for any mastermind right now and would try to get some boots-on-the-ground training in your area. Go on Airbnb and see which of the top management companies are there. Try to reach out and go to some local meet-ups. The Avery Carl book here in the bookstore is amazing. 

Ship it to your cleaner or handy person like @John Underwood mentioned. You can also get a box location at a UPS or FedEx and have whoever is your helper on the account pick it up as well.  

This is a very smart idea as it is the number one searched filter on Airbnb. I provide a dog, bowls, and dog blankets to put down on a particular couch, and I tell guests to keep dogs off the furniture (not all listen, but it helps).
I also put dog waste baskets, poop scoops, and more outside to help with cleanup.   

Hey @Laura Sawicki welcome to the forums! 

It is too tough to tell from that document, but the cleaning fee seems to be included in GR since I don't see it anywhere else. I would deduct the fee they charge x 60 reservations they have to see what it is of the gross.
AirBNB usually takes 3% for 1 property, as others have mentioned. Airbnb will also deduct taxes automatically sent to the state, but the host has to set it that way. They can also get the taxes paid to them and are supposed to remit those taxes to the state. You also have to consider county or local taxes (my main area has a 7% hotel tax for STRs on top of my 6% state).

BiggerPockets has a STR/Airbnb calculator that may help bring them some clarity on the numbers!

I would recommend doing what @Andrew Steffens said. 

How long is the minimum? MTRs succeed when you reach out to relocation companies, hospital staffing agencies, etc., and build relationships there. I see FF to be very mixed on bookings compared to actively getting them. Airbnb is probably more successful listing as a MTR there as well with FF.