All Forum Posts by: Michael Greenberg

@Tawa W.  Here is your best source for that data Airdna.co (not .com).  They'll charge you $199 for 30-days of access and their data is spot on.  BTW - I'm not affiliated with them whatsoever, just use their data and there is no greater tool for Airbnb.  

Mike

@Michael Wind IMO there is a very strong argument for VR independence but there is a LOT to do and I'm about 1/4 the way through my checklist, e.g. website, SEO, marketing, booking, financial modeling etc....  I would really recommend #VRMB as @John Arendsen kindly shared above.  I am joining this group in the new year as I am such a strong believer in communal sharing for the benefit of all and I like being held accountable by my peers.  

Still a spring chicken @John Arendsen :-)  I'm in my 50's and have similar personal beliefs but "corporate" beliefs are a different animal.  Nevertheless, a good source of info for these news outlets are #Twitter (can be overwhelming though), #VRMB (a private group of vacation rental managers run by Matt Landau (smart cookie), #VRMA, and a LinkedIn Group called Vacation Rental Managers.  I'm open and eager as well so if you have other sources I'm all ears.

Mike

@John Arendsen Interesting the word "faith" and honestly I am somewhat leary of all of them - hence the reason why I take direct bookings and look to expand in that direction.  If you read recent press about Airbnb's direction it causes me concern about "who's guest is it anyway?"  and not just from the vetting process but from the experience as a whole.  I originally thought the same about "hipster" vs. "seasoned" (since I can't think of a better term) revenue would trend more towards the seasoned guest, but I was wrong.  My "hipster" place has drawn more revenue at a slightly higher nightly rate which leads me to "what else besides price as the driving force"? From the reviews I have received - location, location, location, no different than any other real estate investment appears to be the common theme.

@John Arendsen In all honesty I think it varies by location and I'm also seeing a generational preference between the two - not from just the guests but from the hosts (just take a quick look at who else has replied to your inquiry (inclusive of me).  I get a lot of millennials/X-Gens at my rental that is a bit more hip and groovy - closer to the "action", whereas I tend to get a bit older crowd at my place that is quieter and more family oriented.  Financially, there is a negligible financial difference for me between, though a significant difference for direct bookings.  I would be happy to share some of these differences with you if you want to PM me.  As for ease of use, again negligible differences.  I would recommend testing both platforms for your market and see how they each fair.  

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Matt

I would recommend you take a look at airdna.co (not .com) for financial wherewithal.  I don't know about local regulations in Miami but do know that Airbnb is very heavily used in Cancun.

Mike

Hi Matt,

If you're Airbnb focused, I would check-out Airdna.co (not .com). They have some really good data on STR's and Airbnb markets as well.

Mike

Hi Mike,

I just PM'd you and requested to connect.

Mike

Depending upon the channels you are using this project can vary.  If you're using Homeaway, start a spreadsheet and keep tabs on @ 10 or competitive properties and their pricing during those times.  It's a bit of a manual process but it works.  If you're using Airbnb take a look at airdna.co (not .com) and search for your location.  You'll see the top 100 properties in your area that are on Airbnb.  You can then decide if you want to purchase their data, pretty reasonable cost, for a years worth.

Mike

@Ian Cranmer totally agree with your proximity comment.  @John Underwood might find that at least in Scottsdale, Airbnb has significantly more traction for short term rentals, however HomeAway has provided longer term rentals.  I likely attribute the short term traction to Millenials and X-Gen generations.