That realtor will never know the data at the level that STR Search does, but they are part of the process.

Week of January 26, 2026 in ReviewThe Fed hit pause at its first meeting of the year, President Trump named his pick for the next Federal Reserve chair, and new housing data showed buyer demand continues to prop up home prices.Here’s what matters and why it’s relevant right now.Trump Names Kevin Warsh as Next Fed Chair PickPresident Trump announced plans to nominate Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Federal Reserve, set to replace Jerome Powell when his term expires in May.Warsh previously served on the Fed’s Board of Governors from 2006–2011 and has long been vocal about inflation risks.

If you look at the data, the issues start well before 70 units:1 listing: 4.8 avg review2-20 listings: 4.7 avg review21-100 listings: 4.6 avg review101-1000 listings: 4.5 avg review1000+ listings: 4.4 avg review(https://www.phocuswire.com/power-of-reviews-in-the-short-term-rental-sector)This was the inspiration behind Fairly: to capture the customer satisfaction of small hosts, and pair it with industry-leading yield management, automation, etc.And our results have proven this out: with over 5,000 guest reviews, our average home has a 4.95 rating (and our median home has a 5.0!) 

It’s about moving from descriptive data (what is) to predictive trajectory (what will be).How are you weighting rent affordability against the risk of neighborhood transience?

BiggerPockets, podcasts, and local market data are great places to start.Are there real estate meet ups happening in the area that you can attend?

Sometimes the market data is off by $50-100.

Use airDNA to collect market data.

There’s increasing pressure for additional rate cuts as the federal debt load continues to grow, housing affordability is stretched (with average home prices sitting around 5x annual income), and recent job data suggests the labor market wasn’t as strong as initially reported.

I’m not saying seasoning has no value, but I do think the industry sometimes treats it as a proxy for credit quality when it’s really just one data point.

That is why follow up is where the real leverage is.If you are targeting out of state owners in Austin, here is a structured approach that stays compliant:Pull accurate ownership data firstMake sure you are pulling from:• County appraisal district• Secretary of State if it is an LLC• Registered agent infoIf it is an LLC, the registered agent filing is often more reliable than the mailing address on tax records.Use skip tracing platforms, not random scrapingServices like:• PropStream• Batch• BeenVerified or similar consumer compliant databasesThese can provide phone numbers and sometimes emails.