All Forum Posts by: Cole Dobbs

You already have all the tools and contacts in place to be successful at self managing. 

I would recommend you self manage and not pay out the 20% to 40% of your gross income. 

 You don’t need a property manager located in the local area of your properties - that’s the beauty of modern technology!!

It’s super easy. I use offshore assistants to manage everything, for pennies on the dollar. Works amazingly well & I rarely have to get involved. All without having to pay a hefty PM fee. My offshore assistants can:

- call someone to clear the road of snow leading up to your cabin

- call someone to remove a 50 year old tree that fell in your driveway last night and the guests can't depart.

- call someone to remove a snake from under the sofa

- call someone to remove the trash when it's piling up

- help guests find your cabin when it is 1am and they are completely lost

And much much more! You definitely don’t need to waste your money on local property management. This is a forum of highly skilled investors and very few people on here use a local property management firm, it’s just a waste of money.

Of course there are a few property managers on this forum, and they will of course tell you that you must have their services. They will tell you that they add tremendous value and that you could never operate without a local property manager. Up to you to decide.

Here’s a couple other links to other forum posts to help you out:

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/530-short-term-and-vaca...

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/530/topics/1039039-gett...

Cole,

Great questions! As someone who has been managing short-term rentals for six years, I can tell you that whether a property manager is worth the 20%-40% fee depends on your goals, experience, and the systems you have in place.

Since you mentioned that you have the time to manage guest relations, a trusted cleaning crew, and reliable maintenance contacts, you already have a strong foundation for self-management. A good property manager should add value beyond just handling guests—they should optimize pricing, boost occupancy, streamline operations, and protect your asset.

Is it worth 20%-40% of revenue?

• At the lower end (20%), it might be worthwhile if they’re truly hands-off and maximizing revenue.

• At the higher end (30-40%), you’d expect a more full-service experience, including dynamic pricing, design recommendations, preventative maintenance, and potentially even guest acquisition beyond Airbnb/VRBO.

• If you have multiple properties or scale quickly, a PM can free up your time, but many investors opt to self-manage and automate instead.

Do property managers increase STR performance?

• A great PM can improve occupancy and revenue with smart pricing, SEO-optimized listings, and experience-driven strategies. However, nationwide firms can be hit-or-miss—some use generic pricing models and lack the local expertise that an engaged owner or boutique management company might bring.

• If you’re using tools like PriceLabs, Hospitable, or OwnerRez, you can handle a lot of these optimizations yourself without giving up a big revenue cut.

Biggest frustrations with property managers?

• Lack of transparency or control over pricing and expenses.

• Hidden fees or nickel-and-diming for basic maintenance.

• Poor communication or slow response times.

• A “one-size-fits-all” approach that doesn’t maximize a property’s unique potential.

Biggest frustrations with self-managing?

• Guest issues at inconvenient times (though with solid automation, this is manageable).

• Finding and keeping high-quality cleaners.

• Staying on top of dynamic pricing and marketing.

If you’re just starting out and have the time, I’d recommend self-managing at least your first couple of properties. You’ll gain valuable experience, keep more revenue, and learn firsthand what aspects of management you might eventually want to outsource.

Would love to hear what market you’re in—some locations benefit more from hands-on local expertise than others!

Hi Cole! I'm born and raised in Houston and now work with a full service long-term rental management managing over 300 doors - all SF or MU (up to 4 unit). I personally know both @Jaclyn Cano and @Wale Lawal and can confidently say both are great and VERY Investor friendly! BRRRR method is also a great way to go - good luck!