All Forum Posts by: John Oden

 Pricelabs.co  does all of that and more. We’ve tried all of the revenue management systems at one time or another and so far like Pricelabs the best. 

 Heads up that if you also list on VRBO, price labs Won’t integrate directly,

And one more...STR permits do not convey with the property when sold.

I should have added, no NOO permits in zones R and RS. Some RM (multi-family) still available Cheeck to make sure HOA allows.

Short term rentals in Nashville Davidson county can only be held by a natural person, no LLC or any other entity

 Also, owner occupied only. Non-owner occupied was phased out almost 2 years ago. 

@Eric P.

We let our guests know that we accept direct bookings in several ways: post-stay text and email follow-up, post cards and business cards displayed in all our properties, giving each property a unique name and promoting it on social media and elsewhere so guests can do a quick Google search on our property name and we appear everywhere.

Increasingly, we are seeing even some first-time guests seeing our property name on the big listing sites, then finding us with a Google search and booking directly on their first stay.

AirBnB and VRBO account for the majority of vacation rental booking in the US. TripAdvisor and Booking.com to a lesser extent. In your area, you might consider https://emeraldcoastbyowner.com - a number of hosts that I'm in touch with report good results.

I'm further south (Tampa Bay) and also list on https://www.floridarentalbyowners.com/ and https://www.floridarentals.com - have had some inquiries but no bookings yet.

I'd also recommend getting your own web site set up so you can accept direct bookings, particularly from repeat guests - we've been doing this for a few years now and our repeat bookings continue to grow year over year, and having a direct-booking option has worked well for us.

If you're not interested in setting up your own web site and booking back-end, maybe take a look at https://www.houfy.com/ set up a listing and refer your repeat guests to your Houfy listing.

That's a valid strategy, but as others have mentioned, you'll want to have some experience and the proper credentials before approaching property owners. Short-Term Vacation Rentals have lots of moving parts and are anything but passive. It's a very hands-on business. 

I'd try finding someone who would let you co-host, or assist them with their turnovers to get a feel for what you're in for.

AirBnB is a great platform and continues to deliver great results for many hosts. The bigger question (in my opinion) should be is AirBnB right for you? Not just you specifically, but anyone who is thinking of entering the short-term rental biz. 

A few questions to ponder: Is your property in an area that attracts travelers, is there a demand? What is the regulatory environment where your property is located - is it legal? Do you have a heart for hospitality? Do you have the time and energy to do it? Running a short-term rental biz, even if one property, is very hands-on. 

I think it's a good idea for hosts to look beyond a single listing platform. AirBnB can work, but VRBO, TripAdvisor, Booking.com - they all deliver results as well. Better to not put all your eggs in one basket.

So yes, AirBnB and all the other listing platforms are very relevant in 2019 - they can and do deliver amazing results. It's all up to the individual host to figure out how to use the platforms as tools to accomplish their goals.

@Kyle Seidel  I would say the majority of our guest come from the Midwest. Just had a group of 10 book with us about five minutes ago from Green Bay. 

@Kyle Seidel  Will do for sure, will be great to have you in the Nashville market. Anyway we can help let us know.