All Forum Posts by: Kyle Jacques

Hey @Kyle Jacques, so we don't use dynamic pricing due to our area. I research this topic on a quarterly basis and I don't see a huge increase in revenue due to dynamic pricing. Now I will say that I do adjust my prices down for the winter to attract folks but I don't get many. Maybe Thanksgiving and Christmas to New Years. It is just my thoughts on it. I get some flack on it from time to time.

if you head out, you will lose those bookings. They are not going to transfer them but I would look at your contract. Some PM's have language that says you have to give 90 days notice etc so make sure.

Regarding the pics, I might have them redone with the new lighting. Less harsh colors will look better in new pics.

Hey @Kyle Jacques, thanks for posting the listing.

It is a good looking place for the most part. First thing I would do is swap out the daylight color bulbs with a warmer tone. Those are 6500k and I would want 3500-4000k. Makes the place look like an exam room

$590 is a lot of dough. I would maybe rethink that a bit.

Now, on to the worst thing. Evolve. They own that listing. They own those photos. Once you leave Evolve, you will have to start over.

Seeing as you have only 1 review, getting out now is good. You aren't giving up a ton of 5 star reviews.

You will need to get a photographer, easy to do, just call a realtor in the area and they will have contacts for that.

You will need to get a new cleaner. The area has a lot of rentals so getting one should be pretty easy as is a handy person to handle quick repairs.

IMHO the toughest part is done. You have it furnished and decorated. Just update that lighting to make it look warmer and you should be good to go.

I would create a separate bank account for the place. Savings and checking. Keep the funds away from your day to day accounts.

Check your insurance. I don't know if Evolve advises on that but make sure you have the correct STR policy. If not, Proper, CBIZ, Foremost and a lot of others offer them.

Get it listed on AirBNB and VRBO. Seeing as it is already running, you can make it live right away.

Personally I would avoid dynamic pricing for a time. Look at all the rentals like yours in the area and undercut them by 10-20% for the next couple of months at least. Get those bookings going. Then implement Pricelabs or whatever you choose, but don't go radical. If you price it at $250 a night on your own, don't let Pricelabs boost it to $500 overnight. Put a limit and stagger it so as not to look crazy.

Full disclosure, I don't do dynamic pricing.

Once it is up and running, it isn't that tough to keep it going. Make sure you stay up on maintenance. Service the furnace, A/C and water heater regularly. Furnace and A/C should be 2x a year. Water tank should be yearly.

You can do it Kyle. We manage our lake house from 7 hours away and have been doing it for 7 years. No issues at all.

Keep asking questions here. Start a new thread on specific topics. Read more of the forum. There is a ton of info here.

Looking forward to seeing you get ahead my man!

Hey @Kyle Jacques, thanks for posting the listing.

It is a good looking place for the most part. First thing I would do is swap out the daylight color bulbs with a warmer tone. Those are 6500k and I would want 3500-4000k. Makes the place look like an exam room

$590 is a lot of dough. I would maybe rethink that a bit.

Now, on to the worst thing. Evolve. They own that listing. They own those photos. Once you leave Evolve, you will have to start over.

Seeing as you have only 1 review, getting out now is good. You aren't giving up a ton of 5 star reviews.

You will need to get a photographer, easy to do, just call a realtor in the area and they will have contacts for that.

You will need to get a new cleaner. The area has a lot of rentals so getting one should be pretty easy as is a handy person to handle quick repairs.

IMHO the toughest part is done. You have it furnished and decorated. Just update that lighting to make it look warmer and you should be good to go.

I would create a separate bank account for the place. Savings and checking. Keep the funds away from your day to day accounts.

Check your insurance. I don't know if Evolve advises on that but make sure you have the correct STR policy. If not, Proper, CBIZ, Foremost and a lot of others offer them.

Get it listed on AirBNB and VRBO. Seeing as it is already running, you can make it live right away.

Personally I would avoid dynamic pricing for a time. Look at all the rentals like yours in the area and undercut them by 10-20% for the next couple of months at least. Get those bookings going. Then implement Pricelabs or whatever you choose, but don't go radical. If you price it at $250 a night on your own, don't let Pricelabs boost it to $500 overnight. Put a limit and stagger it so as not to look crazy.

Full disclosure, I don't do dynamic pricing.

Once it is up and running, it isn't that tough to keep it going. Make sure you stay up on maintenance. Service the furnace, A/C and water heater regularly. Furnace and A/C should be 2x a year. Water tank should be yearly.

You can do it Kyle. We manage our lake house from 7 hours away and have been doing it for 7 years. No issues at all.

Keep asking questions here. Start a new thread on specific topics. Read more of the forum. There is a ton of info here.

Looking forward to seeing you get ahead my man!

Hey @Kyle Jacques it sounds like you’ve got a prime location with strong potential, but you’re missing the structure to fill those gaps in bookings. Just creating an Instagram page won’t do much unless you’ve got a solid strategy in place to market the property. Start by targeting your audience more effectively—hone in on vacationers, outdoor enthusiasts, and families that would love your location.

Also, consider looking into property management services that specialize in short-term rentals, or even investing in some marketing tools to help boost visibility. You’ve got a good base, but turning it into a break-even or profitable investment requires more intentional planning. This is about more than just enjoying the appreciation, it's about treating it like a business.

We consistently beat our local market by:

1 - Being on 20+ platforms.  This is not possible for self managers but get on as many as possible.

2 - Daily pricing updates.  Use dynamic pricing software in conjunction to you checking manually daily/near daily.

3 - Discounting slow period and longer stays.

Hey @Kyle Jacques, lets get a look at the property. Where is it located?

The first year of most STRs are thin. It takes time to build up those 5 star reviews and get the traction.

Like @John Underwood said, be on both VRBO and AirBNB. Go out and look at all the units in your area onn VRBO and AirBNB. Anything similar. Check their pricing, calendar and amenities.

Then you can adjust your prices accordingly.

Regarding where to go for help/info, right here baby! Post more info, pics, the listing etc and you will get a ton of folks helping you out!