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423. Bri West & Jordan McDonough

Introduction and Listener Spotlight

Sarah Karakaian: [00:00:00] Hello. Welcome back for another great [00:01:00] episode. My name is Sarah Karakaian.

Annette Grant: I’m Annette Grant and together we are Thanks for visiting.

Sarah Karakaian: Let’s start this episode like we do each and every week that is sharing one of you our incredible listeners who’s heading on over to strshare.com sharing everything you can about your short term rental so that we can share it on our Instagram account on Sundays to our email list here on the podcast, Annette who are we sharing this week?

Annette Grant: This week we are sharing @stayathollyhouse. Again, that’s @stayathollyhouse. This home was designed by today’s guests. And so I really want you to go to their Instagram. I want you to take a look at not only Instagram, but also their actual listing. I want you to see these design elements that are woven in specifically for their guest avatar, the specific audience that they’ve been speaking to, which are bachelorettes. And you are going to see things like a [00:02:00] makeup vanity bar, a selfie station with a ring light, a fully stocked coffee bar. You’re going to see the outdoor amenities with a mural and the furnishings that are focused on the bachelorette and her wedding party being there.

And I want to share with you. There is a master class here in their photos of A, their bed configurations, the way that they have infused. The actual bride and bachelorettes into the listing photos and the way that they’re using these elements in the property. So if you need inspiration, please look at their Instagram, look at their listing photos, the setup of the property and how they are so focused for that specific guest that they want to book their property.

Please give them a follow and go back, like dive into all of their posts, dive in to their Airbnb listing and we cannot wait for them to share their design ethos and data driven design on [00:03:00] today’s episode. But please go check out their Instagram and their listing ahead of time so you can get a feel for them.

Sarah Karakaian: I don’t know about you, everyone, but when I listen to a podcast episode and there’s a guest on, I already trust the hosts, right? That’s why I listen to that podcast. But when they have got guests on, I need to know that these guests know what they’re talking about. And they need to have their credentials.

Is that what I look for?

Annette Grant: Credentials. Yeah. You look for all the credentials.

Sarah Karakaian: And so that’s why I think it’s so important that when we talk about design, it’s such a subjective topic that honestly, we don’t have too many podcast episodes about design because it is subjective until it’s not, I guess this is what I want to get to.

Guest Introduction: Bri and Jordan from Somerled

Sarah Karakaian: And that is why we are excited to have Bri and Jordan, the co founders of Somerled on today’s episode, because not only is their design not really subjective, it is rooted in data. Bri has a background in marketing. Jordan has a background in interior design and they have partnered up to bring you [00:04:00] Somerled, which uses market research and data analysis to design short term rentals that surpass the competition and maximize cashflow.

And when they get a new client, or they’re talking to potential client, they also fit in the client’s needs that investors needs into the whole design. So if that investor is looking for cash flow, okay, then we go with one decision. If that investor is looking for, hey, it’s a buy and hold for a while, as long as it breaks even, or like, Depending on what that investor wants, they’ll also make decisions with that design.

So that’s why we’re so excited to bring Bri and Jordan on to today’s show. They have implemented design strategies for over 500 properties with end results ranging conservatively between 30 and 50 percent increases in revenue. And we’re not just going to be sharing Somerled and their design services that I I think all of us should at least book a consultation call with them because 2025 is no joke when it comes to making money in the short [00:05:00] term rental industry.

These designs are getting next level everyone and so if you’re not spending a majority of your time Prior to opening up the doors of your short term rental, Then I think it’s so that you don’t let the ball drop. You get someone, you get Somerled to help you with those designs that you are making sure that you’re taking it, to the finish line.

And you’re going to finish first, right? Like you’re going to maximize the money that you squeeze out of your short term rental. But we also today have some really cool tips. One tip I think all of us could. Implement ourselves today. There’s a few of them on today’s episode, but there’s one of them that I think we could all just put on our to do list for 2025 and take that next level in our short term rental design, really excited for Bri and Jordan to share with us what’s going on in 2025, what’s important in short term rental designs and what is falling flat.

Jordan, Bri, Somerled Designs. Welcome to the show.

Bri West: Hi, thanks for having us.

Sarah Karakaian: We are so excited to

talk all things. This might be our audience’s most favorite topic is design. Whenever we do anything design [00:06:00] related, the engagement goes way up. But the cool thing about you ladies is you love the design part, but you’re really big on data.

So before we get into all that, could you just share with our listeners a little bit about how you two met, because I think it’s a really great story, and how you two bring like these two different skill sets together and just make this amazing business together?

The Origin Story of Somerled

Jordan McDonough: Yeah, no, I love our origin story and hey, this is our favorite topic to talk about too So happy that it will resonate with your with your listeners.

Bri and I we met Let’s see. It was about six years ago. It was In one of our friend’s apartment. It was a mutual friend. We actually got connected because of our husbands. So our husbands were freshmen in the dorms together when they were little 18 year old kids. And Bri was in that mix as well.

Bri and her husband, they had gotten married. I was currently dating my husband a few years later and that’s how we got connected. Bri was pregnant with her first when I met her. a, Friendship [00:07:00] blossoms from that point. And so that’s how we originally met, became great friends.

Our husbands are still really great friends to this day. That’s where they go on more trips together to go golfing than Bri and I do. That is kind of how we met and, the origin of Somerled, I’ll let Bri speak more to that. That’s just kind of like our origin of,

us connecting from the get go.

Bri West: Yeah, no, it really did start as a friendship, which, you know, in any relationship, it’s great to have that base of friendship. The origin story of Somerled. So I, have been working in marketing for a while and Jordan was working in the design world and my husband, we were both investing in long term rentals and we decided to make that switch into short term rentals.

at that point my marketing mind was like, okay, short term rentals. This is. Promoting a business. It’s not just long term rentals where you have a property. Someone comes in and rents and they furnish it themselves, but this is a marketing and a business. And so I came up with this good plan, the strategy for my properties.

And we started [00:08:00] investing. I looked at the competition. I looked at why people are coming to the area, all this good research, but then I felt a little bit stuck because while I love creativity and design. I’m not an interior designer. And so that’s where Jordan came in. I’m like, Oh, I have this one friend who’s so talented.

And luckily she said yes to helping me design my first few short term rentals and we just loved it. that’s where. Somerled organically started, we just said, you know what? there’s a gap in the space for this data driven short term rental design. Why don’t we join forces and start offering this unique service to others?

And so that for Somerled officially started a little over two years ago. And since then, we’ve designed over 500 short term rentals and we’ve grown a team and yeah, everything just came, felt like organically, but also has been a lot of work and a lot of fun.

Data-Driven Design Explained

Annette Grant: What is, love this, what is data driven design? Define that for our listeners [00:09:00] and for me.

Bri West: When you’re designing a short term rental, it’s really important to take your own emotions out of it. Like any business and marketing, you know, you need to understand your target audience. You need to understand your competitors, understand what’s working and design based on that data.

And so when we run our market research, we are looking at the top competitors in the area. Short term rental and as of itself, we have found it’s a very evolving industry. So we look to competitors in the short term rental space, but then we go a little broader too and look at other hotels in the area and restaurants and, you know, other kind of hospitality industries and what’s working well for them and just running as much analysis, grabbing as much data on amenities and what amenities are worth investing in so that All of that strategy and research is done before the design and the design is just the magic, you know, making it happen, but we’re not our designers are not going in there and saying, Oh, this is what we like.

This is what we [00:10:00] think is cute. It’s designed based on data and a target audience.

Sarah Karakaian: You’ve done like 500 at this point plus. So I have a question for you as it relates to getting our listeners into the mindset right now. Of. Removing their emotions and their own personal design aesthetic. Cause let’s be honest.

And this is where I want you to kind of like share with me your findings of talking to 500 owners. how does one do that? A lot of our listeners probably get started because this is their creative outlet. They, they love the fact that they get.

You know, five star reviews for having a clean space and a really well made bed and a beautiful home. this is their way of flexing their creative muscles. So Bri, how did you do this?

Like when you brought on Jordan and you met data with actual, like what could work in terms of making that guest avatar, that person that you’re trying to come into your space, Resonate with them to get them to book. What are some mindset shifts you had to make? how do you talk your clients into, I know you want this, but here’s what the data is saying.

Bri West: [00:11:00] Yeah, it’s always fun to get that male client and we pitched him on a bachelorette and they’re like, okay, a bachelorette property. They’re like, okay, sure. I see whatever is going to make. Me the most money. No, but I agree, especially, you know, women, we love that creative outlet. And so you’re like, Oh, I just like, this is my baby.

I want to own it. I want to be proud of it. But you still can, I would say the mindset shift is, you know, even us as individuals, we’re not stuck creatively in just one design aesthetic, you know, you probably have your personal home design aesthetic But just imagine yourself as a traveler when you’re going to a cabin town You don’t want to like step into your own house.

You want to step into this like cozy nostalgic like cabin property Or if you’re going on a trip with your girlfriends You want it to be fun and cutesy and like each individual has different aesthetics depending on their circumstances And so I think it actually is really fun and creative to step in the shoes of your target audience, you still can imagine [00:12:00] yourself as that person and design for them.

So I think you still can flex that creative muscle and not totally give away yourself and your stamp on it, but just putting yourself completely in the shoes of your target audience.

Sarah Karakaian: I love that, thinking about the person you’re going to serve and what is going to truly move them when they get into the space.

I have one question for Jordan real quick, is Jordan, before you started Somerled, were you doing residential design?

Jordan McDonough: Yeah, yeah. So I came from a residential design background. I actually started my career in Park City, Utah, which is actually a very vacation heavy vocation. So even though I was in residential, I found myself doing it short term rentals all the time.

It was Kind of one aesthetic over and over and over again. It was, that kind of mountain modern aesthetic like what Bri was saying, you know, when people come to Park City, they want to have that feeling of Park City. They want to put on that persona of that Park City, you know, ski bunny kind of Persona [00:13:00] and personality for the week.

And so, although that was, before I got into short term rentals, it really did kind of help me put in on that hat and that mindset of, okay, who are these travelers? And so that’s kind of where I started my career. And then obviously just kind of evolved, here with Bri into something that is, just investment mindset focused.

Common Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Annette Grant: Let’s dig into what are some mistakes. Let’s help our listeners out. Like what are some of the biggest mistakes that you see short term rental owners when they’re designing their property that you kind of see over and over and over again?

Jordan McDonough: Yeah, well, I think that very first one of, you know, putting.

Themselves into the project or the property is the number one mistake. what we start off with every single client is to look at the numbers, look at the competitors, look at the local inspiration. And I think that really will curb a lot of their personal preference, insertion into the project as a whole, because they’re investors.

They want to see that return on investment. And so that is why we dive into those things, before we even [00:14:00] dive into the overall design. So I would say, inserting themselves into the project, my personal preference over that target audience is that number one, mistake that we see time and time again, and then just not doing your research.

You know, if you aren’t looking at the competitors and what they’re doing, and you’re not looking at. What is really making your competitors, competitive and successful in that target or in that, um, given market, then that is, you know, you’re just leaving so much money on the table because you’re just kind of shooting in the dark.

We want to make sure that you are well informed. And so I would say, those top two things are the biggest mistakes that we see. I would say the third is not having a. Set, design, style, and plan before you just start furnishing. We call this what we call like the home goods special of just, okay, I now have this property.

I want to get it up and running right away. So you run to TJ Maxx and home goods and target, and you just try to get as much. Stuff to fill this property. And that I think is a huge mistake because you want to have a [00:15:00] plan. You want to know exactly how much you’re going to be spending on furnishings and accessories and everything in a spreadsheet before you actually hit purchase on everything.

You know, so have a design in mind, have it be, influenced by your target audience, do your research. And don’t just go to home goods and throw it all together. We love home goods, but just not for, all the pieces that you need. So I would say those are my top three that we just cringe at whenever we see, an investor kind of fall into one of those mistakes.

Sarah Karakaian: I would say don’t give all your secrets away, but honestly, even when you do, I don’t think people are, I still know that they’re going to want to come to you for a consultation, but where are you getting the data from? That’s my first question.

But then my next question is, you mentioned, Park City and how there’s that modern, cabin feel of that modern vibe there. How do you know that you’re not going to look like, everyone else in your marketplace? How do you use what’s working, but still stand out? But first tell us where you get the data from to even know where to go.

Bri West: Yeah, no, for sure. So the [00:16:00] data, we have an entire strategy deck and plan and it’s just plugging and playing. And then the beginning, I would say 75 percent of our strategy deck is the data. And the last 25 percent is the plan based on the data. So we don’t want to jump to conclusions quite yet, but we get our data a lot of times from AirDNA.

And this helps us just And then we’ll look at those competitors in the area, so we’ll search, you know, in your zip code, sometimes a zip code is good enough, and sometimes you have to go a little bit broader, because we need numbers to get good data.

We set certain filters to filter out that bad data. And then we’ll look at the top competitors and air DNA gives us. Some just already, you know, tidbits of like, how many guests are they sleeping? But, it doesn’t give us every amenity detail. Like it won’t say, Oh, this has a karaoke stage. You know, that’s still is like a human effort to go in there and look through the photos and take notes.

we look at bed arrangements. We look at how many guests they’re sleeping. We look at the amenities [00:17:00] that they’re offering and we take notes on the competitor’s designs. And we’re only looking at. The top competitors, because we have seen that to stay competitive in this industry, it’s best to position yourself at the top.

And that’s also the way to optimize the money putting into it. If you’re getting that higher return, and then it will keep you successful for years to come because we’re evolving, this industry is changing quite a bit. We will use chat GPT for some things like seasonality or what are some common reoccurring events in this area.

And then we’ll look at hotels in the area, restaurants in the area, and that’s more of our design inspiration and what aesthetics are offering. Finally, we’ll use AirDNA, we’ll go back to AirDNA, and we’ll look at a comparable market.

If the market that we’re looking at isn’t the most competitive and doesn’t have the most, interesting amenities, we can look at a comparable market so that’s where we’re pulling all that data and strategy, and then the point where we start to jump into the conclusion is we decide on that target audience, and then that target audience pulls in the same audience, but is maybe a more competitive market to say, Okay, you know, I’m in this small cabin town, but let me look to a bigger cabin town market.

[00:18:00] What amenities are they offering that I could introduce to my cabin town, but I know it has the same demographic coming? And then the point where we start to jump into the conclusion is we decide on that target audience.

And then everything else is kind of falling into place from there of how can we serve that target audience.

Annette Grant: Do you have a statistic on a investor that chooses to work with you over either self designing or choosing just an interior designer, not short term rental and such? Investor specific.

Is there an average return more like an increase in the daily rate? What are some of those data numbers that you can give if someone chooses to work with you on the design?

Bri West: No, definitely. It depends heavily on the market that they’re in and the house that they choose.

That’s what we have no control over. And also we have no control over their pricing strategy and their property management. So there’s a whole, puzzle and we’re a big piece of it, but not everything, but they can expect a 30 [00:19:00] to 50 percent increase in their ROI. Just based on all these analysis that we run, when people get on a consultation call with us, we look over an investment analysis and determine the ROI on design for their specific market.

And we’ll do this again by looking at air DNA and running case scenarios of, okay, if you were to, design it yourself, do a little DIY, you know, maybe you’re not a designer or you feel like you won’t have the strategy. Maybe you fall in like that average. range versus with Somerled, we will get people at least the 75th percentile in their market, a lot of times higher, but we say 75th.

So we’ll run those different scenarios of what is your ROI on design. And it is typically 30 to 50 percent increase in your ROI.

Annette Grant: I love that. And that’s where it’s like, I feel like this episode is so important of really We’ve never dug in so much of the data and what that increase really impacts your every single nightly stay.

This is what [00:20:00] we love too about the design is it’s this compound effect. It’s not just that one reservation, it’s each and every reservation. Every single month, year after year, obviously you’re going to need to refresh it, but like, I think a lot of people try to skimp in the beginning. They just want to get open.

And it’s like, no, this really can change the trajectory of your bottom line, from when you start to, you know, for years to come.

Bri West: Really quick to that, like. What design has a big impact on is the booking lead time, because we want to set our clients up for a unique stay in your market and a sought after stay, not like a default stay that last minute people are like, Oh, okay, I’ll book this property.

No, we want your lead time to be months in advance. And that way you can price it a lot higher. If you are like the unique property that everyone’s looking for.

Jordan McDonough: Well, I think also when investors kind of get started, they try to, save money right off the bat, you know, it’s a big cost to purchase a home and furnish it

But when you look at it as an overall investment, that design is an investment that you’re going to see [00:21:00] a higher ROI if you invest in design from the up front. Then, you know, it’s just kind of shifting out that mindset of, okay, this is an investment, not an expense. You need to, furnish your property no matter what.

So might as well do it right from the beginning.

Annette Grant: You mentioned something that I want to dive into a little further because I think it’s something that a lot of people could maybe make a change quickly and easy, something that any listener could do.

The Importance of Bed Configurations

Annette Grant: You mentioned reviewing bed configurations. This is a pro tip that I think some people right now could maybe see an impact and immediately if they made some of these changes.

So let’s define the bed configuration and what do you see and what’s working best or things that our listeners can maybe make a change, for the new year.

Jordan McDonough: I think this is a really great topic because, so many times we see listings that are, performing under their potential because they don’t have.

The correct bed count, or they’re not looking to their competitors, we also see listings that are just cramming in as many beds as they can, which that’s, the opposite effect. I think that’s also, leaving money on [00:22:00] the table as well. That’s where it goes back to our market research, looking at the competitors, looking at your target audience, and then determining, what is their goal here with booking your listing?

And so let’s say it’s a girl group. You don’t want to be jumping onto a top bunk, women don’t want to be, crammed into one or two bedrooms, even though it has enough beds. You need to take into consideration, okay, if it’s a group of women, let’s maybe opt for a double queen room instead of, full over, full bunks.

Whereas if you’re in a market that is very family focused, where it’s going to be maybe multi generational families or two families coming into one property, that’s where bunks are a little bit more appropriate. You’re throwing the teenagers or a bunch of kids. into a bunk room.

And so that’s where it just is very important to look back at your target audience. What are their goals? What are they seeking after? And then looking at the property as a whole. How many bedrooms are there? What is a really appropriate configuration for, getting enough beds where you are competitive for another.

five bedroom home in the area, [00:23:00] but without overcrowding or kind of under delivering. So it really is finding that sweet spot at the very beginning before you start the overall design.

Maximizing Impact with Photography

Sarah Karakaian: What are you seeing as impactful once you have a beautiful space, then you have to capture it with photography to then Have that listing that’s going to hopefully convert a looker into a booker when it comes to that photography, what are you seeing that’s working these days?

Bri West: Yeah, I love this one.

Photography is something that I see a big shift in in the short term rental space where, you know, started with people taking iPhone pictures and then okay, like a real estate photographer, but now it’s getting more into like a specialty photographer that is selling the experience. Experience not just selling the wide angle real estate listing.

So I would say, you know another tip Is go in with a photography plan and be very selective with your photographer to reach the overall feeling that you’re selling in the home. Cause we work with a variety of photographers, even if you look at our social media, different projects look different in [00:24:00] photography and that’s on purpose.

So some brighter and more fun. more vibrant properties will go with that photography style, which is more like traditional real estate. But if we’re going to work with a real estate photographer, we definitely brief them and make sure that they are able to get not just the wide angles, but the closeup shots that sell the home and like the little details and experiences.

But then if you’re going to go into like, A cabin town we sometimes opt for more like a moody photographer We look at the photographer’s portfolio and make sure that they can capture fire really well in a moody fire pit scene or string lights or like a fireplace, you know things like that another thing that we are implementing and we see other competitors doing as well as putting models into the photos, which I think this is extremely impactful.

And just psychologically from that marketing perspective, when you’re scrolling and you see people interacting, especially with the amenities of your property, whoever is the looker can like imagine themselves or their group in the place. it [00:25:00] makes it just feel more like that realistic and it’s more likely to convert into the booker I love that i’m like using that now to look at the booker, but Photography is so impactful.

at Somerled we have, you know, two services, but our one that is more, you know, white glove, we do it for you. We have our project management team on that We also have our marketing team come up with a photography strategy and a shot list. Because you don’t want to invest so much into the design and this beautiful property and then fall flat on the photos.

Please do not do that. And you just need to take it all the way and photos are so important.

Final Thoughts on Design and Marketing

Sarah Karakaian: I’m saying this out of love to everyone listening because Annette and I can certainly raise our hand with this, but this is what happens with short term rental investors. They get excited that they’re going to do it.

And then you’re all hopped up on whether it’s finding the money and then finding the property. And then you get to the closing table and you like almost feel that sense of relief, but really you’re just beginning. And then you start just getting that fatigue of decision making. And it’s that when you’re just getting started, now you have the product, but you have to be able to [00:26:00] market it.

And you have to be able to tell your potential guests, like, this is why you specifically want to stay here. And like you said, widen that booking window so that you can be the decision maker in your market. You can set the pricing, you can set, your own success and really drive your own, success.

Your own ADR, it doesn’t even matter what everyone else is doing because you’re at the cream of the crop, but it happens where you get to like, okay, all that research, all those design decisions, which design aesthetic do you go with? Okay, now I have to actually take photos. Oh, now I have to have a shot list and I have to do all this work to get at that point of actually putting it on the market to be booked.

It’s quite exhausting, but that’s the cool thing is that. Summer could come in and help us at that point to make sure we’re not dropping the ball at the most critical point of actually taking it to the finish line so we can start to make money like Annette said, where it compounds month after month, year after year.

Okay, found the property. Oh, I know what market I’m going to be in. I found the property and I want to, the sooner I get open, the better, but I also don’t want to [00:27:00] be hasty in getting it live.

I want to make sure it’s a good product. If someone is listening right now, like how do you help them with that?

Design Decisions Made Easy

Jordan McDonough: Yeah, well, basically what we say for whatever service that you use with us is that you will never have to make any design decisions. So you can make the decisions on key where you’re investing, you know, the property as a whole, you know, even my property management at the end of the day, but for all design, we will make those decisions for you.

And I think that really will alleviate some of that decision fatigue, like what you said, because it is a lot, you know, we know it is a lot of products, a lot of Things to consider when you are, listing a property for maybe the first time you’re a first time investor or even a seasoned investor, you will know how much work it really is.

Service Offerings: White Glove vs. Virtual Design

Jordan McDonough: And so we have two different service offerings. one that Bri mentioned is more of a white glove done for you service. But I would say our most popular is our virtual design service where, you get on the phone with us when you are under contract on a property, when everything is looking good, you want to move forward.

we will get you on our design calendar. [00:28:00] once we get Started on the actual design.

Turnaround Time and Project Management

Jordan McDonough: It is a two week turnaround time, you will get all of your deliverables in two weeks time and then it’s virtual. So you would be the one project managing, once you get all of those deliverables. you can guarantee from us that it’s always a two week turnaround time.

So then it’s up to you then at that point to start the. Ordering, you know, get everything to the property and we’re only sourcing things that are in stock, ready to ship. So it’s about a five week turnaround. Once you get that deliverable from us, from when it technically could go live.

And so we have designed our whole strategy and our deliverable and our service with that in mind.

Honest Conversations About Property Updates

Annette Grant: What if an investor doesn’t want to, and maybe in this virtual Package, I’m just wondering, do you tell them like, Hey, you really need to update a bathroom or a kitchen, or what if there’s something, but obviously you can do the design, but do you ever have that conversation when you’re doing the market research where it’s [00:29:00] just like, you really need to update, something on the property.

Will you have that honest conversation with them? Is that part of the data that you could give to them? Or is it like. This is as is, and you just design what they’re working with.

Bri West: No, definitely. my husband and I, the way that we invest, and work together in our investment portfolios.

He is finding the properties, doing the underwriting, kind of passes it on to me. I mean, I still approve ’em. I’m like, yeah, looks good, ready to move forward. But then passes it on me and my team for the middle chunk of the design and the property management. Or project management and he does the property management, but he brought me one that I was like, Oh, I don’t know.

It’s kind of a gross house. It was like a triplex essentially like had three units and super outdated the cabinet It was just kind of gross and I was almost embarrassed to give it to my team it was a great investment like the numbers really looked good and that happens a lot and it’s okay People come to us like We’re not going to judge.

We’re like, no, this was a good investment. Like good for you for finding this property at a good deal.

Cosmetic Updates vs. Full Renovations

Bri West: Our strategy going into it is we wanted to create like a [00:30:00] luxury property, but the house was in a certain condition. We also didn’t want to just overspend because renovation can get extremely expensive.

And so our strategy on this property and a lot of what we advise for short term rentals is more of that cosmetic updating. So like painting cabinets, you know, maybe getting new countertops, but going with like a court something that is more budget friendly And doing updates where the people who are renting it for the short term rental are feeling comfortable and going to leave you a five star review but it’s very different than the strategy of a long term rental or if you’re going to buy and get Appreciation on the home and sell it later on because in those cases for a long or long time stay or someone buying it They do care a lot about the materials in the kitchen So It’s all discovery and conversation.

And what is the investor’s goal? If they tell us their goal is cashflow and they’re trying to take a step back from their day to day job, or maybe they want their wife to retire and stay home with the kids, you know, something that’s cashflow related. We’ll want it to [00:31:00] be the design to be to a certain standard, but we won’t do a big renovation.

If they tell us their goal is to refinance later on or sell the house in the near future. It’s a different strategy and we will focus more on the renovation, We’re strategizing the entire design and marketing of the property.

Annette Grant: All right. So during that strategy session, that’s when you could dig in of, is it going to be a true renovation or maybe just some cosmetic and you’ll be able to make those decisions again, based on the data.

I remember Sarah and you did an Instagram live and I just remember there was something really impactful that you were saying, you know, people like you just said in the kitchen. I feel like a lot of people want to go in and do, like, this huge kitchen renovation.

What’s your, when someone’s nervous about their kitchen, what do you offer them about that full renovation versus just cosmetic? What do you see the data showing you there, no matter what market you’re in?

Bri West: Yeah, I know kitchen renovations. If your goal is cashflow, it is just a short term rental investment. The kitchen [00:32:00] isn’t the priority.

Focus on Amenities for Higher ROI

Bri West: It’s kind of opposite of like real estate in general, but you want to focus on amenity spaces, like adding, if you’re in Arizona, really investing into the backyard and adding a putting green or maybe a pickleball court, because the pickleball court can be the same price as a kitchen renovation, but you’ll see a much higher ROI on that activity because it sets you apart from the competition.

People are willing to pay a premium rate because you offer that extra amenity and the kitchen. It’s just a short time stay. A lot of times people are going out to restaurants. They’re not really like living in the kitchen, like you would a long term renter or to someone buying your home. So you want it to look pleasant and not be moldy or, you know, have someone leave like a bad review, but don’t invest into a big gut kitchen renovation.

If that’s not your priority to, you know, increase value on the home and your priority is cashflow.

Annette Grant: You just also touched on something. Is that something that Somerled helps with? And then you have the outdoor and the [00:33:00] amenities like that design. Do you go out on the exterior of the home also? And is that part of the design concepts of amenities from maybe a pool, a hot tub?

Is that stuff that you’ll say, Hey, data’s showing us the design needs these outdoor amenities? Is that part of your process also?

Outdoor Design and Amenities

Jordan McDonough: Oh, definitely. Yes, it is on every single one of our projects. If you have an outdoor space, we will design it. So virtual or our project management, service offering.

in that very first strategy call, we will go over all of the amenities. we’ll say, okay, all of your competitors have a hot tub, a game room, a movie theater room, you know, whatever it is. And then we will suggest additional amenities to add onto your property. So you really stand out.

we have a full amenity strategy from that initial call, and then we will implement it in the overall design and make sure that you’re hitting, all those things to make sure that you are competitive in your market.

Success Story: College Station Transformation

Sarah Karakaian: Can you give us an example of a project that was really awesome and tell us about the client? Tell us about the actual like design aesthetic that you [00:34:00] went with and if you can tell us what happened once Somerled was done with it Is there something that comes to mind like a really cool before and after experience for an investor?

Bri West: Yeah, I’ll share one from the summer. So Matt, the owner of strike for the listeners out there who have heard of strike, go use the platform.

It’s great. Matt was investing in college station. Total college town, college station, Texas for Texas A and M, and he bought a property that was just a student rental before. He used his apps to run the investment analysis, and, could tell from his data, it was going to be a good investment property.

Then he plugged in the design numbers, saying that, If he wants to be at the top of the market, he just understood the design, looking at the competitors, looking at the data, knew that investment was so important because this college town, he wanted to attract.

The football goers, the people who are really enthusiastic about Texas A& M, because those are like a, it’s a niche audience who is wanting to pay for an experience. So anyways, he hired us [00:35:00] and, you know, it was a big investment and he was one of few properties that were really good. And we’re going to crush it in the area that really going all in into this like experiential design.

So while the data was there that he felt confident in the numbers, it still was, a newer kind of market. And he still had to like take, you know, a little bit of that, that risk calculated risk. So anyways, we did it all. And I was there in person for when they saw the reveal which we don’t always get this hgtv moment because it’s not someone’s personal house But it totally felt like it with him and his wife and his kids They came in and she is a texas a& m alum and she brought her friends and they all were just geeking out over The texas a& m flair that we put on this house and it was perfect timing because We had a goal date for this For it being set up and him to go live on Airbnb by the time the first college game happened.

Cause you know, you can’t miss out on those game day weekends. And so he got it live, got it listed. And just the numbers, like the booking sizes that he’s [00:36:00] getting are crazy on these college weekends and not even just for game day. Like he’ll get midweek stuff because you still have people coming to the campus for tours or them coming for other events in the area.

And now I’ve had a conversation with him about six months later, and it’s just totally exceeding his expectations that he is so, comfortable now trusting data and trusting numbers and going all in on what the data is telling you.

Sarah Karakaian: Any other person who doesn’t have a design eye would do obvious Texas A& M things like maybe a pendant on the wall or maybe, you know, all the glassware has their logo on it. But like, what did Somerled do to make it stand out? Like, what was one of the couple of the cool aspects that you guys did, design wise inside the property?

Jordan McDonough: Yeah, I love that call out and we’re more than happy to share the listing with you because the overall design aesthetic is very classy. It doesn’t feel kitschy by any means, but it is still very, you know, A& M focused. one really fun element is as soon as you walk in the door, we have this big custom mural that was painted by a local artist.

And [00:37:00] so it was, the Aggie Stadium, it had all the colors, it really resonates on an emotional level for any Guests who will walk in the door and see that it is a great welcome with the overall kind of furniture selection artwork everything we kept it within kind of the school colors but it’s a nice nod but without being, so in your face that it feels cheap by any means it feels very luxurious.

We wanted to attract, a higher paying guest avatar So we wanted to make sure that the design definitely fits Met those standards. A few other kind of fun things that we added. We had, in a bedroom, you know, we had footballs kind of mounted to the wall, in correlation with like a really great pattern wallpaper.

The logo is kind of used throughout, so lots of fun, really. Elements that definitely allude to. That university and those ideal guests who are gonna be enjoying the property.

Bri West: I love that. I’ll say to add on to that really quick is we ran research not with a very specific target audience, you know, trying to understand it’s a very loyal audience.

we found like these little [00:38:00] small details that we incorporated, like they do like this upside down long horn because they’re huge rivals with the longhorns. And like, I don’t know, they do that symbol. And so we got these long horn, like this art wall mount and we flipped it upside down. And then we did a huge, another great mural in the backyard that was long and went across the entire fence so that a big group could gather and take that Instagram moment. And we had a hot tub and a putting green and outdoor games, a fire pit too.

It was like a small kind of more townhome property, but we fit. A lot. And just, I think those details get people excited and then it leads into your reviews and referring your property out and all that good stuff.

Sarah Karakaian: We can certainly, living in Columbus, Ohio and having the Ohio State Buckeyes and doing that.

And that’s where I can speak to, you didn’t just go onto the, you know, university website and look at the logo and the colors, but to dig into who their rivals are. Cause I know when I moved here, I’ll never forget ladies, I was driving around Columbus, moved from New York. [00:39:00] And I saw a street sign like, you know, it’s like one of those green signs with the white lettering and it has the name of the street.

Well, it was, I don’t know what the name of the street was, it was something with the letter M in it, and it has a red X over it, and I learned, like, that’s what you do here, you X out the M for Michigan, anywhere you can, if you’re near campus, and it took me, until I made a friend here, I was like, why are all your M’s X’d out throughout town, it’s so weird, but I could see that being a really cool element in a sophisticated Buckeye short term rental here in Columbus, those little Hints of design that are just like, it’s kind of like a Taylor Swift concert where she like drops all these hints that only true fans know about and that’s I think what really leads to something being sophisticated, elevated and good design and not just kitschy.

Good for you for that, you just mentioning that just shows how much research you must put into these properties to make sure it’s actually going to, take that next level. Because I’m sure there’s other Texas A& M STRs out there, but they’re just not like that one.

Annette Grant: What do you two think is the most underrated consideration when [00:40:00] it comes to design and furnishings?

Jordan McDonough: Oh, man.

Importance of Performance Fabrics and Durability

Jordan McDonough: I mean, this is just more practical, but something with, upholstery, if you’re sourcing a sofa or dining room chairs or something like that, just make sure that is performance fabric, polyester, something that’s really cleanable. We also say that with rugs, you know, make sure that it is, polyester, polypropylene, something that is really easy to clean.

We definitely take in consideration. That this is going to be a rental property. So we’re not going to be spending on items that are going to break the bank, but we don’t want to spend on items that are going to break after a few uses. So it’s kind of finding that good middle ground of durable products and, things that are easily cleanable and make sure that they’re, good quality for every single guest coming through that door, even with, quick turnaround times.

Annette Grant: For all of your designs, does Somerled have like a tried and true? Do you help with? Linens and towels. Like, is that something that you like incorporate in part of the design or you like, we are white, everything just like hotels. What is, how is that incorporated in your [00:41:00] design process?

Jordan McDonough: Yeah. we do. So we do have a great go to mattress, linens, towels. And so we will source everything that you will see. That’s what you’re going to see in photos, so that’s kind of where we draw the line, we’re not going to be sourcing anything for your kitchen setup or, you know, anything like that, but we will source, table settings, because we want that to be out for photos, so, we know it’s a kind of fine line between, design and property management, so that’s kind of where we draw it, you know, if it’s going to be in photos, that’s what you’re going to see in our spreadsheet that We give to you.

So we definitely lean into the hospitality kind of feel we do white everything, there’s nothing better than walking into, a luxury hotel or luxury Airbnb and falling into, this nice plush, white duvet, white pillows, everything like that.

It feels very lux and you know that it’s going to feel really clean as well. what we do to bring interest to bedrooms is fun throw pillows, fun throw blankets, items like that, that still bring, interest and liveliness to the space, even though everything is white on the bed.

Sarah Karakaian: I was really nervous because I’m definitely an all white bedding lady and that [00:42:00] knows and I was like, Oh my gosh, like put me on blast right now being like, no, we love colored pillowcase.

Annette Grant: No, I love that you said that everything that’s in photos, because I think that’s also where trying to figure out that sourcing of like, what is design versus, other, consumables and things like that, that you would not help with and they’d have to do that, that keeps you focused

Sarah Karakaian: And I love that you mentioned the property management part because as a property manager, I am very particular on the things that it’s going to take to turn over the property quickly and to make sure that the guests have everything they need to, to have that stay that we’ve advertised and promised.

So letting the property manager pick those things, I think is also a way to have a winning property.

Somerled’s Comprehensive Service Packages

Sarah Karakaian: Let’s dig into what you guys offer. You mentioned the two packages, but can we dig into a little bit? And what if someone is just Somerled curious? Can they just talk to you and find out a little bit more and if, are they really a good fit for you?

Yeah. So let’s start from the beginning. When you go onto our website and it’s linked in our Instagram bio too, you’ll fall on our contact us page and we have a [00:43:00] form that really does put you on the right call with the right person. So if you just want information, like you’re going to be investing in the new year, or in the future, you can hop on an intro call with us.

Bri West: And that’s like 10 or 15 minutes just to give you the rundown, get you familiar with it. And we’ll set maybe some follow up calls if you know you’re about to go under contract on a property. And yes, that’s like the first step. And then once you’re under contract, then you get on a full consultation call with us.

And that’s free. So you book that through our website, or if you already have been in contact with us, because you got on an intro call, we just book that with you later down the road. And on that full consultation call, we need a property because we do an underwriting. Like I mentioned earlier, we do an underwriting on what is the ROI, On design in your specific market.

And so we’ll walk you through that underwriting and we’ll give high level stuff, very high level with the strategy. We don’t get deep into it because we’re not just going to throw ideas around on the consultation call without running all that [00:44:00] research and data analysis.

We talked about that earlier too, is there’s. different investors at different stages and we accommodate all of them and we try to understand all of them and what’s going to be best. You know, if you’re a first time investor and maybe you want to get your hands a little dirty, the virtual design service may be good for you because you can then go through the experience of setting it up, but you don’t have to make those decisions on design, which, takes a lot off your plate, but you’re just ordering and maybe you’re managing some furniture builders or building the furniture yourself.

And then the investors who are wrapped into what they’re doing in their personal life with work and family, and they can’t go out or are like serial investors who are trying to grow their portfolio at a certain rate, it may make sense for them to have us take on the project management.

And so those are the two main services, the project management, it’s everything that you get with the virtual. So it’s all the research and the strategy. And then we designed for two weeks, like Jordan said, we hand off to you. There is some revision portion too, but we try to be so on the same page we have lots of [00:45:00] conversations up front so that we’re on the same page with the design direction and the budget and we don’t like to deliver something that you’re not expecting,

with the project management service We are ordering everything for you. We’re finding the contractors. We’re working with them. Some of those contractors are going to get their work done before we send our team out like painters or wallpaper installers or landscapers, where it is convenient for them to be there without any furniture set up in the house.

We send it to the project manager and a designer to be there with the furniture installation, because it’s much easier to manage all that chaos in person, and that is. really a magical two days where everything comes together and the furniture is all built and the artwork is hung and the TVs are mounted.

And then our designer is there for the, we have an entire day. Set aside for styling, which is really important and a big benefit of that project management service is that you get us there to style it. That is, getting things set up for photos, making it feel like it’s alive and not just like a [00:46:00] stark living room with nothing on the coffee table.

Our designer will also have the shot list pre, you know, set by our marketing team to direct the photographer, the marketing team will have. Calls with the photographer beforehand and they’re choosing the photographer. The designer’s just the one there in person to answer questions, kind of bridge that gap.

And yeah, that’s that service. But one third service that we don’t market a lot, and maybe we will a little bit more in the new year is our branding service. This came up cause we are a design and marketing company for short term rentals. And there are a lot of properties that deserve a great brand if they’re going to be on Instagram or direct booking.

we have Great graphic designers and we have a marketing team that is designated for our client marketing Not like marketing of our business Somerled and that branding service it’s really fun I’m doing it on all my properties now, and i’m seeing some success with it because people just have a little bit more Trust when they look and they see that there’s a great brand attached to your house.

So we’ve [00:47:00] added that service recently because we’re leaning into the marketing and design of short term rentals

Sarah Karakaian: So you could really take someone from A to Z in terms, I mean you mentioned you’re the one, you’ll find the contractors in the area, you’ll interview them, you’ll make sure it fits in with the budget, you’ll find the photographer, you’ll make sure that fits in their budget, and then you bring the project manager out here to make sure what they said they were going to do, they’re going to do, You guys help with all that.

Bri West: Yeah.

Sarah Karakaian: Wow.

Bri West: The last thing before guests arrive is just that property management gap, you know, adding in the toilet paper and the incidentals and things that you’re providing from a property management perspective, but that’s all, and then your property’s ready to list.

Annette Grant: Love that. It sounded like, um, as we wrap up the episode.

Trends and Unique Amenities for 2025

Annette Grant: A trend in 2025 is going to be brand, you know, continuing to brand your brand properties. What are some other trends that you’re seeing that our listeners can start to focus on for the new year?

Jordan McDonough: I think a big trend, just what we mentioned, you know, having that lifestyle photos integrated into your listing is something that we [00:48:00] are seeing more and more of.

We definitely think that is going to be a huge indicator of just separating yourself from your competitors is having, you know, a few sprinkled in lifestyle photos. So you do really resonate with, with those lookers. So they will be converted to bookers and make sure that they feel kind of like that emotional connection.

When they’re looking at your listing. Um, that’s one just right off the top of my head.

Annette Grant: I love that

Bri West: I think really unique amenities that make it stand out like people are like, Like a really good Experiential stay would be one that people are posting to their social media or making tiktoks about or sending to their friends that I was like I can only get this amenity at this property another one of my projects that’s going to be complete early 2025 is a property in Ohio and it has a pond in the backyard, which a lot of homes I’ve realized in Ohio do have private ponds, kind of cool, but we’re putting on, you know, a putting green and that may attract, you know those people who are like I really want to have that private island chipping experience [00:49:00] or we’ve done like karaoke rooms with Like stripper pole for like really niche bachelorette properties.

Annette Grant: No, that’s so funny. So unique, one of a kind experiences in or around the home and then the, lifestyle photos. And what I love about the lifestyle photos, that is something that every single one of our listeners.

could put on their goal list of getting a new photo. Listen, you are never going to not need new photos. So I think everyone putting that on and like really having a fresh look of, like you said, people in the space. I think that’s something that everybody could, work on and they don’t even have to like redesign the property, but just have a new way to show people using the already, like great design if they have that.

Sarah Karakaian: So we can send our listeners to SomerledDesigns.Com, right? S O M E R. L E D D E S I G N S dot com.

We’ll put the link in the show notes too. And if you go forward slash services, that’s where you can check out the two different services. And then when you’re on that page, there is a button at the [00:50:00] top right that says free consultation too, if you want to just kind of.

See see how that would work for you And I think if you’re listening right now and buying a short term rental in 2025 first of all I think it’s very cool ladies that you came that you formed your business two years ago because that’s about the time When ho hum boring short term rentals went out the window and like you’re not gonna be able to do this anymore Like you’re just not and having your property being branded and marketed and having that be a part of your onboarding experience and have it being a part of your, analysis when you’re getting a property and you’re underwriting it, having that number to plug in so that you know that it actually is a good deal.

Cause if you don’t include the thought process going behind and actually putting the things that need to go in there to get that ADR, then nothing is going to save it at that point. You’re going to have to come back and shut it down and refresh it. Speaking of that, will you refresh someone’s property that’s already up and running?

You do that?

Jordan McDonough: Yeah, definitely. Yeah. People come to us all the time. Let’s say it’s a property that’s been listed for maybe five plus years. It might be due for a little bit of a re [00:51:00] redesign and refresh. Yeah. So yes, we definitely have clients like that.

Annette Grant: And that needs to be like a full redesign though.

Not like a refresh of one room or something. It’s like, hey, you gotta be ready to make an investment to refresh the whole property. And we know people that are doing this because their properties are outdated and yes, like you said, maybe they bought it less than five years ago, but the market, especially their market that they’re in has changed and they invested in that redesign and they are seeing it on their daily rate.

People they were slowing down, they weren’t getting booked. Now they’re getting booked again. They’re getting booked for more. So if this is something that you want to increase your revenue, design might be the first place for you to look listeners. Awesome. Exactly. Well, thank you so much for your time.

We’re going to make sure to put link everything in the show notes, follow Somerled on social media too. We’re going to put their link in the show notes also, but get inspired by what they’re doing and think design matters, but design matters when you link it up with the data. So let’s make it happen.

We appreciate you ladies.

Listing Audit Boot Camp Announcement

Sarah Karakaian: Actually, before we head off to this is a really good segway to [00:52:00] remind all of you listening that Annette and I have dedicated this month of January to helping all of you level up. all aspects of your online short term rental listings with our listing boot camp that’s happening here in January. It’s a

Annette Grant: listing audit boot camp.

You heard us say through this episode, get those lookers to be bookers. And that is what we are going to do during this boot camp. This is for everyone. This is for new hosts. This is for people that have been hosting forever. It is time for you to do a deep dive, learn how to do the listing audit. This is a skill that you will use over and over again the entire time that you are hosting.

Sarah Karakaian: We’ve got a workbook, we’ve got live trainings and not just one, we’ve got three plus a private group where after these live trainings are taking place, we can all get in there, Annette, myself included, our team to help you make tweaks. If you’ve been hosting for a long time. It’s very likely that you’ve let your listing kind of, maybe you made a few tweaks over, over the time, but why [00:53:00] not take January to go into all of your listings and audit them and make sure that they are really resonating.

And we’re going to go over photos. We’re going to go over listing description. We’re going to teach you how to read analytics and how to track analytics. So you can actually see if what you’re doing is moving the needle. And it is for a steal of a deal. Save your seat. It is 49 to hang out with us for almost two weeks and go all in on your listing audit.

thanksforvisiting.com/bootcamp. Save your seat. We’re going to get to see your face. If you’ve listened to us for years, you never hung out with us, whether in life or on any of our workshops. Now is the time. Let’s go. thanksforvisiting.com/bootcamp. But with that, I am Sarah Karakaian.

Annette Grant: I’m Annette Grant. And together we are, thanks for visiting. Talk to you next time. [00:54:00]