After more than a decade of Airbnb hosting, these are the business lessons that actually save hosts time, money, and stress. Sarah and Annette have generated $5 million through Airbnb hosting. But that number did not come from one perfect property or one lucky break. It came from more than a decade of hosting, making […]

The best short-term rental deals are not always sitting on Zillow. They are often hiding inside relationships, communities, and conversations you have not started yet. Most hosts looking for their next short-term rental do the obvious thing. They scroll Zillow. They check public listings. They refresh the same search filters as every other investor in […]

The obvious costs are not usually what hurts your profit. These hidden Airbnb expenses belong in your forecast before they surprise you. Most hosts know to budget for the big things. Mortgage. Furnishings. Cleaning. Supplies. But short-term rentals come with another layer of expenses that often appear after you’re already operating. Some are a few […]

Gale Golden had a great property. Once she started treating it like a real business, the numbers finally started matching the experience. If you already know how to run one strong short-term rental, co-hosting may be the next business model hiding in plain sight. Gale Golden did not set out to become a short-term rental […]

Steve Marquis used data, family-friendly positioning, and smart pricing to outperform the market without chasing a full calendar. Steve Marquis is not a “hope it works out” kind of host. Before he bought his first short-term rental, he was running seven or eight pro formas a day. He had been a teacher, then became a […]

Kim Kelley turned an Annapolis family home into a focused short-term rental business by knowing her guest, tightening her systems, and building demand outside the OTAs. Kim Kelley did not set out to become a short-term rental operator. She and her family bought a home in Annapolis because their daughter, Lizzie, was attending the United […]

If you already know how to run one strong short-term rental, co-hosting may be the next business model hiding in plain sight. Most “how to make $100K on Airbnb” advice says the same thing: Buy more properties. Add more doors. Scale your portfolio. But if Sarah and Annette were starting with one property in 2026, […]

Short-term rentals are not passive income, but one well-run property can create the cash flow, equity, and confidence to build the next one. Short-term rentals are not passive income. They are active work. More work than being a traditional landlord, with more guest communication, more turnover, more expenses, more seasonality, and more ways for something […]

If you only check your bank balance to see how your Airbnb business is doing, you are missing the real story. When an Airbnb payout hits your bank account, it is easy to assume the business is working. Money came in. The booking happened. The month must be on track. But a payout is not […]

Guests are comparing your property against dozens of alternatives. These six listing mistakes may be giving them a reason to keep scrolling. When an Airbnb is not getting booked, most hosts immediately look at the price. They lower the nightly rate, add a discount, and hope the calendar starts filling. But pricing may not be […]

The Airbnb Algorithm Isn’t Broken—Here’s What It’s Actually Measuring Every Airbnb host has wondered it at some point: “Why isn’t Airbnb showing my listing?” The common assumption is that the algorithm is mysterious or working against you. Sarah and Annette argue the opposite. The algorithm isn’t hiding your property—it simply reflects how your listing performs. […]

Many Airbnb hosts provide premium guest services at no charge. Here’s how to confidently turn those requests into additional revenue while maintaining exceptional hospitality. Hospitality doesn’t mean doing everything for free. In this episode, Sarah and Annette challenge a common belief among short-term rental hosts: that charging for additional guest services somehow makes the experience […]

The settings inside your Airbnb account may be quietly reducing visibility, slowing down bookings, and adding unnecessary friction for guests. Most hosts assume declining bookings are caused by the algorithm, increased competition, or market conditions. But sometimes the issue is much closer to home. In this episode, Sarah and Annette share eight Airbnb settings that […]

Small gaps in your guest experience can quietly lower ratings, reduce visibility, and cost you future bookings. Many hosts assume bad reviews come from major problems. More often, they’re caused by small moments of friction that add up throughout a guest’s stay. The tricky part? Most experienced hosts don’t even realize they’re happening. Here are […]

You don’t need a bigger budget to elevate your property. You need a smarter strategy. The truth is, the listings that stand out aren’t the ones that spent the most. They’re the ones that spent intentionally. The biggest shift you need to make is redefining what “expensive” actually means. It’s easy to focus on how […]

What used to work isn’t enough anymore. Here’s how top hosts are adapting and winning. If it feels harder to get bookings right now, you’re not imagining it. What used to work even a year or two ago isn’t enough anymore. The shift isn’t that demand has disappeared. It’s that the hosts getting bookings are […]

Laura Wegner shares how data, design, and strategic pricing transformed her Whistler STR business from “covering costs” into a high-performing hospitality brand. When Laura Wegner lost her gourmet coffee service business during COVID, she had to make a decision quickly. The offices she serviced shut down overnight. Revenue disappeared immediately. No transition period. No slow […]

He didn’t add more properties. He made his first one work harder. Most hosts assume growth means buying more. Josh Peterson was on that path too—until he missed out on a deal he really wanted. He had been watching the property for months, planning the design, ready to go. When it didn’t work out, it […]

She already had a successful business. The real transformation came when she stopped relying on instinct and started building with intention. Amy Ruocco didn’t come into short-term rentals as a beginner. She already had a successful business, a strong background in design and hospitality, and a growing portfolio of properties. From the outside, everything looked […]

It’s not about which fee structure you pick. It’s about whether you understand what it did to your bottom line. Airbnb updated its fee structure again, and if you’re a host, you’ve probably seen the conversation everywhere. Host-only vs. split fees. Which one is better. Which one converts more. Which one makes more money. But […]

Your Airbnb title isn’t there to describe your property, it’s there to win the click. Here’s how to write one that actually converts. If your Airbnb listing isn’t getting bookings, it’s easy to assume the problem is your pricing, your photos, or your amenities. But often, the issue starts much earlier, before a guest ever […]