Lessons from a Short-Term Rental Property Manager: From 34 to 54 Airbnbs in Under a Year
It took me nearly four years to grow to 34 listings in my vacation rental management portfolio. Could we have grown faster? Probably. But I made a conscious choice not to.
Because in this industry, it’s easy to get caught up in rapid growth—chasing volume over value. We’ve seen companies scale too quickly, taking on subpar properties or misaligned owners. The guest experience starts to suffer. Communication breaks down. Owners stop feeling taken care of.
And then what happens?
Owners & listings churn out.
Our average listing churn rate is around 5% over the past 6 years, compared to the industry average of 10-20%.
High churn becomes a vicious cycle of high turnover, declining service, and burnt-out teams.
From day one, our growth has been intentional. I only take on properties I believe in, in markets that I know my team and I can serve well, with owners who are aligned with our values.
We’ve grown from 34 to 54 listings in under a year—and we’re doing it without sacrificing the quality of the guest or owner experience.
What Kind of Properties We Took On—and Why That Matters
This growth wasn’t confined to one market or property type. In the last year alone, we added:
Luxury second homes from owners seeking peace of mind and premium hospitality.
A boutique 7-key resort that needed a an extensive face-lift.
Single-family homes looking to switch from their previous property manager.
A 5-key inn that had been turned down by larger management companies.
From wine country to the desert to lakefront communities, this expansion showed us that high-touch hospitality isn’t about location—it’s about execution.
Why These Owners Reached Out
Each owner had a unique story, but many came to us with the same frustrations:
They were unhappy with their current manager.
Their home was underperforming financially (or not generating any revenue at all)
Or they were overwhelmed from self-managing and ready to step back.
One of our new owners, for example, had a stunning inn that larger hospitality firms didn’t want to touch—so we helped her reimagine it and bring it to life.
In every case, there was one shared hope: this property could be more than it currently was.
“But Can You Really Manage That Many Homes Across Different Markets?”
That was the most common hesitation I heard—and it’s a valid one.
The short answer? Yes—but not without the right systems in place.
Here’s what made the growth possible:
We built a robust guest communication team that covers every timezone, 24/7.
We leveraged smart software for everything from task management and cleaning coordination to smart-lock integration and automated guest messaging.
We implemented a streamlined guest portal and dynamic pricing tools to keep revenue optimized.
We partnered with reliable, local housekeepers and maintenance teams—the kind of people we’d trust with our own homes.
And we even use AI to speed up guest responses without losing the personal touch.
This is how we deliver boutique, personalized hospitality—at scale.
So, Why Does This Matter If You’re an Owner or Investor?
If you’re reading this, you may fall into one of two camps:
You already own a vacation home and you’re wondering if it could (or should) be performing better.
You’re thinking about buying one—but the idea of managing it sounds like a full-time job.
Here’s what I want you to know:
You don’t need 10 properties to make this worthwhile. Even a single, well-managed home can outperform a whole portfolio that’s been neglected.
We’re not a big-box management firm—and we don’t want to be. We’re big enough to have robust systems, but small enough to actually care.
You can trust us to be honest about whether your property is a good fit. If your home doesn't make sense as a short-term rental, I'll tell you.
Want to See What’s Possible with Your Property? Let’s Talk.
We didn’t write this to brag about our growth. We wrote it so you know what’s possible when hospitality, technology, and people all work together.
If you’re sitting on a property that isn’t reaching its potential—or you’re just tired of doing it all yourself—reach out.
No pressure. No sales pitch. Just a real conversation about whether we’re the right fit to help you take your property to the next level.
