Thanks For Visiting

Latest Episodes:

272. Hosting Hotline: How Airbnb Reviews Impact Your Listing Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between.

Ashley asks:

How can we be sure that a single bad review doesn’t highly impact our bookings?

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah and Annette, visit Speakpipe.com/ThanksforvisitingAMA

Resources:

• IntelliHost: Use code TFV20 - Intellihost measures your search performance on Airbnb against your competition and provides data driven recommendations to book more revenue.

• Rankbreeze: Optimize your Airbnb rankings and search visibility. Start improving your Airbnb rankings immediately with the SEO tool. Gain rankings, improve your revenue, and defend your listing against competitors.

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Make More Money This Year | Join our LIVE Workshop!

271. Taking Calculated Risks in the STR Industry with Our Chief Operations Officer Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

In this special episode, we wanted to give you an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes at Thanks for Visiting. We've received countless inquiries from our listeners, coaches, and members who are curious about not only our property management operations but also how we run Thanks for Visiting itself. That's why we're thrilled to introduce our newest team member, Colleen Prochaska, who recently joined us as our Chief Operations Officer. Colleen brings an impressive background in hospitality, with over 10 years of experience as a hotel General Manager for top brands like Marriott and Hilton. We were blown away by her accomplishments, including earning guest satisfaction accolades and delivering financial successes in her previous roles. We couldn't help but think how incredible it would be to have Colleen on our team, and thanks to the support of all of you, we were able to make it happen.

As our Officer of Operations, Colleen is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of Thanks for Visiting, overseeing our content creation efforts and property management operations. She walks through how she has approached setting our rates based on our occupancy rate, and how her calculated risks pay off for our business. She shares her tips and tricks through lots of reps in revenue management for pricing and occupancy strategies. She’s always ten steps ahead to the left and right, and Colleen's expertise, creativity, and passion for enhancing guests' experiences will undoubtedly contribute to the continued success of our podcast and our business as a whole. We’re so grateful to have her on our team, so let's dive in and find out what it's like behind the scenes with Colleen at Thanks for Visiting!

Resources:

• #STRShareSunday: @thevermontaframe

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Make More Money This Year | Join our LIVE Workshop!

Breezeway | Go to breezeway.io/tfv to claim your free implementation when you start a Breezeway account.

Minoan | Minoan helps short-term rentals and boutique hotels enhance their appeal with their customizable, curated retail platform.

Minoan | Visit MinoanExperience.com and tell them TFV sent you!

270. Hosting Hotline: Don’t Skimp On Your Space! Tips for Large Airbnb Groups Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between.

Suzanne asks:

I’m building a luxury short-term rental that sleeps 16 people. What tips do you have to make sure the entire space – not just the bedrooms – are ready for big groups of guests?

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah and Annette, visit Speakpipe.com/ThanksforvisitingAMA

Resources:

• Use code TFV20 at IntelliHost.co

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Make More Money This Year | Join our LIVE Workshop!

269. Behind the Scenes: We’re Buying 175 Acres of Land Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

We have heard from you all that you would like a little bit more behind the scenes of what Annette and I get ourselves into, so we’re sharing about our current journey buying 175 acres of land out in Ohio. In this episode, we're going to go over the who, what, when, where, and why of this exciting new project. We share who we are collaborating with for this project and why we believe it’s a good partnership. We talk about our plan for the structures on the land, and how long it has taken us to find the right property. We also get into why we’ve chosen central Ohio as where we are investing in real estate, and the long list of “whys” we’re so excited about this next challenge.

Resources:

• BiggerPockets Podcast: biggerpockets.com

• #STRShareSunday: @motojave1953

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Minoan | Minoan helps short-term rentals and boutique hotels enhance their appeal with their customizable, curated retail platform.

Minoan | Visit MinoanExperience.com and tell them TFV sent you!

Make More Money This Year | Join our LIVE Workshop!

Breezeway | Go to breezeway.io/tfv to claim your free implementation when you start a Breezeway account.

268. Hosting Hotline: Should You Allow Bounce Houses At Your Airbnb? Jul 04, 2023

Show notes

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between.

Ingrid from Columbus asks:

What is your advice on guests wanting to bring rentals to our property, such as bounce houses and pop-up tents & chairs? What safety issues should we be concerned with?

Extra thanks to Justin Ford from Breezeway for his expertise on this question.

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah and Annette, visit Speakpipe.com/ThanksforvisitingAMA

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Make More Money This Year | Join our LIVE Workshop!

267. The Key to Direct Booking Success with Kerri Gibson Jun 29, 2023

Show notes

Today you’ll hear from a woman who left behind her corporate career for hosting. While it's hard to do, we've heard that story before. But here's a story you haven't heard; she made it her priority to get 70% direct booking, and in this episode, shares how she did it.

Kerri Gibson is a CPA who spent the first 22 years of her career in international technology and development for tax and accounting firms. She has worked as an advisor to the Obama administration on tax legislation and was twice named one of the most influential CPAs under the age of 40 in the USA. After experiencing burnout, Kerri reevaluated her career and priorities. In 2017, she pivoted to the hospitality and real estate investment sector, including short-term rentals, and discovered her passion for entrepreneurship, hospitality, and design.

Chalets Hygge, founded in 2017 by Kerri and her partner Philippe, has become a recognizable short-term rental brand in Quebec, Canada. They have built a brand that contributes to the local economy and culture by focusing on guest experience, passion for supporting sustainable and local businesses, and involvement in local government and tourism associations.

Their success is evident in the numerous publications and television spots featuring their properties. By focusing on building a direct booking business, they have achieved an impressive 70% direct booking rate, allowing them to maintain control over the customer experience and build a loyal customer base. Kerri’s journey is definitely one to learn from and aspire to, and we know you’re going to learn so much from this conversation.

Resources:

• Website: chaletshygge.com

• Instagram: @kerri_reinvented

• Read: Start with Why by Simon Sinek

• LinkedIn: Kerri Gibson

• Read: The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

• Lodgify: lodgify.com

• #STRShareSunday: @littlewolflodge

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Make More Money This Year | Join our LIVE Workshop!

Minoan | Minoan helps short-term rentals and boutique hotels enhance their appeal with their customizable, curated retail platform.

Minoan | Visit MinoanExperience.com and tell them TFV sent you!

Breezeway | Go to breezeway.io/tfv to claim your free implementation when you start a Breezeway account.

266. Hosting Hotline: Pawsome Hosts, Tips to Make Your Airbnb Pet-Friendly Jun 27, 2023

Show notes

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between.

This week’s question:

What advice and information do you have for hosting pets; specifically dogs?

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah and Annette, visit Speakpipe.com/ThanksforvisitingAMA

Resources:

• Pet Hair Dryer Sheets

• Pet Microfiber Towel

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Make More Money This Year | Join our LIVE Workshop!

265. Unlocking Airbnb Success: Maximize Revenue and Bookings with Intellihost Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

Who doesn’t want to book more guests? Jeff Brown is a self proclaimed data geek. He co-founded Loma Homes, a vacation rental company that focuses on unique experiences and themes. Jeff saw the need for better data to optimize his properties and therefore created IntelliHost as an internal tool to help him grow his STR business. IntelliHost is the first platform to show you the entire Airbnb search funnel and how you’re performing in each step. Their mission is to empower hosts to make data driven decisions that optimize their listings and earn more Airbnb revenue.

This episode is juicy. You’ll learn how you can improve your Airbnb booking funnel by paying attention to four things that could be keeping people from booking your property. In this episode, Jeff breaks down the Airbnb search funnel and how to show up in results, how to optimize your property for Airbnb’s filter, Airbnb’s algorithm for determining relevance, tips for launching a brand new listing, optimizing your cover image and what’s scaring people away in your listing description. We’re excited for you to leverage data from IntelliHost to increase your bookings and revenue for your short term rental!

Resources:

• Website: intellihost.co/TFV - use code TFV20 for 20% off

• Instagram: @intellihost.co

• YouTube: Intellihost

• Loma Homes: loma-homes.com

• #STRShareSunday: @cedarmountainview

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Minoan | Minoan helps short-term rentals and boutique hotels enhance their appeal with their customizable, curated retail platform.

Minoan | Visit MinoanExperience.com and tell them TFV sent you!

Make More Money This Year | Join our LIVE Workshop!

Breezeway | Go to breezeway.io/tfv to claim your free implementation when you start a Breezeway account.

264. Hosting Hotline: Finding the Best Market For Your Airbnb Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between.

Zach asks:

What tools do you use when researching potential short-term rentals to help influence a purchasing decision on a new property?

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah & Annette, visit Speakpipe.com/ThanksforvisitingAMA

Resources:

• STR Insights

• PriceLabs

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Make More Money This Year | Join our LIVE Workshop!

263. From Teardown to HGTV: Inside Andi Diamond’s 100-Day Beachfront Hotel Renovation Jun 15, 2023

Show notes

Andi Diamond Bennett is an on-the-go mom of two, wife, portrait photographer, co-owner of 10 STRs, and co-owner of Sunburst Inn which was just renovated and featured on HGTV's 100 Day Dream Home: Beachfront Hotel. She lives in Tampa, FL and her properties are all in Indian Shores and Indian Rocks Beach, FL.

Today, Andi sits down with us to spill the beans about her whirlwind television journey, from her hotel being bought for teardown, to making over a million dollars in revenue this year. She’s living so many short-term rental hosts’ dream of being a television talent and hotelier, but the truth is that it’s not all fun and glamorous.

We talk about the highs and lows of her journey, how she manages multiple properties and a full-time job, as well as how she got on HGTV’s 100-Day Dream Home. She also shares behind-the-scenes secrets of the entire process – including the benefits of being featured on the show, sharing the unique marketing strategies she’s employing to take advantage of HGTV’s valuable exposure. We know you’re going to learn a lot from Andi’s experience!

Resources:

• #STRShareSunday: @riverside.retreat.yxh

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andi-diamond-bennett

• Instagram: @andidiamond

• Sunburst Inn: sunburstinn.com

• Indian Rocks Beach: book.indianrocksbeachvacationrental.com

• PriceLabs: pricelabs.co

• Read: Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

Minoan | Minoan helps short-term rentals and boutique hotels enhance their appeal with their customizable, curated retail platform.

Minoan | Visit MinoanExperience.com and tell them TFV sent you!