Unlocked by Matt Landau

Latest Episodes:

EP11: The Auctioneer with Mailie Green of Global Villas Ltd Dec 26, 2018

Show notes

Mailie Green manages three vacation rental villas in Bali from her home in South Africa. And like any manager, she is constantly on the lookout for ways to boost occupancy in the low season: she is always open to ideas that result in a win for everyone involved.

This particular technique started with a skeptical email...but it has turned into one of her regular booking channels, while simultaneously benefiting causes that she admires. Here are some links that may or may not have been mentioned in the episode: https://www.globalvillasltd.com/

Learn more about the host, visit https://mattlandau.com/

Get marketing strategies for vacation rentals, visit https://www.vrmb.com/

Collaborate with other professionals in https://community.vrmb.com/

EP10: My Flotilla with Lawrie Lawrence of Stay Lake Norman Dec 19, 2018

Show notes

Lawrie Lawrence is a real estate guy. He loves real estate. he's really good at real estate. And only recently has he become infatuated with a new kind of real estate, and that's vacation rentals.

But in his typical renegade style, Lawrie doesn't do anything textbook.

What I like most about Lawrie's boat model is that it is based highly on statistics and evidence. He wouldn't invest in something that he wasn't pretty sure would work really well.

Consider using this strategy on any amenity that you view as integral to your guest experience. Here are some links from the show: http://www.lawrielawrence.com/ https://www.staylakenorman.com/boat-rental/

Learn more about the host, visit https://mattlandau.com/

Get marketing strategies for vacation rentals, visit https://www.vrmb.com/

Collaborate with other professionals in https://community.vrmb.com/

EP09: Pretext Support with Bernardo Retana of Otium Residences Dec 12, 2018

Show notes

Bernardo Retana of Otium Residences in Marbella, Spain has a great pedigree of hospitality and finance. But what I like most about his topic here is its unconventionality — it's innovative in that no one taught him or instructed him to do this. But simple enough that pretty much all of us could do it too.

I was drinking beers with Bernardo in Barcelona, Spain at the KigoWorld event, when he shared the Whatsapp idea. So I asked if we could quickly move rooms and archive the idea for you all to hear.

The concept is to use Whatsapp as a concierge line of communication: to be there for anything the guest may need without necessarily feeling intrusive.

Oh and if you want to innovate like Bernardo, consider a demo with our friends at PointCentral (free HVAC Analytics included from this landing page): https://www.pointcentral.com/vrmb/

Here are some links that may or may not have been mentioned in the show:

http://otiumspain.com/

https://www.otiumspain.com/residences

https://www.whatsapp.com

Learn more about the host, visit https://mattlandau.com/

Get marketing strategies for vacation rentals, visit https://www.vrmb.com/

Collaborate with other professionals in https://community.vrmb.com/

EP08: The Limited Edition Episode Nov 15, 2017

Show notes

The vacation rental industry has exploded in the last few years with big players. Big players like AirBnB, HomeAway & Booking.com have been rapidly consolidating the industry, creating an industry with more familiarity that's palatable to the average consumer. But what does this mean for the "mom-and-pop" style businesses who don't want to grow? Those who would rather create a small limited edition business infused with personality. In this round-table episode, we discuss the big picture history of the hospitality industry Andrew McConnell. We'll learn how Kristie Wolfe creates and operates a boutique tiny home vacation rental business, and how Tara & Josh Conger walk the fine line of creating a scalable business while preserving their unique experiences.

Show Notes

Andrew McConnell

Understanding the differences between commodity and limited edition vacation rentals
How fragmented the vacation rental industry is
Andrew McConnell discusses the history of the "cottage industry"
How fragmented industries tend to consolidate
What the "big players" in the hospitality industry did that the "small players" didn't
Building a lifestyle business versus a major venture backed business
How the nature of vacation rentals is designed not to scale
The hazards of being "stuck-in-the-middle" of a boutique personality based business versus a growing commodity business
Discussing the potential winners and losers in the future of the industry
Being unique versus pretending to be unique
Being something to everyone, versus being everything to someone

Kristie Wolfe

On building and designing tiny-home vacation rentals
Why Kristie prefers to not meet guests at her unique homes
How Kristie designs unique experiences for her guests (that sometimes involve trespassing)
Kristie's unique advantage when building tiny homes
Kristie's advice on doing vacation rental projects that get you excited

Tara & Josh Conger

Creating a limited edition vacation rental company that can scale
Having a private island as a vacation rental
Building custom homes to be vacation rentals
How Tara & Josh leverage concierge services
Building a new website for the business
Balancing the scaling of a business while maintaining a boutique personal touch
Using CRM systems to improve guest experiences

Resources

Rent Responsibly (Sponsor)
Andrew McConnell With Rented.com
Steve Milo, Vacasa, Turnkey
Kristie Wolfe - Tiny House on the Prairie
Kristie Wolfe's Hobbit Home
Kristie Wolfe's Tree House
Conger Collection & Conger Brokerage Services

Lastly….

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to support us, please leave us a review and subscribe to us on iTunes (or whichever podcast platform you use). It makes a world of difference.

Learn more about the host, visit https://mattlandau.com/

Get marketing strategies for vacation rentals, visit https://www.vrmb.com/

Collaborate with other professionals in https://community.vrmb.com/

EP07: Managing an Overseas Vacation Rental & Overcoming Tragedies with Ralph Moorhouse Nov 08, 2017

Show notes

Ralph and his wife Karen, like many people, fell in love with Paris. However, instead of doing what most people would of done, they began buying property in Paris & Nice. Since then, they have been successfully operating a vacation rental business remotely. In this episode we learn how Ralph and Karen have created a remotely operated business process, and how they've overcome the tragedies brought on upon by recent terrorist attacks.

Show Notes

How Ralph wound up in going from Houston to Paris
Picking out his first real estate property
Ralph's encouraging thoughts on trying out the business
Developing processes and systems to automate a business
Packing Ralph packages multiple destinations in one trip for guests
How Ralph leverages his vacation rental websites
How tragic terrorist attacks impacted Ralph's businesses in Paris & Nice
How to deal with adversities like natural disasters
Why Ralph resisted using AirBnB
Knowing when it's right to quit the business
Using Youtube to fix random problems

Resources

Lastly….

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to support us, please leave us a review and subscribe to us on iTunes (or whichever podcast platform you use). It makes a world of difference.

Learn more about the host, visit https://mattlandau.com/

Get marketing strategies for vacation rentals, visit https://www.vrmb.com/

Collaborate with other professionals in https://community.vrmb.com/

EP06: Slowly Growing & Automating a Boutique Vacation Rental Management Business with Jan Stevens Nov 01, 2017

Show notes

Jan Stevens's journey in the vacation rental industry began when she inherited an old family fishing shack that they bought for $1,200 in the 50's. Realizing she could leverage her talents as a professional interior designer, she turned the home into a vacation rental. As peers began to take notice of her business, they began asking her if she can manage their properties too. Jan shares her experiences growing into a boutique property manager, how she chooses properties to take on, and how she's dramatically reduced her workload through automation and outsourcing.

Show Notes

How Jan's family bought a fishing shack outside Vancouver for $1,200
How the financial crisis made Jan realize she can turn her home into a vacation rental
How a random painting turned into Jan's first property management client
Jan's transition from property owner to property manager
Why Jan only takes on properties that fit the business of her brand
How Jan streamlined her management process to dramatically reduce her workload
The value of outsourcing work
Why Jan prioritizes slow and steady growth versus rapid growth
Understanding the pressure and responsibilities on building a vacation rental management company

Resources

Rent Responsibly (Sponsor)

Bowen Island Accommodations

Lastly….

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to support us, please leave us a review and subscribe to us on iTunes (or whichever podcast platform you use). It makes a world of difference.

Learn more about the host, visit https://mattlandau.com/

Get marketing strategies for vacation rentals, visit https://www.vrmb.com/

Collaborate with other professionals in https://community.vrmb.com/

EP05: Creating a Successful & Fulfilling Niche Vacation Rental Business with Rick Oster Oct 25, 2017

Show notes

Rick Oster's career has had many twists and turns. He spent most of his professional life climbing the corporate ladder as an overworked executive in the television & cable industry, and then took a detour to building his own aquatic installation company. Eventually, a curious insight led him to build his first vacation rental, a business he had zero experience in. Now, as the owner of Oster Golf Houses, Rick shares the insights and lessons that lead him to building a fulfilling niche vacation rental business.

Show Notes

How Rick's went from a career in television to aquatic pond installations
How Rick thought of building his first vacation rental and mitigating risk
RIck's process on researching competition to understand opportunities in the market.
Thoughts on how to eliminate competition by finding a niche
Why you should choose a destination you're passionate about
Why Rick focuses on having fun while marketing
Why Rick chooses a lifestyle business over building a big business
Rick's problems with OTA platforms like HomeAway/VRBO
Why Rick still feels a sense of urgency in improving his business

Resources

Rent Responsibly (Sponsor)

Oster Golf Houses

Inner Circle

Kaizen

Lastly….

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to support us, please leave us a review and subscribe to us on iTunes (or whichever podcast platform you use). It makes a world of difference.

Learn more about the host, visit https://mattlandau.com/

Get marketing strategies for vacation rentals, visit https://www.vrmb.com/

Collaborate with other professionals in https://community.vrmb.com/

EP04: Infusing Personality (and Totem Poles) into Your Vacation Rental with Teena Kulakowski Oct 18, 2017

Show notes

Teena Kulakowski is a former chemist who now runs the successful Four Seasons Lodge in New Hampshire. Her experiments have taken her from newspaper advertising to chainsaw artists to building her own website. Along the way we'll find out that the "secret ingredient" to her vacation rental's success is a high dose of good ol' fashioned personality. You'll leave here learning the value of knowing your audience, why it's maybe time to hire that professional, and that it's ok to call your guests "repeat offenders"

Show Notes

Teena's experience getting started in the vacation rental industry in the 1990's
Teena's career transition from being a chemist to vacation rental entrepreneur
How she created her vacation rental to fit her personality
How Teena sees her business as more than a series of transactions
Why she got a giant custom totem pole installation at her property
Why understanding your target demographic is key for your vacation rental
How Teena gets most of her bookings from her own website.
How Teena uses her blog, "insider's guide", & events calendar to drive repeat business
Why she invested in a professional copywriter & architectural photographer
Teena's advice on how to learn more effectively

Resources

Rent Responsibly (Sponsor)

Four Seasons Lodge

VRMB Inner Circle

Lastly….

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to support us, please leave us a review and subscribe to us on iTunes (or whichever podcast platform you use). It makes a world of difference.

Learn more about the host, visit https://mattlandau.com/

Get marketing strategies for vacation rentals, visit https://www.vrmb.com/

Collaborate with other professionals in https://community.vrmb.com/

EP03: From Side-Hustle to Big-Hustle with Darik Eaton Oct 12, 2017

Show notes

Darik Eaton is the founder of Seattle Oasis Vacation Rentals. After the 2008 financial crash Darik closed down his business in commercial finance, and transformed his vacation rental from a simple side business, to a full-time vacation rental property management company with over 45 properties. Darik shares his experiences growing his vacation rental business, exporting his business model to Hawaii and the most important lesson he learned along the way.

Show Notes

How Darik got started in the vacation rental industry as a matter of convenience
How Darik survived the financial crash of 2008
Darik's "secret sauce" of renovation and restoration
Why Darik doesn't like IKEA
How Darik turned his vacation rental from a side business to a full time property management business with 45+ properties in Seattle and Hawaii
How Darik went from excel spreadsheets to property management software that allowed his business to grow more effectively
Why Darik hires to make his business "Darik-proof"
How Darik manages a successful and growing property management business remotely.
The difference between a commodity business and a "Limited Edition" business
Why Darik prioritizes slow growth over fast growth

Resources

Rent Responsibly (Sponsor)

Seattle Oasis Vacation Rentals

Steve Milo

Kauai Real Estate Group

Princeville Vacation Rentals

Kapaa Vacation Rentals

Koloa Vacation Rentals

Lastly….

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to support us, please leave us a review and subscribe to us on iTunes (or whichever podcast platform you use). It makes a world of difference.

EP02: Building an Island Paradise Dream Life with Karla Gustafson Oct 12, 2017

Show notes

Lot's of people dream of unplugging from "the grind" and escaping to some far off exotic island paradise. Karla Gustafson, owner of Tropical Blessings, did just that. Frustrated with life as an English teacher in Dallas, Karla escaped to the Caribbean island of St. John where she became a "Moko Jumbie", and then eventually found herself owning a vacation rental property with zero experience. In this episode, you'll learn how Karla used her vacation rental to build her dream life, and how infusing your business with love and personality may be your biggest competitive advantage.

Show Notes

How Karla discovered St. John (the Caribbean island)
How Karla stumbled her way into her first vacation rental with no experience
Why Karla believed she could out-compete the local competition
Why she focuses so much on small details of her business
The importance of putting yourself in the shoes of your guests
Why having fun is critical to Karla's vacation rental
How Karla balances financial success and personal satisfaction
Why being a little imperfect is okay
Why Karla hates templates for communication
The advantages of small business over large corporations

Resources

St. John

Rent Responsibly (Sponsor)

Tropical Blessings

De Coal Pot

Moko Jumbies

Lastly….

If you enjoyed this episode and would like to support us, please leave us a review and subscribe to us on iTunes (or whichever podcast platform you use). It makes a world of difference.

Learn more about the host, visit https://mattlandau.com/

Get marketing strategies for vacation rentals, visit https://www.vrmb.com/

Collaborate with other professionals in https://community.vrmb.com/

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