Episode Details

“2020 is going to be the year of the professional host, regardless if you’re running one unit or if you’re somebody that’s trying to hit a hundred or a thousand units. All of it, the standards need to be world-class at this point. We have to truly treat even one unit as a real business.”

Eric Moeller is the creator of Cohost Mastery and the cofounder STR Legends Live. Today, Eric and I sit down to discuss our top takeaways from STR Legends Cartagena, describing the trend toward professionalism in the industry and the challenges around operations that all hosts share regardless of size.

Eric and I weigh in on how to approach your STR as a business, sharing Simon Lehmann’s challenge to define your values and align your messaging accordingly. Listen in for insight on how big brands are likely to impact the future of the STR industry and learn how YOU can benefit from the culture of sharing among the STR Legends community!

Topics Covered

The Hosting at Scale Video Series

• Four episodes, each feature one operator
• Explore what makes them legend in space

Eric’s top takeaways from STR Legends Cartagena

• Shift to professionalism
• Operations + people = greatest challenge

The evolution of operating in the STR space

1. ‘List it and forget it’
2. Listing optimization
3. Approach from business perspective

How to stand out as a host as competition grows

• Determine USP (i.e.: standards, theme, etc.)
• Design messaging to attract ideal client

Simon Lehmann’s STR Legends Cartagena challenge

• Describe your business in one sentence
• Who are you and what are your values?

The culture of sharing at STR Legends Cartagena

• Authentic connection among community
• Value openness, integrity and support

What we learned about the future of the STR space

• Larger companies buy out midsize operators
• Must understand profitability to thrive
• Efficiencies of scale offer competitive advantage

Why vacation rental hosting is a hyperlocal business

• Knowledge of area important in hospitality
• Opportunity for small hosts (personal connection)

Connect with Eric

Cohost Mastery

Airbnb Mastery Summit

Eric on LinkedIn

Resources

STR Legends

GPFYP on YouTube

STR Legends on Instagram

Y Combinator

Simon Lehmann on GPFYP EP308

Carmen Cartagena

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman

Who by Geoff Smart and Randy Street

Sonder

Lyric

Vacasa

Email