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How Sergio Quit His Job to Go All-In on Airbnb – with Sergio Castaneda
Description
So, you don’t quite make enough money to support yourself as a short-term rental host. But you know you need to spend more time on the business if you want to grow. Do you wait and try to save more money? Or do you take a leap of faith, quit your job and go all-in on Airbnb?
Sergio Castaneda is a part of our Legends X community and the founder of Jungle House, a short-term rental company out of Columbus, Ohio. Sergio was running two successful Airbnb units on the side while he worked full-time. But after a particularly stressful week on the job, Sergio quit to run his STR business full time. Today, he supports himself fully with the revenue from four listings and Jungle House was recently named one of the top 18 vacation rentals in Columbus.
On this episode of Get Paid for Your Pad, Sergio joins me to explain why he quit his job to go all-in on Airbnb, describing how it felt to walk away from his 9-to-5 and what the transition to full-time host looks like. He offers advice on how to attract bookings, challenging us to tell a story through photos and build trust with prospective guests in our listing. Listen in for Sergio’s insight on increasing your STR revenue and find out what he has planned for the future of Jungle House!
Topics Covered
What inspired Sergio’s interest in Airbnb
- Passion for real estate and hospitality
- Way to give back to travel industry
How Sergio got his start in short-term rentals
- Lease small studio for test run
- Use money to buy first home
- Rent spare bedroom to cover mortgage
How Sergio felt about quitting his job
- Confident (other STR units doing well)
- Didn’t want to look back with regret
Sergio’s advice on how to attract bookings
- Invest in professional photos
- Tell story with pictures
- Brag about listing in description
- Build trust with About Me
What Sergio does to increase his revenue
- Use dynamic pricing tools
- Offer late checkout, early check-in
Sergio’s plans for the future of Jungle House
- Create systems that don’t need me
- Focus on brand and growing company
- Partner with likeminded investors
- Add units (some in other locations)
Connect with Sergio
Email hello@junglehouse.org
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