How to Find High-Cash-Flow Vacation Rentals in 2025 (Airbnb Is BACK)

Episode #648

Maximize Your Real Estate Investing with a Self-Directed IRA from Equity Trust:
https://eqtytrst.co/bp

Episode Show Notes:
https://lnk.to/realestaterookieYT

Join BiggerPockets for FREE 👇
https://www.biggerpockets.com/signup?utm_source=owned_media

Grab the Book, _Short-Term Rental, Long-Term Wealth_ :
https://store.biggerpockets.com/collections/all-books/products/short-term-rental-long-term-wealth?utm_source=owned_media

Sign Up for the Real Estate Rookie Newsletter:
https://www.biggerpockets.com/email-subscribe?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=none

Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area:
http://biggerpockets.com/agentmatch

Investing in Short-Term Rental Properties: A Beginner’s Guide & How to Get Started:
https://www.biggerpockets.com/guides/the-ultimate-guide-to-short-term-rental-properties?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=none

Connect with Jamie:
https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/jamiel175?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=none

Connect with John:
https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/johnb2334?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=none

Connect with Ashley and Tony:
Ashley: https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/ashkehr?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=none
Tony: https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/tonyr75?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=none


Are we seeing a short-term rental resurgence? Since Airbnb’s big boom in 2021, many investors have shied away from the “oversaturated” short-term rental industry. But is now actually the _ideal_ time for you to buy vacation rentals? Today’s guests believe there’s more opportunity today than you might think!

Welcome back to the _Real Estate Rookie_ podcast! Today, we’re joined by Jamie Lane of AirDNA and John Bianchi of STR Search, who are harnessing the power of real estate data to find cash-flow-rich properties and areas across the U.S. The best part? All of these figures, tools, and strategies are available to rookies, who have an edge in smaller markets where the big players don’t want to go.

Whether you’re buying your first rental property or pivoting to short-term rentals, this episode is chock-full of insights for building a profitable Airbnb business. Jamie and John get into the 20-percent rule for picking profitable short-term rental markets, the biggest investing mistakes to avoid at all costs, and the huge advantage rookies have in the hospitality space!

00:00 Intro
00:48 Is Airbnb Still Profitable?
03:25 How to Pick an Airbnb Market
11:33 Small vs. Large Markets
20:31 Biggest Investor Mistakes
26:56 “Conservative” Analysis 101
31:54 Overperforming in Your Market
34:25 The Amenities “Arms Race”
40:59 Getting Started in 2025
49:44 Keys to Airbnb Success
01:01:36 Connect with Jamie & John!