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!