Thanks For Visiting Airbnb Superhosts Annette Grant & Sarah Karakaian

Today’s expert guest is Colleen Chrien, a hyper-engaged member of our Hosting Business Mastery Method, mom of four young kids, and owner of Picket Fence Properties and Fully Furnished Charleston where she manages a portfolio of 38 long-term rentals and 21 furnished rentals – a mix between short, mid, and long term listings.
We learn all about how she launched her business and landed in Charleston as a long term hub of operations, detail a few pain points on her initial projects, and unpack mindset shifts inspired by challenging life events – how she’s shifted her business goals to align with her vision of the future.
Make no mistake, what we have here today is a true superhero of hosting. Colleen’s a one-woman show, and gets super honest with us about the bottlenecks that she’s identified, from how she’s gone about adding to her team, to the brutal truth about the tidal wave of emerging tech in our industry — there’s no magic button to press!
Her candidness about the journey is a fresh counter to social media’s insistence on impossible “passive income” and “set-it-and-forget-it” narratives. In this industry, we work! And we’re proud of it. We know you’ll be as inspired by Colleen’s story as we are.
(00:01:23) #STRShareSunday: @dellcollective
(00:03:46) Introducing HBMM VIP: Colleen Chrien
(00:10:07) The Evolution of Fully Furnished Charleston
(00:19:11) STR Hiring, Operations & Business Goals
(00:27:36) Colleen’s Short-Term Rental Tech Stack Tips
Resources:
• Click here for full show notes
• Website: fullyfurnishedcharleston.com
• Instagram: @fullyfurnishedcharleston
• Instagram: @colleen_chrien
• Check out Hospitable, PriceLabs, and Breezeway
• Learn about our Hosting Business Mastermind
• #STRShareSunday: @dellcollective
• Video: Co Hosting for Airbnb - How to Know You're Ready
• Airbnb Essentials Checklist: hostchecklist.com
Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.
Mentioned in this episode:
Hostfully | Go to https://www.hostfully.com/influencers/thanks-for-visiting/ and use TFV100 to get $100 off your subscription.
Superhog | Visit superhog.com/thanks-for-visiting and book your FREE demo today!
IMN | Go to events.imn.org/strsummer and...

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between.
Becky asks:
I have an ADT security system and my control panel has a little camera on it. It takes a picture of the person who is setting or disabling the alarm. Nobody ever sets the alarm in the Airbnb, but it is in the hallway. I was wondering… Does that count as a camera for Airbnb? If I put a sticker over it, would that work as not having a camera?
(00:01:32) Question About Airbnb’s New No-Camera Policy
(00:02:07) Out of Context: Is it an Interior Camera?
(00:03:00) Call Your Insurance, Ask Airbnb & Ask Your Attorney
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah and Annette, submit your burning hosting questions at: hostinghotline.com.
Resources:
• Airbnb Summer 2024 Release for Hosts
• Video: Airbnb Self Check In with Smart Locks - Hosts, You Need This!
• Airbnb Essentials Checklist: hostchecklist.com
Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.
Mentioned in this episode:
Host Checklist | Grab our Airbnb Essentials Checklist and make stocking your Airbnb a breeze – we've got all your hosting needs covered!
Quiz | Take our quiz to reveal your hosting personality style!

Today’s expert guest is the ultra-informed researcher and short-term rental historian, Brumby McLeod, Ph.D., an associate professor at the College of Charleston, School of Business in the Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management.
He is also a research fellow with the Office of Tourism Analysis and the Riley Center for Livable Communities. The focus of his research is in overnight accommodation with a primary focus on housing, short-term rentals, and tourism.
Dr. McLeod walks us through the length of his career spent studying the many complex nuances of the vacation rental industry – from the offline family vacation homes of decades past, all the way to the explosion of digital hosting providers, and into the future.
Going back to school, even just for one day, we pepper Dr. McLeod with questions about how Airbnb disrupted his research, whether or not the data tells a positive or negative story in vacation communities, which stakeholders are the most vocal in opposition to STR expansion, and so much more.
A true academic, Brumby is so good at remaining neutral. He gets excited seeing everyone's point of views and then putting them together so he can create research and solutions for various aspects of the industry – whether it's small government, investors, hosts, or renters themselves.
(00:01:24) #STRShareSunday: @lazy_pines_cabins
(00:03:21) Back to School with Brumby McLeod, Ph.D.
(00:17:51) Charting the Rise of STR Hosting Platforms
(00:22:35) STR Impact: Building vs. Decimating Communities
(00:27:02) Unpacking the Right to Bear Guests
(00:35:50) How Hosts Can Best Advocate for the Vacation Rental Industry
(00:39:39) Airbnbust? Brumby on the Future of Our Industry
Resources:
• Click here for full show notes
• Gary Keller: https://a.co/d/hFPmcFZ
• #STRShareSunday: @lazy_pines_cabins
• Video: Airbnb Market Shift | Thrive as a Host
• Airbnb Essentials Checklist: hostchecklist.com
Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.
Mentioned in this episode:
Minoan | Visit MinoanExperience.com and tell them TFV sent you!
IMN | Go to events.imn.org/strsummer and use code: TFV for an exclusive 10% off your new registration.
Hostfully | Go to https://www.hostfully.com/influencers/thanks-for-visiting/ and use TFV100 to get $100 off your subscription.
Superhog | Visit superhog.com/thanks-for-visiting and book your FREE demo today!

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between.
Taylor asks:
Can you please break down the Airbnb summer release for us? What do we need to know? Thank you so much. Can't wait to hear your response.
(00:01:13) What’s New with the Airbnb Summer Update?
(00:01:32) NEW Airbnb Icons: Sadly, Mostly Marketing
(00:04:35) Guest-Related Updates in Airbnb’s Summer Release
(00:06:39) Host-Related Updates in Airbnb’s Summer Release
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah and Annette, submit your burning hosting questions at: hostinghotline.com.
Resources:
• Click here for full show notes
• Airbnb: Summer Release 2024
• Video: Airbnb Platform Updates: What They Mean for Hosts (2023)
• Airbnb Essentials Checklist: hostchecklist.com
Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.
Mentioned in this episode:
Host Checklist | Grab our Airbnb Essentials Checklist and make stocking your Airbnb a breeze – we've got all your hosting needs covered!
Quiz | Take our quiz to reveal your hosting personality style!

Welcome back to this dedicated series on the acquisition, set-up, and launch of our brand new Hocking Hills vacation rental project. In this episode, we update listeners on the actions we’ve taken since signing the deal, hard decisions we’ve already made, and what’s coming up next.
Golden nuggets include how Sarah has leveraged artificial intelligence to create temporary branding for the property, early thoughts on how we might utilize existing structures (or not), and which critically important tasks we’ve already elected to outsource – two jobs you’ll be very surprised to see we’ve offloaded.
Even before breaking ground, ideas are flying and challenges have mounted. That’s why it’s great to be supported by a team of like-minded experts – as we are – and why we’ve decided to share each and every step along the way with you, our amazing audience.
(00:01:41) #STRShareSunday: @richhollowretreat
(00:03:32) Recapping Our New Hocking Hills Cabin Project
(00:08:53) Now What? Getting Started with Reporting & Planning
(00:15:54) Planning the Plot: Surveying Existing Buildings & Utilities
(00:22:12) Important Steps We’ve Already Outsourced & Why
Resources:
• Click here for full show notes
• #STRShareSunday: @richhollowretreat
• Video: How to Design Your First Airbnb - Essentials
• Airbnb Essentials Checklist: hostchecklist.com
Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.
Mentioned in this episode:
Minoan | Visit MinoanExperience.com and tell them TFV sent you!
Hostfully | Go to https://www.hostfully.com/influencers/thanks-for-visiting/ and use TFV100 to get $100 off your subscription.
Host Checklist | Grab our Airbnb Essentials Checklist and make stocking your Airbnb a breeze – we've got all your hosting needs covered!
IMN | Go to events.imn.org/strsummer and use code: TFV for an exclusive 10% off your new registration.

Welcome back to the Hosting Hotline! This is an Ask Me Anything where each week we’ll answer your questions on Airbnb, STRs, real estate, and everything in between.
Angela asks:
One of my properties has a 60% direct booking rate. I'm trying to figure out the best way to adjust my pricing so that my net earnings on a direct booking is slightly higher than when guests book through a third-party platform.
Right now, if I get an Airbnb booking, I pay 3% commission to Airbnb. If I get a direct booking, I pay a 3% commission to Stripe in credit card fees. So I net the same either way, it's only the guest that saves money by booking directly.
I know I can add a booking fee for direct bookings that would increase my bottom line, but I think a long list of fees is a turnoff for guests. I'm curious what's worked for you and what percentage do you add, if any, to your direct booking rate so that you're netting more?
(00:02:03) How Can I Boost Bottom-Line Revenue via Direct Bookings?
(00:03:39) Reframing the Inherent Value of Captured STR Customer Data
(00:05:26) Leveraging PriceLabs Dynamic Pricing to Boost Revenue
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions. To hear your voice on the show and send a question to Sarah and Annette, submit your burning hosting questions at: hostinghotline.com.
Resources:
• Click here for full show notes
• Check out PriceLabs: Start your 30-day free trial
• Angela's properties: lazypinesnm.com
• Video: Dynamic Pricing Software for Airbnb & Short Term Rentals
• Airbnb Essentials Checklist: hostchecklist.com
Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.
Mentioned in this episode:
Quiz | Take our quiz to reveal your hosting personality style!
Host Checklist | Grab our Airbnb Essentials Checklist and make stocking your Airbnb a breeze – we've got all your hosting needs covered!