STR rules of thumb,
learned the hard way.

Listing photos are like online dating

If your photos suck, you're not getting many dates — or bookings. Always remember, your photos are your marketing. If they're boring or bad, guests will move on to the next listing, so make sure to use an experienced professional Airbnb photographer that knows what they're doing. Do not cheap out on this!

Pro tip: Get new photos maybe yearly, and reorder your photographs on a regular basis.

The 10% filter

This is just a guideline, but if a property can't easily generate at least 10% of its purchase price, keep looking! A $600,000 condo should be able to show roughly $60,000 a year in gross bookings.

Clear that bar, then add it to the list to investigate — comps, expenses, HOA, insurance.

Cleaners are your partner

Your cleaner is the only person who sees the property between every single guest. They're your quality control, your maintenance early-warning system, and the reason a 3pm check-in is actually ready at 3pm. Treat that relationship like a transaction and it will cost you — in reviews, in five-star ratings, in the bookings you never see because your rating slipped.

• Pay well and pay on time — you want to be their favorite client, not their cheapest
• Give them a way to flag problems (a broken lamp, a leak, a low-supply cabinet) and act on what they flag
• Build in enough turnaround time between bookings so the work can actually be done right
• Have a backup so one sick day isn't a crisis

Great management matters

A beautiful property that is managed poorly will eventually perform poorly. This couldn't be more true. Of course, a guest wants to stay in a beautiful property. However, if it's not managed well, guests can read between those lines, and they'll often opt for a property that is more of a sure bet.

The same logic goes for hotels. People will pay more money for a better hotel brand because they are known for their service.