The STR Sisterhood

From $0 to $2.5 Million: How Christina McNaught Built a Thriving Short-Term Rental Empire


Listen Later

Ready to take your short-term rental business to the next level? In this episode, I sit down with Christina McNaught, a successful real estate investor and Realtor, who has built an impressive portfolio of 21 properties, including 5 short-term rentals and 16 managed properties.

Christina shares her journey of transitioning from long-term to short-term rentals and how she and her husband achieved over $2.5 million in gross revenue in 2024. Get to know how the strategic backyard renovations became the game-changer, which drove their bookings and revenue through the roof.

We also peel back the curtains and learn how Christina and her team pulled off this transformation, from the planning stages to the results that exceeded expectations. Discover the key factors they considered when assessing properties and how their design choices elevated the guest experience.

Christina also reveals how she’s built a thriving local community of short-term rental enthusiasts through monthly meetups and the strategies she’s used to build a strong, effective team.

This episode is filled with actionable insights and strategies to help you grow your short-term rental business. Christina's journey and success story offer valuable takeaways for both newcomers and experienced operators looking to elevate their business!

HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY POINTS:


[00:58] A short introduction about our guest Christina McNaught

[02:18] Christina’s transition journey from long-term to short-term rental space

[05:35] The challenges of scaling a short-term rental portfolio and the importance of systems, structure, and the right team to grow successfully

[07:04] What are the things that Christina is looking for to assess a property that could potentially fit within her portfolio

[13:30] Christina shares the process of building a backyard pickleball court and key considerations for execution

[16:42] Christina talks about the breakdown cost, contractors, and key considerations for installing a pickleball court

[19:58] How the backyard build-out led to a massive revenue boost, increased occupancy, and a near-instant return on investment

[22:41] Christina’s approach to vibrant interior design and the bold decision to use a neon green pickleball court

[25:41] Christina explains how she tailors her approach to clients, sharing insights on backyard builds while respecting their unique goals for co-hosting

[27:07] Christina explains how she uses floor plans and apps like Cubicasa to assess and convert spaces, turning a three-bedroom into a four-bedroom

[28:51] How Christina selects your contractors and what types of things she’s looking for in finding the right folks to help her

[31:45] Christina explains how her Meetup attracts a mix of property managers, investors, co-hosts, and real estate agents, and the importance of collaboration over competition

[34:42] How Christina and her husband manage their business operations with the help of VAs to handle day-to-day tasks

[38:07] Christina’s challenges of working with her husband in a shared office space, navigating different work schedules and communication styles

[40:14] The lightning round


Golden Nuggets:


  • “It is so incredibly helpful to get perspective from other people.”
  • “Building community is one of the most powerful ways, not only to expand your network and meet new people, but it's one of the most powerful ways to learn.”
  • “Collaborating with people versus competing with them is so incredibly important.”
  • “As you do grow, make sure that you are freeing yourself up to focus on what lights you up – the things that you enjoy and also the things that you're good at. I think one of the biggest challenges that I've seen entrepreneurs make is that they try to do everything themselves, and you get to a point where you're you're in your own way.”

  • Let’s Connect!


    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrissy.riddle.5

    Email: [email protected]


    Enjoyed the show? Subscribe, Rate, Review, Like, and Share!

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    The STR SisterhoodBy Stacey St. John

    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5
    • 5

    5

    27 ratings


    More shows like The STR Sisterhood

    View all
    BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast by BiggerPockets

    BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast

    16,769 Listeners

    Social Media Marketing Podcast by Michael Stelzner, Social Media Examiner

    Social Media Marketing Podcast

    1,438 Listeners

    Passive Real Estate Investing by Real Estate Investing with Marco Santarelli, Investor and Entrepreneur.

    Passive Real Estate Investing

    971 Listeners

    Tax Smart Real Estate Investors Podcast by Hall CPA

    Tax Smart Real Estate Investors Podcast

    418 Listeners

    BiggerPockets Money Podcast by BiggerPockets

    BiggerPockets Money Podcast

    3,082 Listeners

    Slick Talk: The Hospitality Podcast by Skift

    Slick Talk: The Hospitality Podcast

    71 Listeners

    Real Estate Investing with Coach Carson by Chad Coach Carson

    Real Estate Investing with Coach Carson

    614 Listeners

    Thanks For Visiting by Airbnb Superhosts Annette Grant & Sarah Karakaian

    Thanks For Visiting

    581 Listeners

    Real Estate Rookie by BiggerPockets

    Real Estate Rookie

    1,845 Listeners

    Short Term Rental Secrets Podcast by MICHAEL SJOGREN

    Short Term Rental Secrets Podcast

    15 Listeners

    BiggerPockets Daily by BiggerPockets

    BiggerPockets Daily

    328 Listeners

    The Short Term Show by 8 Figure Airbnb and Short Term Rental Real Estate Investor Avery Carl

    The Short Term Show

    449 Listeners

    Good Morning Hospitality by Skift

    Good Morning Hospitality

    12 Listeners

    On The Market by BiggerPockets

    On The Market

    896 Listeners

    No Vacancy The Podcast with Natalie Palmer by Natalie Palmer, Airbnb Host

    No Vacancy The Podcast with Natalie Palmer

    246 Listeners

    Bill Faeth Unfiltered by Bill Faeth

    Bill Faeth Unfiltered

    104 Listeners

    STRonomics by Bill Faeth & Kenny Bedwell

    STRonomics

    54 Listeners

    The STR Home Financing Podcast by Jeff Chisum

    The STR Home Financing Podcast

    37 Listeners

    STR Data Lab™ by AirDNA by Jamie Lane

    STR Data Lab™ by AirDNA

    29 Listeners

    BigDeal by Codie Sanchez

    BigDeal

    787 Listeners

    The Hospitality Mentor by Steve Turk

    The Hospitality Mentor

    42 Listeners

    Workflows & Espressos by Hospitality.FM

    Workflows & Espressos

    10 Listeners

    Short Term Rental Pros Podcast by Jeremy Werden

    Short Term Rental Pros Podcast

    9 Listeners

    The David Greene Show by David Greene

    The David Greene Show

    698 Listeners

    TRAVEL redefined by Sarah Dandashy

    TRAVEL redefined

    8 Listeners

    The Pink Elephant with Chris Adams by Chris Adams

    The Pink Elephant with Chris Adams

    5 Listeners

    The Vacation Rental Micro-School by Hospitality.FM

    The Vacation Rental Micro-School

    3 Listeners

    Short Term Rental Solutions by Christianne Crump

    Short Term Rental Solutions

    17 Listeners

    The Hospitality Breakroom: Certainty Served Weekly with Inhaven by Rachel Alday & Abode Luxury Rentals

    The Hospitality Breakroom: Certainty Served Weekly with Inhaven

    6 Listeners

    Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality by Skift

    Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality

    76 Listeners