Thanks For Visiting

By Airbnb Superhosts Annette Grant & Sarah Karakaian

Get actionable advice and the essential fundamentals of running a profitable 5-star Airbnb side-hustle or full on business. Annette’s extensive background in business operations and Sarah’s experience... more

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How many episodes does Thanks For Visiting have?

The podcast currently has 592 episodes available.

Best of Thanks For Visiting

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: 565. 11 Airbnb Expenses Hosts NEVER See Coming
Most Airbnb hosts plan for the obvious costs: the mortgage, furnishings, cleaning fees, and maybe a few supplies. But the expenses that hurt the most are usually the ones no one planned for. In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down 11 short-term rental expenses that commonly catch hosts off guard. Some are small recurring costs. Others can wipe out thousands of dollars if they are missing from your forecast, budget, or profit and loss statement. They cover everything from short-term rental insurance and permits to platform fees, tech stack bloat, credit card processing fees, chargebacks, utility spikes, seasonal photography, furniture replacement, and the professional team every host should have before they need one urgently. They also name the most expensive hidden cost of all: hosting without a pricing strategy. If you are only looking at gross revenue, this episode will help you understand what your Airbnb is actually costing you—and where those expenses belong in your business. In this episode, you’ll learn:Why AirCover is not a replacement for short-term rental insuranceWhich licensing and permit costs hosts need to plan forHow OTA commissions and platform fees affect actual profitWhy tech subscriptions should be audited quarterlyWhat direct booking hosts need to know about processing fees and chargebacksWhy high occupancy can create higher utility costsHow seasonal photography can impact bookingsWhy cheap furniture often costs more over timeWhich financial professionals belong in your hosting businessWhy a missing pricing strategy can cost more than anything else Resources Mentioned: Join us Live and Learn about Strategic Host! PriceLabs: Revenue management for hosts and property managers. Mentioned in this episode: Join us for our live Get More Bookings Bootcamp.
August 20, 202618min
Number 2: 564. She Turned Her Family Ski House Into a Top-Tier Airbnb
Gale Golden did not start with a perfect short-term rental strategy. She started with a family ski house in the Adirondacks, a property that sat empty for years, and a decision: rent it or sell it. In this episode, Sarah and Annette sit down with Gale to talk about how Five Star Lodge went from a beloved family property to a more intentional, more profitable short-term rental business. Gale shares how she first got into real estate, why she started hosting, and what changed when her market became more competitive after COVID. She also breaks down what happened when she stopped treating the property like a side project and started treating it like a business. From learning revenue management and watching PriceLabs every morning to investing in professional photography, improving operations, building her team, and positioning the property around its actual guest experience, Gale’s story is a clear reminder that optimization changes everything. If you have a great property that is underperforming—or you know there is more revenue sitting inside your current listing—this episode will help you see what can happen when you finally run the numbers and make the business match the property. In this episode, you’ll learn:How Gale turned a family ski house into a short-term rental businessWhy market saturation forced her to get serious about pricingHow revenue management helped unlock stronger performanceWhy professional photography changed the way guests saw the propertyHow better systems improved cleaning, maintenance, and team performanceWhy direct booking opportunities may already exist inside your current networkHow Gale’s property was selected for Staycation USAWhy the right guest experience can outperform generic amenity checklists Resources mentioned: Join us Live and Learn about Strategic Host! Learn more about PriceLabs! Mentioned in this episode: Join us for our live Get More Bookings Bootcamp.
August 13, 202656min
Number 3: 566. How To Find Airbnb Properties No One Else Knows About
Most hosts looking to grow their short-term rental portfolio start in the same place: Zillow, public listings, and whatever properties everyone else can already see. But the best opportunities often never make it that far. In this episode, Sarah and Annette break down four ways to find short-term rental properties before they hit the open market. They share how co-hosting can become an acquisition strategy, why being visible and vocal matters, how Facebook groups and local communities can surface hidden opportunities, and why working with STR-specific experts can help you spot the difference between a cheap property and a property that will actually perform. They also share the story of The Audrey, one of their own Columbus properties that started as a co-hosting relationship before becoming an off-market purchase. If you are trying to grow your portfolio, this episode is a reminder that the next deal may not come from refreshing Zillow. It may come from the relationships you are already building. In this episode, you’ll learn:Why some of the best STR properties never hit the marketHow co-hosting can lead to future ownership opportunitiesWhy your reputation as an operator can make you the obvious buyerHow to make yourself visible to owners, agents, and local networksWhy Facebook groups and online communities can reveal off-market leadsWhat to look for in an STR-specific real estate expertWhy relationships can matter more than listing sites when finding your next property Resources Mentioned: Apply and Learn about Strategic Host! Mentioned in this episode: Join us for our live Get More Bookings Bootcamp.
August 27, 202617min
Number 4: 567. We Made $5 Million From Airbnb Hosting (Here's What We've Learned)
Sarah and Annette have generated $5 million through Airbnb hosting, but not because everything went perfectly. That number came from more than a decade of building, making mistakes, fixing systems, managing guests, growing a team, and learning what actually moves the needle in a short-term rental business. In this episode, they break down the seven biggest lessons they wish every host understood earlier. These are not just about choosing the right property. They are about the business around the property: clean finances, the right team, backup systems, brand standards, guest feedback, booking diversification, and knowing your why. They also explain why a full calendar does not mean much if your books are messy, why desperate hiring is expensive, why every host needs backups before they need them, and why Airbnb should not be your only booking strategy. If you want to build a hosting business that can survive the hard weeks and keep growing over time, this episode is a practical look at what Sarah and Annette have learned after $5 million in Airbnb hosting. In this episode, you’ll learn:Why clean finances should start before your first bookingWhy your team is an investment, not just an expenseWhat systems and backups every host needs in placeHow brand standards make better business decisions easierWhy negative guest feedback can become valuable business dataWhy hosts need booking channels beyond AirbnbWhy money alone will not carry you through the hard parts of hosting Resources Mentioned: Join us Live and Learn about Strategic Host! Mentioned in this episode: Join us for our live Get More Bookings Bootcamp.
September 03, 202617min
Number 5: 559. The Airbnb Payout Routine Every Host Needs
Your Airbnb payout hitting your bank account is not the same thing as knowing your business is profitable. In this episode, Sarah and Annette walk through the monthly payout routine they use to track revenue, catch missing money, compare actual payouts against forecasts, and move income into the right financial buckets. They break down why every hosting business needs a dedicated business bank account, how to audit payouts against reservations, and why relying on your bank balance at the end of the month is not a real business metric. You’ll also learn how they use the Profit First method to separate money for operating expenses, owner’s compensation, taxes, and profit—so every dollar has a job the moment it lands. If you’ve ever looked at your Airbnb payouts and wondered where the money went, this episode will help you build a clearer, more consistent routine. In this episode, you’ll learn:Why your Airbnb payouts should go into a dedicated business accountHow to audit every payout against every reservationWhat to do when Airbnb or another OTA underpays youHow to compare actual revenue against your forecastWhy your bank balance is not a profitability metricHow to use Profit First buckets for expenses, taxes, owner’s pay, and profit Resources Mentioned: Apply for Strategic Host! Mentioned in this episode: Join us for our live Get More Bookings Bootcamp.
July 09, 202621min