We sit down with Chris Van Arnam, an STR operator who’s not just building high-performing short-term rentals in the Smoky Mountains, but doing it while living halfway across the world in Italy.

Chris walks us through how he built a 10-cabin portfolio rooted in data, operational efficiency, and design differentiation. He opens up about why he sold off part of his portfolio, how he pivoted into new construction, and what it’s really like managing from a different continent.

We unpack:

• How Chris sourced and scaled his first 10 properties
• The power of data when choosing a market
• Why operational density matters—and how to achieve it
• What makes a short-term rental truly “differentiated”
• The hard lessons from new construction vs. heavy renos
• Building a property management company (even when you didn’t plan to)
• How to operate a U.S.-based STR portfolio from Europe with precision

Whether you're just getting started or are in the thick of growing your portfolio, this episode is packed with real-world insights from someone who’s quietly built a scalable STR business from scratch.

🎧 Tune in, take notes, and get ready to think differently about scale, systems, and strategy.

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Episode Sponsored By:
STR Search

STR Search is the industry leading property finder service. They've helped investors acquire over 215 profitable STRs across the US. If you'd like the data professionals to help you find your next STR, reach out to STRsearch.com