In this episode, Matt reflects on Season Six and shares thoughts from our guests that come together to create a framework for configuring your vacation rental Magic Zone.        

Unlocked by Matt Landau

EP106: 4 Ways to Configure Your Vacation Rental Magic Zone (Season Recap)

Darrell Looney and Sherry Woodhouse have refined ideas and practices for a level of hospitality we can all aspire to in the vacation rental industry.  This week they walk Matt through what goes into making their Villa Mais Oui such a special experience for guests. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform. 

EP105: A Thoughtful Formula to Achieving Single Property Success

For our first in-person recording since early 2020, Matt sat down with Julie Brinkman of Beyond at the recent VRMA Connect event in Sandestin Florida.  Julie is part of a new wave of CEOs entering the vacation rental industry with perspectives that benefit us all. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform. 

EP104: Introducing the CEO Series with Julie Brinkman, Beyond (Pricing)

This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. Most vacation rental professionals tend to over-work because they wear many hats.  Over-working is not sustainable...it will eventually burn you from the inside out.  In this episode VRMB Communities discusses the solution: a forced break!

EP103: Take a Vacation!

This week Matt and Jed Stevens of Koloa Kai  detail a six step program for building a sustainable and profitable vacation rental business and soft-launch the VRMB Accelerator Program. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform.   

EP102: THE Masterplan for Vacation Rental Management

In this episode Matt sits down with Andrew McConnell of Rented.com  for some must-listen industry analysis and...a few 'twerks'. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform. 

EP101: 7 Epiphanies from a Vacation Rental Startup Ceo

This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. Have you ever come across a product whose presentation is so on point in that it subliminally sucked you in and persuaded you to buy?  Finca Victoria is a farmhouse style B&B on the small island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, and every vacation rental professional can take something away from their website: https://www.lafinca.com/ Read the full thread, here: https://community.vrmb.com/threads/finca-victoria.5892/

EP100: On Point with Finca Victoria

This week Matt speaks with Eddie Gray, the housekeeping and laundry manager for Newman-Dailey Resort Properties.  With 17 years in the business, Eddie has amassed wisdom that can benefit every vacation rental business.  Best practices, checklists, delegating, software, employees, covid...Eddie covers it all. This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform.  Links and resources mentioned in this episode:  Newman-Dailey Resort Properties Track VRMB Communities  

EP99: How 17 Years of Vacation Rental Housekeeping Discoveries Form a Checklist for the Future

This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. "Moments of engagement” is one way of thinking about those special interactions in which you win over guests, turning them from stranger to friend (and reviewer/repeat/referral booker). Moments of engagement are interactions that connect us: the openings for lines of communication and meaningful relationships that generate profit. Read the full thread, here: https://community.vrmb.com/threads/moments-of-engagement.5751/  

EP98: Moments of Engagement

This week Matt sits down with Anthony Gantt of At Ease which was created to solve challenges with vacation rentals for military personnel and their families.  Anthony's story of discovering and executing in his niche is must-listen content for anyone looking to level up with the biggest current opportunity in the vacation rental business.  This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform. 

EP97: Niches Are The Next Wave in Vacation Rentals

This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. Any vacation rental property can be made more “limited edition” with the introduction of a landmark feature: a structural, decorative, or recreational aspect of the home’s offering that is unique (in your competitive set), photogenic (for promotional purposes), and perhaps most importantly enjoyable for new and repeat guests. Read the full thread, here: https://community.vrmb.com/threads/the-landmark-feature.4910/

EP96: The Landmark Feature to Command Travelers' Attention

This week Matt sits down with Amber Carpenter of DemandIQ to talk about a significant source of revenue we've all been missing.  What started as a capstone project for Amber's master's degree has become must-use tech for the entire vacation rental industry.   This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform. 

EP95: How to Uncover Hidden Bookings Left on the Table

This is a Quick Tips episode of Unlocked, where Matt shares actionable wisdom from VRMB Communities. Not all listings are created equally.  This week, the community discusses 8 deep adjustments that are designed to maximize bookings in a crowded listing site landscape. Read the full thread, here: https://community.vrmb.com/threads/8-deep-adjustments-to-your-listings.5955/   

EP94: 8 Deep Adjustments To Your Airbnb & Vrbo Listings

Bob Garner and his husband, Ian, have built their Casal dei Fichi into a powerhouse of repeat bookings, positive environmental action and the profitability needed to achieve a fun, balanced lifestyle.  In this episode Matt and Bob dig into the how's and why's, and explore a 'two loops model' for vacation rental businesses that is critical listening for anyone in the industry.  This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform. 

EP93: The Ultimate Recipe for Building a Vacation Rental Lifestyle Brand

This week Sibylle Kim gives us a masterclass in the single property lifestyle business.  She bought her dream vacation home in Waterbury, Vermont, and turned it into Villa Ausblick, a profitable, family-friendly short-term rental sanctuary, where she created years of memories for her family and her guests.  Now, after nearly two decades in business, Sibylle is sharing wisdom that is of value to everyone in the industry, while also getting involved with advocacy work with the brand-new Vermont Short-Term Rental Alliance (VT hosts, this is for you!). This episode is brought to you by Point Central, the leaders in smart home automation, and Breezeway, the best in class property care and automations platform. 

EP92: How Vacation Rentals Helped Me Buy My Dream Family Home

Unlocked is a podcast series that invites you to be a fly-on-the-wall as VRMB founder Matt Landau interviews some of the world’s most innovative vacation rental professionals. The goal of this podcast series is to share best practices and to remind vacation rental professionals that we have everything we need inside of us to succeed.