How to Grow a Short-Term Rental Business Past 200+ Units
The founders behind Host2Coast and Abode Luxury Rentals break down the systems, decisions, and mistakes that scaled their portfolios.
Nobody starts with 150 or 250 units. Rachel Alday (Co-Founder and CEO of Abode Luxury Rentals) and Mark Kombrink (Founder of Host2Coast) got there one decision at a time, and they're walking through the whole journey, from the early days to how they run it now.
They'll get into what their STR business looked like at the start, the processes and tools they added as they grew, the roadblocks that nearly stopped them, and what's behind their success today. Along the way, advisor Sharon Keefe (Principal at VRM Advocate) adds her perspective from helping operators stand up the processes that let them grow.
You'll walk away knowing:
- How they went from the early days to 200+ units each.
- The processes and tools they built along the way.
- The roadblocks they hit, and how they got past them.
- What they'd do differently if they started over.
Wherever you are in the journey, this is how two operators built successful STR businesses. Register today to hear their story.
About the speakers
Born & raised in Chicago, Rachel found success early in her career in corporate marketing, eventually setting her sights west to Park City. She quickly fell in love with this mountain town, the close-knit community and her future husband Rob Alday. Channeling their passion for all things mountain lifestyle, along with a dedication to providing transparent, high-end service to both homeowners and guests, in 2008 Rachel & Rob set out to create Abode Luxury Rentals, a boutique luxury vacation rental company that enabled them to share their love of these mountains with visitors. Rachel relishes in raising their three young kids, Bear, Major & Annabel with a love for and in service of these mountain communities.
Mark began his career in real estate and finance, serving thousands of clients and building a reputation for clarity, dependability, and strategic thinking. Over time, he discovered that his greatest strength was not simply closing deals, but creating momentum for others. At his core, Mark is both a catalyst and a maverick. A catalyst in the way he helps people move forward, unlocking potential and creating shared growth. A maverick in his willingness to challenge conventional thinking and pursue better ways of doing things when better is possible. In the vacation rental industry, this means helping homeowners maximize opportunity while ensuring guests experience something thoughtful, seamless, and memorable.
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Sharon Keefe has spent over 20 years in the hospitality industry and began working in vacation rental management in 2005. After seven years running one of the pioneering VRM programs in the Midwest, she joined a leading PMS Software, heading the company’s account and knowledge management efforts nationwide. Her extensive time with companies across the U.S. allowed her to witness the common challenges VRMs face while pursuing the goal to surpass the guest expectations, delivering higher ROI for homeowners, all while increasing efficiencies in the day-to-day operations. In 2018, she founded VRMadvocate to bring this extensive experience in the industry to work for clients from coast to coast. Sharon helps her clients develop high-functioning teams, streamline operational processes, and incorporate industry best practices leading to dramatically improved customer experiences and explosive growth.
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Darren Carter is the Head of Strategic Partnerships at Topkey, the leading platform for helping property managers automate their finances. Before joining Topkey, he spent over 13 years at various technology companies, specializing in fintech and startups, including founding and selling his own company in 2020. He lives in Boulder, CO, with his wife, puppy, and baby daughter.
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