Building a Brand & Business in Short Term Vacation Homes with John Hildebrand - Episode#193

How do you build a brand in the STR community, stand out, and make your guests feel even more welcome? This episode, I have the pleasure of stepping into the lab with my man, John Hildebrand, who is all about investing in short term vacation homes away from home while building a  brand in the STR community. His story and approach to build an Airbnb business around an established brand and reputation will inspire you on your journey. From helping others build their brand as photographer to building his own in the short term rental niche, John shares his humble beginnings as a photographer and how that ultimately led him down a path to becoming one of the first Airbnb Brand Ambassadors. I'm so excited to share this fun talk with John. He's one of the STR community's most original, creative and inspiring entrepreneurs. He'll talk about how he got started in Airbnb as a student with ‘school hacking’, how he moved back home and expanded into Arizona, how he learned heating the hard way (but made it worthwhile!), and how concierge service will be the future of STR. Every superhost will want to hear what he has to say and emulate his energy. Even though he started as a photographer and a student with debt, he made it all work at the end, thanks to his attitude. A perfect reminder that YOU are ALWAYS one experiment away. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EPISODE: 19:02 Is it all about location? 34:32 How to Brrrr with numbers 44:40 Airbnb Brand Ambassador KEEPING IT REAL: 2:35 Audio DMs and reciprocal energy 4:47 John’s Photography background 10:00 Paying the bills and school hacking 12:24 How John got into Airbnb 16:31 Why look at a million houses? 19:02 Is it all about location? 24:28 Moving to Arizona 27:21 Lightbulb moment: Scaling 29:31 Bigger Pockets plus Buy and hold? 34:32 How to Brrrr with numbers 39:37 John’s portfolio 44:40 Airbnb Brand Ambassador 51:44 John’s coaching and webinar 59:16 Three tips from John CONNECTING WITH THE GUEST Website: https://www.hildehomes.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnhildebrandsicky/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtSryk8gxjf8i4CEu5whRng Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hildehomes Get coached on how you can repurpose your existing home or investment property into an Airbnb with me: https://experimentrealestate.com/hospitable-hosts Guesty Unique Link: https://hosts.guesty.com/?=therealestateexperiment Hospitable Hosts book: https://amzn.to/3e4LEhE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealestateexperiment/?hl=en Apply for an American Express Card with this link. We can both get rewarded if you're approved! http://refer.amex.us/RUBENKr8et?xl=cp01&mpt=v0 #business #vision #alignment