How to Get Clients Without Waiting for Referrals | Bailey Barclay

Abi Asija sits down with Bailey Barclay, founder of Rankin Design, a niche interior design firm specializing in short-term rental (Airbnb) properties. The conversation explores how her business evolved from freelancing into a structured design agency, the challenges of inconsistent lead generation, and the tension between creative quality and scalable business growth.Key Insight: When a service-based business relies heavily on referrals, growth becomes unpredictable unless systems for consistent lead generation and market awareness are built in.Bailey explains how her firm designs and furnishes Airbnb properties across the U.S., focusing on turning real estate investments into high-performing short-term rentals. Her work ranges from light aesthetic upgrades like paint and styling to full turnkey furnishing and installation management for investors.A major focus of the discussion is the transition from freelancer to agency owner. While Bailey previously relied on referrals and direct relationships with real estate investors, those leads have recently slowed, exposing the need for a more consistent and scalable acquisition system.The conversation also explores her ideal customer profile, which consists of high-income real estate investors seeking to maximize ROI on Airbnb properties. These clients typically prioritize data-driven returns, tax advantages, and higher occupancy rates over design aesthetics alone.A key challenge highlighted is balancing creative quality with budget constraints. While Bailey prefers showcasing high-end portfolio work, many clients operate with limited furnishing budgets, requiring clear qualification and pricing structure during the sales process.From a business model perspective, Bailey currently acquires clients primarily through referrals and Instagram, with limited success from paid advertising. However, there is a growing opportunity to scale through targeted meta ads, content-driven visibility, and highly specific outreach to real estate investors.The discussion also dives into sales structure, where Bailey conducts discovery calls to assess budget, timeline, and project scope. A key opportunity identified is shifting from educational selling to value-based ROI positioning, helping clients clearly understand how higher design investment directly increases nightly rental revenue.Overall, viewers will learn how interior design agencies can transition from freelance referral-based work to scalable systems, how to position design services as ROI-driven investments, and how targeted marketing and structured sales processes can unlock consistent growth in the short-term rental space.To connect with Bailey Barclay, visit rankindesignnashville.com or reach out via Instagram at rankin.design.