Sief Khafagi didn’t just build a business—he built a standard.

In this episode, he reveals how leadership, culture, and vision turned TechVestor into one of the most respected brands in STR investing.

• How leadership shapes the future of the STR industry

• Building a culture that scales with integrity and precision

• Setting new standards for quality and operations

• Why great teams outperform any market cycle

• The mindset shift every STR leader needs to make

00:03:22 – The Real Problem: Bad Operators Drag the Industry Down

00:07:40 – Leadership and Vision: Believing Before Anyone Else Does

00:11:56 – Building High-Trust Teams That Scale

00:15:38 – Culture Over Everything: The Real Competitive Advantage

00:20:25 – Systems That Outlast the Founder

00:25:44 – The Truth About Scaling: Leadership vs. Management

00:30:57 – How TechVestor Blends Tech and Real Estate to Win

00:35:46 – The Future of STR Leadership and Industry Standards

00:40:38 – Legacy Leadership: Culture, Vision, and Setting the Bar Higher

Guest Bio:

Sief Khafagi is an ex-techie turned real estate investor who has helped thousands diversify into real estate. Today, he’s the founder of Techvestor, one of the first institutional-grade and backed STR portfolios. With their vertically integrated advantages across acquisitions, renovation, design, management, and more, Techvestor is the leader in short-term rentals as an asset class. Backed by in-house technology, one of the deepest talent benches in the industry, and most recently, institutional backing, they're on a path to 500+ owned STRs over the coming years.

Guest Link:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/siefkhafagi/

Get FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:

https://group.strsecrets.com/

Most Airbnb listings are costing hosts thousands—because they’re built wrong.

In this breakdown, we show you exactly how to rebuild your listing from the ground up to rank higher, convert faster, and stand out in a crowded market.

• The step-by-step to create a perfect, profit-ready listing

• The mistakes 90% of hosts make in titles and descriptions

• How to fix your visuals and brand in minutes

• What data says about click-through and conversions

• The system top hosts use to stay booked year-round

Want to make your Listing Perfect? Grab the FREE Guide.

Click the link below and DM us "OPTIMIZE"

https://ig.me/m/mike.sjogren?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Captivate&utm_campaign=T029&utm_content=OPTIMIZE

00:00:56 – Creating the Perfect Listing: What Goes Into It

00:03:39 – The Listing Description Framework (Step-by-Step)

00:05:34 – Lifestyle Photos That Drive Bookings

00:09:16 – Photo Strategy: Location, Amenities, Experience

00:13:24 – Use Captions to Boost Click-Through Rate

00:14:24 – The Big Description Mistake: Paragraphs vs Bullets

00:21:44 – Are You Actually Optimized? The Search-to-Listing Check

00:24:03 – KPIs to Optimize Your Listing (Property Refresh Cadence)

00:25:30 – Test Photos for Higher Conversions & CTR

00:26:57 – Build Your Direct-Booking Brand (After You Dominate Airbnb)

Get FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:

https://group.strsecrets.com/

Airbnb’s shifting fee structure is shaking hosts, but the real issue goes deeper—pricing psychology, guest behavior, and knowing your market.

In this episode, Thibault shares actionable strategies that hosts can use to protect margins, win more bookings, and scale smarter.

• Why Airbnb’s new fee model has hosts freaking out

• How to price for what guests see (not what you keep)

• Tools like PriceLabs—and why they’re useless without context

• How European vs. U.S. guests think about fees differently

• When to simplify pricing and present “one clean price”

• The principles of occupancy, demand, and market alignment

00:05:12 – 3 Pricing Foundations Every Host Must Know

00:07:02 – Why Hosts Are Freaking Out About Airbnb Fees

00:08:22 – The Real Reason Airbnb Changed Its Fees

00:09:15 – The Only Price That Matters to Guests

00:10:24 – Why “One Clean Price” Converts Better

00:11:50 – Airbnb vs. Vrbo vs. Booking.com Costs Compared

00:12:09 – How Airbnb Went From Host-Friendly to Guest-First

00:24:50 – Are More Bookings Always Better?

00:25:04 – AI + Pricing Strategy: Where the Future Is Headed

00:25:22 – Who Owns Mistakes—You or the Machine?

Guest Bio:

Thibault Masson is the Head of Product Marketing at PriceLabs. His short-term rental journey started as a villa owner in Bali and St. Barts, which gave him firsthand insight into the opportunities and challenges of hosting. That passion for hospitality later brought him to Booking.com, where he worked on vacation rental strategy at a global scale, and inspired him to launch Rental Scale-Up as a platform for industry knowledge-sharing. Today at PriceLabs, Thibault brings together his experience as a host, tech marketer, and industry advocate to help property managers worldwide grow through smarter pricing and revenue management.

Guest Link:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thibaultmasson

Get FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:

http://group.strsecrets.com/

In this episode, Mike Reilly breaks down exactly how he closed a co-hosting deal in just 13 days—from the first call to signing the contract. He shares the sales process, the assets he used, and even gives away the templates that sealed the deal.

• How to pitch revenue expectations with confidence

• The $10K guarantee that beat out competitors

• Proposal + deal analyzer templates revealed

• How to handle homeowners on the phone

• Closing tactics to avoid being ghosted

• The 13-day timeline broken down step by step

Want the ACTUAL Step by Step Training? Just click the link below.

https://go.strsecrets.com/watch-strs-vacasa?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Captivate&utm_campaign=T028&utm_content=StepByStep2

What separates the STR hosts who burn out from those who thrive?

In this episode, Matt shares his hard-earned lessons on revenue management, scaling, and the mindset shifts that set top operators apart.

• The truth about revenue management: when to DIY vs. hire

• How beginners can scale from 1–2 units to many

• Success traits Matt has seen across hundreds of operators

• Why your calendar is the foundation of business success

• The mindset shift: “If you can’t help yourself, you can’t help others”

• How to design life first, then build STR around it

00:02 – DIY Revenue Management: Matt’s 3 Best Tips

14:11 – Success Traits vs. Failure Traits

15:29 – The Power of a Strong WHY

18:29 – Calendar & Life Buckets for STR Success

19:08 – If You Can’t Help Yourself, You Can’t Help Others

20:52 – Designing Life First, Then Business

Guest Bio:

Matthew McDonald is a short-term rentals and hotels investor and coach.

Guest Link:

matt.mcdonald@strsecrets.com

Get FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:

http://group.strsecrets.com/

Airbnb’s new 15% fee structure has left property managers, cohosts, and homeowners asking the same question: who’s really paying?

In this episode, finance expert Ben Coons breaks down the numbers behind gross vs. net commission models—and what you must do to protect your margins.

• Gross vs. net commission explained in plain English

• How Airbnb’s fee hits managers vs. homeowners

• Why this change is different from Vrbo and Booking.com

• Pricing adjustments to avoid eating the new fee

• Commission stacking and where your money really goes

• How to communicate fee changes to homeowners clearly

• Key takeaways to stay profitable under the new system

Co-hosts and homeowners: want the real numbers on Airbnb’s 15% fee?

Click the link and DM us “SPREADSHEET” and we’ll send you the file.

Link: https://ig.me/m/mike.sjogren?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Captivate&utm_campaign=T027&utm_content=Spreadsheet

00:04:30 – Example Scenarios: Who Really Pays the Fee

00:07:00 – Comparing Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com

00:11:30 – Impact on Gross Model Operators

00:14:00 – Impact on Net Model Operators

00:18:30 – The Homeowner’s Point of View

00:23:30 – Commission Stacking: The Hidden Cost

00:26:00 – Pricing Adjustments to Stay Profitable

00:29:00 – How to Communicate Fee Changes to Homeowners

00:32:00 – Key Takeaways: Run the Numbers & Adapt Early

Get FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:

http://group.strsecrets.com/

Marketing isn’t just about ads—it’s about positioning, messaging, and action.

In this episode, Chris shares practical frameworks and timeless principles that every business owner (and STR host) can use to stand out, attract clients, and scale smarter.

• Why marketing and sales matter more than ever

• The real difference between content and community

• How to build a personal brand the right way

• Authentic content vs. performative posting

• Head vs. heart: the two frames of content

• Why information ≠ transformation in business

• How to message to your avatar’s pain + desire

• Funnels, ads, and what they can’t replace

• Systems for managing leads without overwhelm

• Why investing in belief shifts your identity

00:01:27 – Why Listen to Chris (Marketing & Sales Depth)

00:03:07 – Community Leverage > Content Alone

00:11:38 – “Give Me a Framework” Moment

00:12:02 – Starting a Brand the Right Way

00:15:05 – Content Resistance, Authenticity, and Output

00:16:48 – Frames of Content: Head vs. Heart

00:21:26 – Information ≠ Transformation

00:26:33 – Avatar, Pain + Desire (Messaging 101)

00:28:15 – Ads, Funnels, and Social Avoidance

00:34:45 – Investing in Belief and Identity Shift

Get FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:

http://group.strsecrets.com/

Cohosting is one of the most powerful (and overlooked) ways to build a short-term rental business without heavy upfront costs.

In this episode, we break down the cohosting model step by step—from the basics to the systems that let you scale sustainably.

• What cohosting really is (and how it works)

• The 3 key things you need before starting

• How to choose the right market for success

• Proven ways to find clients and grow your portfolio

• The cohost funnel: your roadmap from startup to scale-up

Want the tested and proven Pitch Deck? Just click the link below and DM us "Pitchdeck"

https://ig.me/m/mike.sjogren?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Captivate&utm_campaign=T026&utm_content=Pitchdeck

00:04:45 – What Is Cohosting

00:11:49 – Cohosting vs. Arbitrage

00:12:59 – Why Arbitrage Is Failing

00:15:45 – Why Cohosting Is a Better Model

00:17:26 – Three Key Things Before Starting

00:23:40 – Market Selection for STR

00:26:52 – Acquisition Channels for Clients

00:28:15 – The Cohost Funnel Framework

00:29:40 – Tracking Where You Are in the Funnel

00:34:10 – Special Giveaway for Listeners

Get FREE Access to our Community and Weekly Trainings:

http://group.strsecrets.com/