Wondering where to learn more about the short-term rental industry? You don’t need to go to university or spend money on training programs. One of the best resources for starting and scaling your Airbnb business is actually one that you probably already use to watch cat videos or sports recaps: YouTube. Some Airbnb hosting and rental arbitrage Youtube channels, such as Airbnb Automated, have collected several million views.
Several YouTube channels and hundreds of videos are available about building vacation rental businesses. To celebrate the launch of our very own Rental Scale-Up Youtube channel, we’ll summarize here the top 12 and introduce you to the creators. Besides talking about the short-term rental industry, these creators also discuss real estate, investing, personal finance, and general business topics which can also offer value to your life outside of work.
While vacation rental pros know the likes of VRMintel, VRMB, or Skift, a big number of people who have started with Airbnb hosting and with rental arbitrage are more familiar with Airbnb Youtubers than with this other industry knowledge sources.
Who’s behind the videos?
Before we dive into the videos, let’s meet the video creators. The 12 most popular videos include videos from five channels. Behind these channels are five dedicated educators who work tirelessly to share their knowledge about running Airbnb businesses. But who are they?
The Airbnb Automated channel is run by Sean Rakidzich, an entrepreneur and rental arbitrage expert who turned his initial $4,000 investment into a $2 million per year Airbnb business. Airbnb Automated currently has just over 100,000 YouTube subscribers.
BiggerPockets is a resource for a variety of topics related to real estate investing and personal finance run by CEO Scott Trench and his team. On Youtube, BiggerPocket’s VP of Content, Brandon Turner hosts many of the channels’ videos. Both Scott and Brandon are active investors in real estate and contribute to the BiggerPockets Money Podcast. BiggerPockets has about 585,000 YouTube subscribers.
On his namesake channel, Robert Iacob discusses strategies for short-term rental operation and personal finance. In addition to his Youtube channel, which has around 11,000 subscribers, Robert offers a few online courses for entrepreneurs interested in starting and growing short-term rental businesses.
Kai Andrew is an entrepreneur and personal finance expert who is passionate about minimalism and doing more with less. On his channel, you can find videos about short-term rentals, finance, career advice, and taxes. Kai’s Youtube channel has about 13,000 subscribers.
Richard Fertig is the creator behind STR University, which focuses specifically on educational videos about the short-term rental industry. Richard is an entrepreneur, real estate developer, and former hedge fund banker who found success in converting his long-term rental properties into Airbnbs and wants to teach others how to do the same. In addition to the STR University Youtube channel, which has about 40,000 subscribers, Richard runs the STRU Podcast.
The 12 most popular YouTube videos on how to start and scale an Airbnb business – Best Airbnb Youtube video channels
1. Airbnb Automated – How I Make Millions On Airbnb With No Property And No Credit
In this video, Sean explains how to set up an LLC to lease short-term rental properties, which means you don’t need to use your own credit score to secure a lease. In addition, with a business entity in your name, you can open a business credit card and build tradelines much faster than using your individual credit line.
2. BiggerPockets – From Duplex to (Almost) 100 Rental Property Units
In this video, Brandon shares his “house hacking” strategy, which involves low-interest loans, living in your property for very low rent, and hands-on training on how to be a landlord. After getting a solid foundation, Brandon started upgrading his real estate investments and purchasing larger rental properties.
3. Airbnb Automated – Is It Too Late To Start An Airbnb Business? Hosting in 2020
In this video, Sean examines the three most popular types of short-term rental ownership and/or hosting arrangements and explores current regulations and restrictions. Despite the potential obstacles, choosing the right ownership model and implementing good operational strategies can still lead to profits.
4. Airbnb Automated – Ten Things You Need To Know To Run Your Airbnb Business In 2020
This video outlines several important trends and events that make running a short-term rental business in 2020 different than in previous years. Topics include Airbnb’s plans to go public, savvy guests who find loopholes in the platform, themed properties, and generating direct bookings.
5. Airbnb Automated – 10 Things You Can Do TODAY As an Airbnb Host In 2019
In this video, Sean offers ten strategies and improvements you can apply to your short-term rental business. He offers suggestions on books to read, outlining your communication flow, creating an internal contact directory, and uploading better photos.
6. Robert Iacob – 8 Steps I Took To Start My Airbnb Business (easy)
Robert shares his journey from idea inception all the way to a thriving short-term rental business. His steps include understanding your business model, getting the appropriate permits or licenses, and taking out business insurance.
7. Airbnb Automated – Airbnb Played Us Like Puppets | Brian Chesky Financial Scam
When COVID-19 first took a hit on the travel industry, Airbnb engaged in some questionable practices regarding issuing refunds to guests. In this video, Sean explains exactly what happened to his business and discusses whether Airbnb’s extenuating circumstances is beneficial or not.
8. Robert Iacob – How I Started My Airbnb Business Without Owning Any Real Estate
After listening to a podcast about a short-term rental entrepreneur, Robert was inspired to start his business. In this video, Robert explains exactly how he started his business through steps like setting up an LLC, furnishing his properties, and designing the stay experience based on what he would want in an Airbnb property.
9. Kai Andrew – How I Created A Six-Figure Rental Income With AirBnB Business
In this video, Kai offers several tips for new short-term rental entrepreneurs. His tips include starting small, tailoring your rental contract, finding design inspiration on Pinterest, and hiring a professional photographer to take great photos for your listings.
10. STR University – 6 Airbnb Predictions Once COVID-19 is OVER
In this timely video, posted in late April 2020, Richard shares his vision for a post-COVID short-term rental industry. His predictions include increased demand for traditional drive-to vacation destinations, increased disruption in the hotel industry, and a return to the personal, local mentality of Airbnb.
11. STR University – TOP 5 THINGS AIRBNB HOSTS SHOULD CONSIDER IN 2019!! (what I’m doing)
As a host himself, Richard shares five strategies he implemented in his business in 2019, which include giving his listings character and personality, creating his own website which accepts direct bookings, and keeping up with the evolving preferences of guests who are becoming increasingly savvy.
12. STR University – One SIMPLE AIRBNB TIP that Saved Me $20,000 Last Month!! (every host should do this)
In this video, Richard details a tough situation in which a guest wanted to cancel a reservation during peak season that had a “strict” cancellation policy. When the guest arrived, they encountered some issues during the stay and tried to communicate with him via various platforms. By keeping communication on Airbnb’s own platform, Richard was able to keep the cost of the reservation when the guest tried to get a refund.
Have we missed any of the best Airbnb Youtube video channels? We’re always looking for more great resources too!
