Arkansas

Communicating with frightened guests at 1am. Sending them local news updates, recommending where to shelter in place, all while WE were also in it. Assessing the damage the next few days for owners far away, unsure how their home was impacted. Communicating with countless disappointed guests that their reservations could not remain, getting them to replacement properties, helping locals without power access homes we have with power. Navigating claims and roofers and clean up. We couldn’t do it alone. We didn’t ask for it, but man, we’ve been blessed by the way our team has rallied in crisis. You’re made of the good stuff, Weekender staff. From our housekeeping teams showing up to clean with battery vacuums and no power to our communication team easing guest fears. So, so thankful for you. Deep breaths. It’s all going to be ok. Praise God everyone is safe. ❤️ #propertymanagement #airbnbhost #shorttermrentals #northwestarkansas

We get this question a lot as we are a management company, not cohosts. There’s no better or worse option here overall, but the differences are important to consider based on your needs and the level of involvement you want in running your short term rental. In summary, cohosting is the most accessible option for those looking to break into the industry. Usually a license isn’t required; they simply are added to your listing as a cohost on Airbnb, and they invoice you monthly for their services. They will usually use the owner’s cards for cleanings or have cleaners and other vendors directly bill owners for the expenses associated with their property. This is largely a single individual with maybe help from a small team, and typically a “side hustle” for a realtor or the like. They cannot receive funds from bookings and they must include the owners on the listing, which keeps owners somewhat more involved in seeing communications with guests & having to pay vendors directly. Management companies, however, typically have to be licensed with a broker to ensure best legal practices take place with the management of funds. There’s a lot of accountability here as management companies receive payment directly from bookings and (at our company) disburse funds weekly to owners that is their net share after commissions and cleanings or other maintenance services paid out and managed by the management company. They typically list across multiple platforms as Airbnb is the only one with a “cohosting” option, and have direct booking options, as well as being able to list on the MLS as licensed brokers. It is a little more hands-off as owners aren’t necessarily included in all the communications with guests, and while there is typically in the contract an “approval” amount for maintenance, minor replacement costs are just taken care of without bothering owners with all that goes into maintaining a property. Any questions about the differences between these two services often used interchangeably? #airbnb #airbnbhost #propertymanagement

If you don’t have a heart for hospitality in your personal home, it’s probably hard to have a heart for it in vacation hosting. Truthfully, I’m a sucker for hospitality. I love people in our home. I love cooking meals for others. I love my girls inviting their friends into our home. And when we have guests, I try to make them feel seen & cared for. Quick to make meals or offer drinks. Laying out snacks or stocking toiletries. I think the reason Airbnb has been as successful as it has been is because unlike in hotels, guests like to feel like their host thought about THEM. Knew them by name in messaging. Prepared a soft and cozy place for them. Left the lamps on for their arrival. Water on the counter and coffee for the next morning. It’s these little nods that say, “I am so glad you are here, and I thought just about your when I curated this stay.” What are some ways you wave your hospitality flag for guests? I love hearing the creative ways hosts show they care about it the feeling a guest has during their stay. #airbnbhost #airbnbsuperhost #hospitalityindustry

If a hotel provides it, it’s not optional IMO. BUT also consumables should be standardized—for both your guests and your cleaners’ sakes. This isn’t a free for all, and consumables can eat your profit margin quickly if you aren’t paying attention. Because the expectations from host to host are so varied, we COMMUNICATE before the guests’ stay what they can expect. Here’s our script we send guests. SAVE to refer to later😀: “To help you prepare on what to pack, we want to let you know what consumables you can find at our property. We don’t want you to have to rush out to the grocery store as soon as you get to our home, so we have provided a starter pack that should last you at least a day and maybe more of the essentials. You will find in our properties: - At least one extra toilet paper roll in the bathroom. - Shampoo, conditioner and body wash. - Coffee for everyone for the first day or 2. - One roll of paper towels - 3-4 dishwasher pods - 3-4 laundry pods - Hand soap & liquid dish soap - 3-4 trash bags. 

If you have an extended stay or believe your group will go through more than provided during your stay, you will need to replenish as needed. We know this is helpful in planning your stay.” What do you think? Did I leave anything out? #airbnb #airbnbhost #airbnbsuperhost #shorttermrentals #propertymanagement

And no, I don’t mean safety liability. 🤪 While it may seem tempting to offer every possible perk to attract guests, the reality is that each amenity comes with ongoing maintenance costs and the risk of disappointing guests if they don’t function properly. Before investing in amenities, it’s crucial to thoroughly research your market and identify the key features that will truly enhance your guests’ experience. Consider factors like location and guest preferences to determine the amenities that will set your rental apart. BUT be realistic about your ability to maintain these amenities. Does your location have the necessary infrastructure and resources in place to handle ongoing upkeep? Middle of nowhere America may not give you access to specialty hot tub techs when something goes wrong. Factor in the time and cost involved in maintaining each amenity, and be wary of overcommitting yourself to amenities that may be difficult to maintain. Instead of trying to offer everything under the sun, focus on one or two standout amenities that align with your property’s unique selling points. Whether it’s a hot tub for mountain getaways or a pool for summer stays, choose amenities that will resonate with your target audience and enhance their overall experience. In addition to your primary amenities, consider adding a couple of low-risk, low-maintenance extras that can easily be replaced or replenished as needed. Think specialty coffee bars, board games, or a fire pit – amenities that add value without requiring a significant investment of time or resources. Remember, the more amenities you have, the greater the potential for issues to arise. Avoid the temptation to overload your property with all the flashy features and instead focus on SUSTAINABLE quality over quantity. By running your rental like a business and carefully managing your amenities, you can minimize the risk of guest disappointments and ensure a positive experience for everyone who stays with you. #VacationRentalTips #smartinvesting #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbexperience

For many hosts across the country, summer travel is peak season for us, and one of the MOST expensive mistakes you can make as a host is NOT completing preventative maintenance to head off issues BEFORE your guests arrive. This summer is predicted to be a scorcher across the majority of the country, so it’s foolish to wait until your old system gives out with guests and back to back turnovers to address the maintenance needs of your property. Emergency service repairs hit our wallets hard, but it’s the ripple effect that stings the most. Picture this: guests sweating it out when the A/C fails, demanding refunds, leaving bad reviews, and worst of all, possibly losing out on future bookings because of delays in fixing things while the HVAC techs are backed up because everyone’s A/Cs are going out. It’s a domino effect that can often be avoided if we just are proactive, instead of reactive. Preventative Maintenance that can head off costly & inconvenient complaints during peak season: •HVAC tune ups •Snaking drains for hair & roots •Emptying septic tanks •Replacing Smoke Detector Batteries How are you preparing now for high occupancy at your properties? #airbnb #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement #summertravel

TOWELS! I always cringe when I walk into a new property to manage and they have SUPER thick towels. I get the allure. You think SUPER thick means SUPER luxurious. But truly, it’s the most amateur move 🫣 Thick towels mean either: A. Your cleaners spend MORE time doing laundry onsite costing more money at each clean B. Your cleaners are charging you to do laundry OFFSITE creating headache to get it back & costing more money in laundry fees There is a perfect balance of towel selection. You don’t want thin, cheap feeling towels, AND few guests appreciate the feeling of Turkish towels (although I do recommend these for pool & hot tub towels). Comment TOWELS and I’ll send you a link to our favorite waffle, quick dry towels on Amazon that check all the boxes: ✅ Feel like spa towels for guests ✅Affordable for replacement costs ✅Quick ship ✅Quick DRY Buying for practicality, efficiency, AND guest comfort is a skillset only experience often brings in the vacation rental world, and having been on the investment, design, AND management side of the whole process for over 100 properties, we’ve come to pick our favorites over time of the basics 😉 #airbnb #shorttermrentalproperty #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement

Been a little quiet on the social scene because we’ve been busy in the business scene. So hang with me today! Name my worst nightmare: being stuck in the same room at the same computer all day 😅 I know that brings a lot of joy to some people—their true goal in life is working from home or even working from anywhere. That ain’t me. 👋 I LOVE to be IN our properties. Inspections. Restocks. Onboard. Vacancy checks. That’s the fun stuff to me. These homes are AMAZING. How lucky am I that I get to be IN them so often? And because we have an incredible team, while I’m onsite, so many are working behind the scenes to keep the wheels on online. We built systems that are easy to replicate, and couldn’t be more proud to be surrounded by the professionals we have in our corner. What’s your favorite part of hosting? The admin side or the hands on? #airbnb #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement #dayinthelife

Do you weave these questions into your Owners’ Questionnaire or share them with your cohosts? I love to underpromise and overdeliver, but it’s important as a cohost/manager that I know if my owner bought a bad deal. Their money problems will quickly become my problems if they did, and discussing what is a reasonable expectation and what isn’t will save loads of heartache later. If they don’t know their predicted overhead, that’s a huge 🚩 for me 😬. Equally, it’s nice to know if my owners bought a property knowing it won’t cash flow, but they expect the property to appreciate well to sell off later, need the tax write off, or just want to enjoy it themselves. These discussions are important to have in our cohosting & management relationships even if they feel uncomfortable to ask. #airbnbhost #propertymanagement #cohosting #airbnbsuperhost

I see it all the time on FB forums for hosts: burnout. They complain more than they enjoy hosting. Every small infraction by a guest is a huge deal. Their cleaners are never good enough. Guests are entitled. But it’s not just everyone else. They notice they THEMSELVES are dropping balls they never have before, & have zero grace for not being able to foresee things outside their control. Their phone is on and within reach for every date night, vacation, and child’s school performance. They are exhausted. The expectations too high. The demands too many. The stakes too high. That’s where a team comes in. Whether through a management company, a cohost, a virtual assistant, or even a friend or family member. You NEED time to unplug. To put the phone on Do Not Disturb. To walk away, and even if it’s not PERFECT like if you handled it yourself, your sanity and general quality of life is worth sacrificing perfection. And at the end of the day, you’ll be a better host for it. ❤️ Takes courage to delegate & empower others, but I promise, hosting should only be your work, not your entire life. #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement #shorttermrentals

There’s an old saying in management that says, “You can expect what you inspect.” What this means is that setting expectations for your team isn’t enough; you have to hold a certain level of accountability in inspection to ensure they are meeting expectations & provide consistent feedback to sharpen skills and performance. We believe this to be true in turnover cleanings, too! Having a great cleaning team isn’t all you need; you need a great inspector, too, because we are all human, we overlook things at times, and having two sets of eyes instead of one is that second layer of accountability to prevent guests from becoming your “inspector” for you 😏 So we inspect after every clean. Devil’s in the details, and that’s what an inspector’s job is—looking at the details. I think it’s this second layer that leads our team to achieve 99% ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews in cleanliness! #shorttermrentalmanagement #propertymanagement #turnovers #airbnbsuperhost

SUCKER for cute towel folds. I’ll die on that hill in hospitality 🤷🏼‍♀️ Last summer we spent some time at @unico2087 and I knew I HAD to implement two key hospitality pieces from their luxury resort: a signature scent (this is still a work in process) AND the best towel folds 😏 Ones that are simple, classy, and quick. Hospitality is IN the details. Forever and always. Luxury or not, towel folds are simple ways our housekeeping team can elevate the presentation at arrival. #airbnb #hospitalitydesign #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbtips #vacationrental

Here to say, we’ve run the experiment and tried both ways, and what we determined was that our PERSONAL names as the host led to: -higher reviews -more kindness & grace when issues arose -less bullying us to break our cancellation, checkin, & checkout policies -more understanding, less middle of the night calls Here’s the thing, when we used our management company name as the host, guests treated us like a call center more often. They’d come out swinging over maintenance issues, ask to speak to my manager (it’s me, hi 👋) to get exceptions like cancellations last minute, would insist on refunds for minor inconveniences. We still had overall great reviews as a management company, but experience WAY more understanding from guests when they know us by a NAME and not a faceless entity. There are drawbacks: most notably the lack of brand awareness, BUT our loyal guests will often say “I’ve stayed at STEPHANIE’S properties every time I’m in town.” And we do have signs in our homes for direct booking on our Weekender Management site. So, no, we won’t show up on AirDNA, but Karen isn’t cussing me out because leaves blew into the pool just before they arrived 😏 #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbtips #propertymanagement How do you list your host name?

Chat GPT can only do so much. How many ways can we say king bed, luxury linens, and spacious yard, including SEO optimized copy? 😅 #iykyk #airbnbhost #listingoptimization #propertymanagement #shorttermrentalproperty

Short term rental management is ACTIVE income. It’s problem solving when problems arise. It’s extending empathy when plans change. It’s analyzing the market changes. It’s sharing area recommendations. It’s being plugged into the community. It’s coordinating with people. It’s providing quality control. It’s creating welcoming environments. And. So. Much. More. And it’s a lot to balance in addition to a full time job and family life. So when you decide you’d like a team to help, so you can take some hats off, you know who to call ❤️ #airbnbmanagement #vacationrentals #propertymanagement #airbnbsuperhost

If you’re staying at a Weekender property, we don’t just know the house, we know the community. We know the best eats, drinks, and activities. We stay up to date on farmer’s markets, festivals, live music, & First Fridays. We know crowded hours, best parking, trails for different level riders, & so much more. Because we LOVE being tourists. We aren’t a box management company run by an impersonal call center. We are family run and operated. We are hands on. And we are all-in. Because we know that the memories made as family and friends are the whole point, and we are committed to guiding you to making the best ones ❤️ #airbnb #airbnbexperience #propertymanagement #shorttermrentals #morememorieslessstuff

Of course video walk throughs are great for promotional aspects. Include a QR code on your Airbnb listing that pushes them to your YouTube video to show the layout to guests. Include on your socials, direct booking platform, and other marketing aspects. BUT the real sweet benefit if you have people on your team who may not have seen the property before is giving THEM a strong sense of the property to share with guests. Guests ask all the time about the layout of our properties. A video walk through is a great resource to send guests & to help your team be better communicators. It’s also an important aspect in addition to photos to help housekeeping keep a consistent staging of furniture & bedding. Simply ask your videographer to do a fluid walk through, not just a pan and tilt. 📸 @forestlandfilms and highlighting The Hill House in St. Charles, MO, coming SOON! #airbnb #airbnbexperience #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement Do you have video walk throughs of all your properties?

Sundays are always our busiest housekeeping days, so all joking aside, what does housekeeping safety look like in this industry? For us, we utilize @breezeway.io which allows our cleaners to: 1. Mark when they start their job & allows the team to monitor how long it is in process. If the cleaner goes radio silent or it takes longer than usual, we will know something is up & to check on them. 2. Chat regularly with the manager while they are at their job to see how things are going. 3. Receive a text from guests when they checkout to let them know the property is vacant. 4. Have an inspector come in behind them to check their work, but also their safety. In addition, we utilize smart locks that deactivate guests’ door codes at their checkout time. This means once the guests check out, and the cleaners go in and lock up while they work, the guest can’t reenter the property with their code from their stay. And how they prepare the rest of the time, well that’s their business 😆 How do you provide additional safety procedures for your most valuable players, the housekeeping team! #housekeepingservices #hospitalityindustry #propertymanagement #airbnbsuperhost

Don’t worry, I’ll share the WINS we did from day 1, too, but these mistakes were painful ones I’d love to spare other managers & cohosts: 1. Using our commissions to pay for operating costs owners would have WITHOUT our services. This is labor costs like trash removal or marketing costs like photography or systems costs like software integration. Commissions are for MANAGEMENT labor. If you owned a restaurant and hired a manager, you wouldn’t expect them to pay out of their salary the wait staff or advertising, would you? It needs to be clear that IF the owner would have to pay for it if self-managing, you aren’t covering it from YOUR pay. That stuff will suck your profit REAL quick. 2. In the beginning, we were a 2 man team, the fill in cleaner, the on-call handyman, the customer service rep, the bookkeeper, the listing agent, the sales associate, AND EVERYTHING in-between. Outsource EARLY. Hire the VAs. See number 1 so that you have profit margin TO outsource early & often 😏 You will serve your guests and clients better, and you’ll survive year 1 without a nervous breakdown 😅 3. Absolutely no client is worth your peace. A strong “no” at the beginning when the vibe is off will save you tons of heartbreak from a breakup down the road. ✌️ There are more clients; I promise. Don’t let that scarcity mindset make you say “yes” to someone you know will make you miserable. 4. If you aren’t fetching mail for a client, make that clear. If you aren’t scheduling regular maintenance for them or running errands, tell them up front. Outline clearly what your role is, and what it is not. Clear expectations is your BEST friend for fighting off miscommunication or letdowns. What are some mistakes you made early on as an Airbnb cohost? #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement #shorttermrentals

@get.sojo came through with these branded dispensers, and let’s talk about what we love ❤️ about these: 1. Unlike standard Amazon-type dispensers, these still share the ingredients of the contents for guests who are health conscious about what goes on their skin. 2. Their labels show that the toiletries are vegan, cruelty-free, dye-free, and paraben-free among other important factors, easing guest fears about what’s inside the dispensers. 3. It provides a signature scent & consistent branding across properties without throw away individually packaged consumables. Win for us. Win for guests! #airbnbexperience #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement

Want to talk about WHO Weekender is & how we started? It goes way back to 2018 when my family was traveling full time across the country. We came to understand the yearnings and desires of travelers, and when we settled after a year on the road in Northwest Arkansas, I knew I wanted to bring that adventurous spirit to others. We established a glamping company with partners with a $5k investment and a lot of sweat to revenue $100k with 100% DIRECT BOOKINGS! I honestly didn’t realize what a tremendous accomplishment this was until I got into the Airbnb space and realized a lot of full blown vacation homes don’t revenue that much 🤪. After selling that business in 2021, Garrett was coming out of graduate school at Yale University & purchasing another real estate investment in Fayetteville, AR, but this time trying his hand at STR. He asked me to manage with my background in hospitality and his in real estate and law, & we struck our hand at something new. I acquired a rental arbitrage in DT Bentonville, and we got a few more rental arbitrage units to build our experience and portfolio with our own investments before managing others. That’s really how Weekender was born! This month we are taking on our first remote management properties, which will be different and present new challenges, but we are excited to continue to serve our clients and our guests in this way! That’s us! Tell us where you are from and how you got started in STR! And if you are an owner in need of management, we’d love to share your experience with you ❤️ #airbnb #airbnbexperience #airbnbsuperhost #fulltimerv #glamping #northwestarkansas

What separates a chaotic host from an efficient one? ONBOARDING! Any time I rush onboarding, I pay for it later, scrambling for information that I should have prepared from the beginning. The extra time on the front end saves endless time on the back end. Here is a small portion of our onsite checks when onboarding a new property. What are some often overlooked items in onboarding that save you later? 📸Property featured: the North Walton Ranch coming soon! Located just a mile from DT Bentonville, it’s positioned beautifully to access all that Bentonville has to offer, along with a fully fenced yard and garage for bike storage and furry 🐾 friends!

Whew! ⏬ SAVE this post if you are just starting to build out systems for onboarding as a cohost or host. We are onboarding 8 new properties this month and the systems around onboarding are SO important for listing success and client satisfaction. This is an abbreviated list of our onboarding checklist. Everything from getting the contracts signed to making sure the smoke detectors work to creating tutorial videos for when guests have a hard time operating the thermostat. It’s a lot of tiny details that make up the bigger picture of an efficient listing that is well-equipped and well-managed. Did we leave anything out? #airbnb #propertymanagement #vacationrentals

Siloam Springs. There’s been a bit of a buzz lately about investing in Siloam, and it’s easy to see why—the pricing market is comparatively low against other NWA metros, and the short term rental market is less saturated than any other market. There’s a university, which always brings visitors (AND weddings and events 😏). The downtown is precious, the kayak park and mountain biking trails have gotten attention, and there’s no doubt more development coming its way. However, tourism demand IS still lower than other markets in NWA, AND anyone interested in investing here as an STR should know the QUALITY of competition is higher than some other NWA markets. If you invest in Siloam, you’ll find the majority of the few Airbnbs on the market (around 50 compared to around 800 in Bentonville 😳), are well designed and boast incredibly high reviews. Featured here is our Dogwood Bloom 🌸. Directly across from JBU, it’s beautiful appointed for college visits and parents weekends, while walking distance on the trail to DT shops, restaurants, and coffee. Have you looked at Siloam Springs for your next investment? We are happy to help guide you! #northwestarkansasrealtor #notthwestarkansas #siloamspringsar #airbnb #realestateinvesting

SAVE for your next guidebook! I call this a hybrid guidebook. I don’t love physical guidebooks for a variety of reasons—things change, pages get torn or coffee spilt on them, expensive to print. BUT I do love to have some information printed on site for guests to access quickly and easily without their phone. So we print this one page welcome sign that includes: • Address • WiFi information • Trash Day • Contact information (Non-emergency local police, 911, after hours phone line) •Pertinent House Rules (where to park, quiet hours, occupancy limits) •Checkout info (time & procedures) And then we include TWO QR codes for more information: •One takes them to our direct booking site to encourage guests to rebook directly with a discount code •One takes them to a digital guidebook of area recommendations for restaurants & activities We’ve found this cuts down on standard questions because in a digital world, many guests don’t read a thing you send them 😆 But prevent you from constantly having to reprint updates to your physical guidebooks. Just edit the digital one as needed with printed static information. What about you? Do you prefer a physical, digital, and hybrid book? #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbtips

🛑 Realtors & Investors 🛑 If you want to get our monthly analysis of what the short-rental market is doing, comment “MARKET” and I’ll DM you March 1st’s video. This information can be super helpful in guiding your client in their investments. Of course it’s generalized, so when you need more granular information, don’t hesitate to ask us as experts. #airbnb #airbnbsuperhost #northwestarkansasrealestate #northwestarkansas #propertymanagement #realestateinvesting

We advise investors all the time on what move we would recommend in this market for an STR, and the response may surprise you. It’s not a specific type of property; it’s a feeling. A property that feels like an escape. One that quiets the mind from the hustle & bustle of life. Maybe it has a lake view or is lake front. Maybe it’s a large lot with a great deck or a screened in porch. Maybe it’s trees or a gravel road. Whatever it is, if you’re looking for it, we think you’ll know when you feel it. ❤️ Featured here “The Firefly Hollow” tiny home in Pineville, MO, on acreage with fresh eggs from the chickens in the morning and an outdoor bath on the screened in porch. Its serene setting is the perfect solo retreat, couples getaway, or reconnecting with nature with up to 4 guests. 10 minutes to Bella Vista’s Back 40 and 20 mins to Bentonville. DM for direct booking link! #airbnb #airbnbexperience #northwestarkansas #southernmissouri

We get it. It’s misleading, I thought the same thing, too, at first. “How are these people managing their properties in just 2-3 hours a week when it absolutely is a full-time job for me?” Sure, automation helps a ton. It sends booking confirmation, check-in and check-out info. It can even schedule your cleanings and help manage your pricing. But managing your cleaners, ensuring everyone is where they should be, coordinating maintenance vendors, answering late night phone calls, and troubleshooting problems? That’s a 24/7 thing. It doesn’t take very long to realize that these “gurus” don’t spend much time on their properties because SOMEONE ELSE DOES. Sure, that “someone” may be direct employees and virtual assistants and trusted housekeepers, and not a management firm, but anyone who says they are only working 2-3 hours a week on their properties has a team behind the scenes doing the day to day work…or they’re lying. Full 🛑. But if you are tired of working so much on your short term rental, we’d love to chat. We can be that “someone” who makes you look like a guru maximizing your time 😉 #airbnbexperience #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement #realestateinvesting

Whether a mountain biker or not, Coler Mountain Biking Preserve is a dream spot for everyone! And nothing gets your closer to the action than The Mustang at Coler! 🛌 Sleeps 9 🚴 Fully Stocked Bike Garage for tune ups 🎲 Game Closet to keep the kids entertained 🐾 Fully Fenced for our 4-legged friends Take the bike lanes or sidewalks from your backyard for a quick and safe trip to Coler. Then grab a smoothie or a coffee from @airshipcoffee on the trail, watch the sunrise from the top of The Rise installation if you dare 😅, and of course explore over 20 miles of flow, cross-country, rock, dual slalom, and flyover trails. Currently open for Arkansas’s Spring Break Week, secure yourself the outdoor vacation your family has been needing #airbnbexperience #airbnbsuperhost #colermountainbikingpreserve #bentonvilleairbnb #bentonvillearkansas #northwestarkansas

Day in the life as a property manager! At Weekender, we are fully IMMERSED in our community. Our kids go to school here, they play on these basketball courts & football fields, we sip our coffee at all the small coffee shops, we pick up welcome treats for guests at local bakeries, our team lives and works here. We aren’t just virtual assistants in a call center somewhere around the world; we are truly passionate about the guest experience because we are truly passionate about our community. ❤️ #northwestarkansas #bentonvilleairbnb #bentonvillearkansas #airbnbsuperhost

Over 75% of short term rentals in NWA are self-managed. 75% are balancing full time jobs, families, kids’ activities, & travel around arranging every turnover cleaning, calling backups when the primary plumber can’t make it, remembering to get the trash to the curb, answering calls at 11pm because the guest can’t find his door code in your thorough checkin instructions. And we know some of those hosts are TIRED. They want to go on vacation without worrying if the cleaner showed up. They want to go to bed with their phone on Do Not Disturb because someone else is on call if a guest has a chirping smoke detector goes off at 2am. They want someone watching vacancy rates, adjusting pricing, SEO optimizing their listing, running ads. They want someone with a wide net of professional help for maintenance, and they want to free up their TIME to look for their next investment. We’d love to help carry the burden. We know you’re busy with other things. This is our whole job—we aren’t doing this “on the side”; we’re committed to your property and maximizing its potential at every turn. Shoot us a DM today to chat! Doesn’t hurt to schedule a call or grab a cup of coffee. We can’t wait to hear from you. #airbnbsuperhost #vacationrentals #realestateinvesting #propertymanager

We have this conversation all the time with investors. The highest revenuing properties in NWA have pools, are lakefront, or are downtown (with a variety of other contributing factors). BUT if the investment in those type of properties RIGHT NOW outweighs the return the market provides, it doesn’t always make more sense to chase the “highest performing” property over the cute, clean single family home that is less flashy, but takes less investment and generates a higher percentage of return. One of our highest ROI properties was a $145k tiny home in the middle of nowhere. 😏 DO know what guests are drawn to, but don’t let those amenities SOLELY push you into a deal that doesn’t run. It’s about knowing your numbers. And if that’s something you need help crunching, don’t hesitate to reach out to us, your STR experts! #northwestarkansas #realestateinvestor #propertymanagement #airbnbsuperhost

First person who shows up when you click the share button deserves a vacation here with you 😏 Highlighting some of our favorite properties for gathering with families and friends. The Lake Brittany Escape checks all the boxes for a great family reunion, girls’ weekend, or dude’s fishing trip. Access to both trails and lake. Lots of outdoor toys. And tons of space to sleep and hangout. DM us to book directly and save this one to share in the group chat later 😘 #northwestarkansas #bellavistaarkansas #airbnbexperience #visitarkansas

🔑 SAVE to help your onboarding experience. 🔑 Key management. Whew. It’s a whole thing. We’ve definitely had a few key hiccups in our time managing properties. But since we established this SOP for keys, we’ve been without a hitch *knocks on wood.* 1. Get 3 physical copies made. One for emergency key in lockbox onsite. One for office management. One for primary point person or personal key. 2. Make a digital backup at Lowe’s or Minute Key kiosk. Key Hero will store these digital blueprints for your keys so if you need to print another one, but don’t have the physical one on you, you still can. Or if you need to share with a team member (especially for remote hosts), they can access and print far away from you. 3. TEST THE KEY! Sometimes copies are made wonky. Be SURE the key you made a copy of WORKS (🫣 feels obvious; was not early in our career 😆) 4. Install lockbox onsite with emergency key if the smart lock malfunctions. This is a LAST RESORT. A good Smart Lock won’t have issues 99.9% of the time, and you can control remotely. The mounted lockboxes are less likely to walk off (another lesson we have come to learn). 5. Store lockbox codes in a secure document for your team and virtual assistants in case they need to access them and you’re unavailable. If things fail, locksmiths are God’s angels to hosts 😏 They can rekey and it’s fine. Breathe. But these proactive tips keep us ahead of the inconvenience. 90% of host management is forethought. #airbnbexperience #airbnbhostexperience #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement #shorttermrentals

Could we be a good fit? Are you an owner feeling burnt out by the constant demands of your guests, always tied to your phone, but still holding on tight to the control because you think no one will care for your guests like you do? Let’s talk. At Weekender our core passions are that guests have a quality experience and that owners can have a more passive involvement in their investment. We love hearing about your property & your vision, while adding our expertise of being constantly plugged into the shifts and changes of the STR market. DM us to set up a call to discuss if our services may be a good fit for your property. #northwestarkansas #shorttermrental #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement

SAVE if you’ve ever wondered this yourself. Owners often ask us, “what happens if a guest damages my property?” 1. You need to be insured by a short term rental insurance provider. @properinsurance is one of the most recommended, but thankfully a lot of major insurance providers now have riders that can be added to your current policy. The key is, you do have to tell your insurance company. A home owner’s insurance policy may even be voided if something happens during an STR stay and you didn’t tell them you were operating as an STR. Plus, an STR insurance can often cover lost rents in the event a major maintenance issue keeps you from hosting, not just the maintenance itself. 2. We can make claims in the OTA, like Airbnb, but we wouldn’t rely on them & in instances when you have direct bookings (the goal!🙌), you need proper coverage. 3. We place a hold on guests’ CC for damages, like with hotels, to collect if damages can be charged to guest directly and not a claim. What other questions do you have about the nitty gritty of hosting?❤️ #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbtips #propertymanagement #northwestarkansas

For all the contemplative, moody, and angsty, a Lakehouse in the winter is just what you need. Make like TSwift and go where all the poets go in the winter 😏 Link in bio to direct book some of our lake houses with lake views, fireplaces, hot tubs, and more for your very wintery getaway! #northwestarkansas #bellavistaark #lakehouse #airbnbexperience

Merry Christmas from all of us at Weekender Management! 🎄 Thrilled to be hosting so many family memories today, and looking forward to a new year with clients and guests! ❤️

It’s time to evolve, y’all. Maybe lacking that secret ingredient worked once, but how is it serving you today? Post-pandemic hosts in 2021 experienced a 77% revenue growth on Airbnb from 2020. And counter to popular belief, we haven’t seen a decline in revenue year over year on Airbnb since. Slower growth since that pent up boom, but still consistently upwards. So why is everyone shouting about a decline in their revenue since the BOOM of 2021 when it felt like all you had to do was throw furniture in a house, turn utilities on, & watch the cash flow rake in? Is it because bookings are down with inflation? -nope, 2022 had 393 million bookings over 300 million in 2021 Is it a saturation issue? -maybe, depending on the area. 2021 boasted 6 million listings, as opposed to 7 million in 2023 & some markets felt that more than others—-BUT did you know 2019 had 7 million, too? So the competition NOW would be similar to pre-pandemic listing numbers, but with MORE bookings and nearly double the revenue happening in 2023. So wouldn’t that suggest the demand is actually HIGHER with similar supply as pre-pandemic years? 🤔 What if it’s not the raw data that has made the difference, but rather the TYPE of host & property? What if the competitor has simply changed the game? What if now it’s harder than ever to impress guests & get ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews because there are more full time hosts who are dedicated to the hospitality, design, and guest experience than ever before? What if it’s the amount of education, the push to raise the bar higher and higher and higher that is causing some properties to slip if they haven’t evolved from 2021? All of this to say, the data doesn’t support the whining 😏 But we do know many hosts have felt it in their bank accounts. The only solution in our opinion? Level up, or get out 😉 Know your market, and pivot appropriately. And if you need someone to show you how, you’ve got our number. 😘 #airbnbexperience #airbnbsuperhost #smallbusinessowner

I recently sat in a webinar with @strguide , and he so concisely said what we try to explain to owners all the time that I’ve set it to memory: “Rates are set by the market, not your costs.” This is SO poignant, and SO important to understand in the STR market. You cannot solely work backwards from your costs to set a nightly rate. Of COURSE you should know your costs to know if your investment is even viable in a market as an STR, but rates aren’t set on what you have in a property. If you’re upside down on a vehicle or a home you’re trying to sell, no one cares—they still aren’t paying above market rate because that’s what YOU need to not take a loss. Instead, focus on these things: -know your numbers before you invest (we can help!) -trust the process of annual return, not nightly (or monthly even) -position your property to beat the competition in quality & hospitality -study the shift in market pricing daily Pro insight: STRs are not set and forget businesses, and neither is your pricing. #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbexperience #propertymanagement

T - minus 2 weeks until Christmas. And in the hustle and bustle of making sure every gift is perfect, sometimes we can forget that what they really want is YOU and your TIME. May we be intentional in these coming weeks to spend our time with them, not just our money ON them. If we can help find you the perfect place for intentional time together, don’t hesitate to reach out! If you’re an owner who we can help give BACK more time by managing your property for you, we’re just a call away. Whatever the case may be, we hope these weeks leading up to this magical time are full of memory making for you and yours! ❤️ #northwestarkansas #bentonvillearkansas #experiencesoverthings

Guest verification should NOT be solely left to the OTA the guest booked through. Hotels don’t function that way; why do we? You couldn’t rent a car without signing something, and how much MORE of an asset are your loaning out in the form of a HOME without personally doing due diligence to protect it. If there is any guest push back on completing this step, it’s because HOSTS have made it commonplace to leave themselves vulnerable, but not a reason to not verify your guests. We utilize an Airbnb approved API software called @autohost.ai for guest IDs, CC for incidentals, & contract signatures. We’ve also utilized @superhogofficial in the past, and liked the functionality of it, as well. What protection outside of your OTAs do you have for your properties and your GUESTS? #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement #shorttermrentals

Our second annual End of Year celebration for the Weekender Team, and could not be more grateful for the people who keep our properties sparkling and our guests & owners well cared for. But more than that, could not be more thankful to cross paths with these precious people. To work alongside them. To see their passion for our mission of fostering memories for all who step through the front door. They’re full of the good stuff. And we get to call them ours. ❤️ Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from our Weekender Team! And shout out to @hiwassemercantile for providing the sweetest venue for a gathering! #northwestarkansas #smallbusinesslove #propertymanagement

Planning to make an investment in the next couple of months as rates drop a little, while deals are still being made? Here’s some numbers for STR listings by city. Need market analysis guidance? We can help! We provide general market observations if you are beginning your search & more detailed analysis on a property you already own for free! Want an in depth dive on what the CoC and ROI might be on a potential property? We can help run those numbers, too, so you make wise decisions from the word, “Go!” And if you choose us as your management company, we guarantee we will meet the revenue numbers AirDNA projects, or we will credit you up to $5,000 in management costs. We are that confident we’ll help your property meet the market projections. Book a call with us today on our link in bio! #northwestarkansas #northwestarkansasrealestate #northwestarkansasrealtor

SAVE THIS REEL 🛑 Hosting is made is the boring details. It’s not all about pretty interiors and banging amenities. It’s ensuring you are PROACTIVE instead of REACTIVE by foreseeing issues that may arise for your guests. These are a few of the items on our onboarding checklist, most of which we learned the hard way, so maybe you won’t have to 😏 Experienced hosts, anything we missed here? Cover 📸 @bonseyephotography #airbnbsuperhost #hospitality #vacationrentalmanagement #airbnbexperience #realestateinvesting

It’s December, which means it’s light season in NWA! Looking for a place to stay this holiday season? Our cozy homes are waiting for you✨Check out our stories with links to book some of properties that are all within 5 minutes from the Downtown Square, the perfect place to enjoy some beautiful Christmas lights🎄 #northwestarkansas #bentonvillearkansas #travelarkansas

Name something you didn’t think you’d spend so much time on as an Airbnb host. We’ll go first 😏 Shower curtain rod hooks. Smart TV setup. And shampoo bottle fills. Your turn. But really, if I have to letter by letter enter in my email address on ONE MORE SMART TV 😵‍💫😅

New Property: The Hearth 🔥 This Bentonville property sleeps 20, comes complete with everything you need to build the best memories in celebration with an indoor heated pool, hot tub, pool table, media room, poker table, and more. 10 minutes from downtown makes it a wonderful gathering place to still explore the trails, restaurants, and museums of NWA. Maybe it’s a 40th birthday, or a Bachelorette party, maybe it’s your book club’s annual retreat or a dude’s weekend to ride the trails. Whatever the celebration may be, you can bet The Hearth is ready to host it. Oversized lot with trampoline and tabletop Solo Stoves make for a perfect private area to entertain and keep the kids (or furry friends 🐾) busy. Link in bio to book directly your New Years Eve or Christmas gathering! #airbnbexperience #airbnbsuperhost #northwestarkansas #bentonvillearkansas #weekendermanagement

We hope the table is set, and you have family and friends gathering. 🦃 Happiest of Thanksgivings to you and yours from the Weekender Team 🦃 !

The business gurus love to tell you, “Work ON the business, not IN it.” Your time is too valuable to be worried with keeping the wheels on. Hire that stuff out. Build a great team. Step back and scale. All great advice. (Probably mostly male advice 😏). But you know what happens when you NEVER touch the day to day? When you never fluff another pillow for a guest or arrange the welcome cookies just so? When you never checkout another customer at the register? You can forget your WHY. You can forget your first love. I didn’t get into hospitality just to make the numbers work (maybe some do); I got into it because I LOVE nailing the welcome, the cozy, the memory-making. When I taught in the classroom, I would always think “these principals have been out of the classroom too long, or they wouldn’t be making the decisions they are.” And I believe the same is true as hosts, owners, and CEOs. When I feel bogged down by the politics, when I’ve had one too many cantankerous guests to diffuse because I only get the escalation, when I’m dodging and weaving in another market or algorithm shift, I know what I need to do is get in my properties. Feel that spark of joy making everything just *so* for the incoming guest. Make notes of ways to improve. Notice what’s beautiful and what is lacking. As an owner, host, or CEO, do you ever get IN the business to renew your love to work ON it? • • #smallbusinessowner #airbnbsuperhost #hospitalityindustry #vacationrental #propertymanagement #businessowner

👻 Spooky! What’s your hosting experience haunted house? #airbnbsuperhost #itsahauntedhousebut #airbnbhumor

We doin’ pull ups on those rods? Saving ourselves from falling? Your host would like to know 😏 #iykyk #airbnbhost #airbnbtips

Nothing ever good starts with an image. That or a phone call from a guest triggers a very real fight or flight reaction 😅 #iykyk #airbnbhost #relatablepost

Feeling overwhelmed WHERE to prioritize your furnishing budget? When planning your design budget, it’s always important to plan with photographs in mind. What are the top 5 photos you want to showcase to get guests to click through and ultimately book? Is it the pool? The deck? The master bedroom? Game room? A golf simulator in the garage? And THAT, that’s where you want to prioritize your budget. Of course everything should be top notch, don’t compromise practicality or comfort, and don’t you dare skimp on essentials, but if bedrooms 2, 3, and 4 aren’t the highlights of your property, you can make them a little more minimal to splurge on the design or amenities that are going to grab the most attention 👏 What rooms typically draw you to a property? For us, it’s usually: -The Living Room -The Master Bedroom -A good soaking tub or luxurious shower in a bathroom -Outdoor spaces -A fun game room or theater room with the fam For some people the kitchen may be important, too, but I don’t cook on vacay 😏 Tell us what draws you in the first 5 photos! #airbnbhost #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbtips

So you want to secure some cohosting deals? Did you know it’s just as important when being interviewed for your first partnership that you are ALSO interviewing the client? Ultimately you are going to spend quite a bit of time communicating and working alongside this person, and we LOVE working with owners who have mutual respect and trust. @__nataliepalmer always says that finding the right owner is more important than finding the right property, and we couldn’t agree more. 👏 There are several 🚩 s for us when interviewing a potential client, but this one may be my biggest one. When a client goes into the deal already in over their head because they bought too high for the ROI, they will inevitably make THEIR money problems YOUR money problems. After giving clients an analysis of what the market trends show the property could potentially revenue, I ask clients: -how does that number align with what your financial goals for this property? -what are your annual financial needs for this property? -are you prepared to see a full year of revenue as seasonability changes month to month numbers? -do you have a full grasp of the operating costs, and do you have funds set aside for maintenance costs? 👂 listen carefully. I promise identifying items that will create tension upfront will save you loads of heartache down the road. What other 🚩 🚩 🚩 do you watch for as cohosts or managers working with investors and owners? #airbnbhost #propertymanagement #airbnbtips

For the burnt out host. ❤️ 80+ properties onboarded in 2 years, here is my advice to you to LOVE your job again. 🛑 Set Clear Boundaries: Let owners & employees know when and how to communicate. Text, email, slack, hours you are available for non-emergency needs & questions. (And what constitutes an emergency 😏—still not great at this, but working on it.) 🤝Delegate: You cannot do it all. Even if you think you are the BEST at doing it all, you cannot. Hire, train, and empower others. That’s your gift to others. Stop hoarding it all for yourself 😉 💻 Automate Routine Tasks: Use property management software to automate routine tasks like guest communication, booking confirmations, and maintenance scheduling. Gives time back, and reduces the stress of forgetting something. 🏖️ Schedule Downtime: Block out time in your calendar for regular breaks and vacations, and make someone else the point person in your absence. Taking time off is crucial for recharging and preventing burnout. 🚑 Establish Emergency Protocols: Have clear protocols in place for dealing with emergencies. Knowing that you have a plan can reduce stress when unexpected issues arise. 🕵️‍♀️ Screen Guests & Owners: Implement strict guest screening criteria to minimize the likelihood of problematic guests. Work with clients who match your goals and expectations for their property. 🛠️ Outsource Maintenance: Stop fixing everything yourself. Locate a reliable handyman. Coordinating maintenance is your job; completing maintenance is not. 🤟Set Realistic Expectations: Be honest with yourself and property owners about what you can realistically achieve. I know you want to say “yes” to everything an owner asks you to do to make them happy. Reframe: by saying yes to things that are trivial or outside your job role, what are you saying no to that owners and guests really need from you. ❤️ Read the good reviews more than the handful of bad ones: do NOT dwell on that 1% of bad reviews when you have 99% glowing ones. It’s easy to do. Learn from the bad ones, but embody the good ones. #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement #vacationrentals #airbnbhost

Totally boring 😏 Can you name that view in the first second? A little gem in NWA 😉 #northwestarkansas #shorttermrentalproperty #vacationrental

But you can bleach white 🙄 there are plenty of stain lifter solutions out there, people. And patterns and color just bring so much more design character & pop in listing photos to draw those guests in. I said what I said. That goes for towels, too (*gasp*😏) If the people wanted a Hilton, they’d stay in a Hilton. #airbnbtips #airbnbhost #airbnbdesign

Run your property like a pro. Which ones of these do you want a deep dive on? 📧 Guesty (for pros, not hosts) @guestyinc : message automation, automatic calendar sync across OTAs, listing management, revenue analytics, owners’ statements. All 👏 the 👏 things 👏 in one place 🧹 Breezeway @breezeway.io : automatically schedules housekeeping & inspection jobs, checklists, photo storage for after guests and after cleanings (great for evidence of damages or cleanliness), inventory, team communication, maintenance reporting to handyman team, auto text messages to guests for orphan nights & early checkins. 📈 Pricelabs @pricelabs : dynamic pricing, market trend analytics 💵 Gusto @gustohq : payroll, tax information for contractors, vendors, and employees 📞 OpenPhone @openphone : business line that rings to everyone on your team; first one to answer wins! 😉 👩🏻‍💻Smith.AI @smith.ai : a 25/7 receptionist ensures that a live person picks up the phone anytime a guest calls and patches it through to the appropriate person or takes a message; especially helpful so you can do normal activities like take a shower or sleep 😏 #airbnbtips #propertymanagement #airbnbsuperhost

It’s the first day of 🍁 fall 🍁 , and we often get this question from incoming guests. WHEN will the leaves be at their peak? In our experience, the last week of October-the first or even second week of November have been the happy spot for vibrant and cozy fall leaves in NWA. We have countless properties across NWA that are the perfect spot to watch the leaves flutter around a bonfire or on the lakes. Come stay with us! #airbnb #airbnbhost #northwestarkansas #bentonvillearkansas #downtownbentonville

That, or did I check the microwave? 🤷🏼‍♀️ #airbnbhost #ifyouknowyouknow #propertymanagement #shorttermrentalproperty #vacationrentalindustry

We stumbled upon something with our pricing strategy this summer that has been an actual game-changer, and it’s this: -The longer your property is vacant, the longer it WILL stay vacant. What do we mean by this? That by closely sticking to a minimum price requirement, you may be actually undercutting your overall revenue. There are times when your property hits a slump that you have to undercut the market in pricing, sometimes significantly, to get a booking. And while that booking may be under what you believe your property is worth, it can actually increase the visibility and booking power of your property overall. In turn, this means you will get more bookings at FULL price later. But leave it in a lull, guarding that minimum price requirement, and you can see that lull continue. We hear owners say all the time say, “ well, I’d rather the house stay vacant than book it at that rate for a single night.” We used to feel this way, too. However, what they don’t understand is that getting someone IN the door with competitive pricing is the fastest way to pull your property out of a dry lull. It’s worth the short sighted hit in price to increase visibility and bookings overall. Have you experimented with this before? Bookings that stay steady, stay steady, and a lull can just perpetuate a lull. Get out of it as quickly as possible by whatever means necessary, and watch the bookings come back in! (And no, lower rates don’t necessarily equate to bad guests 🙄 wish that myth would die. Some of our most challenging guests paid well over market price). #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbtips #shorttermrentalproperty #propertymanagement #northwestarkansas

Truth be known, when time is limited, we are going to prioritize actual income producing activity every time. And the busy season of summer had me dropping this social side to pursue the operation side. But all that focus on the market, efficiencies, and hospitality trends generated some pretty strong epiphany moments for our business…and I think we are ready to share 😏 So a friendly, and awkward, “hey, sorry I’ve been gone too long” wave 👋 from us to you. Buckle up. We’ve got some truth that could shift your business coming at you. #airbnbsuperhost #weekendermanagement #northwestarkansas #shorttermrentalproperty

These are the things you never skimp on: -Friendly & timely communication 📱 -Well stocked kitchen & linens 🍳 -CLEANLINESS 🧹 -Beautiful design 🛋️ -Comfortable mattresses & furniture 🛏️ There’s a lot of forgiveness if things go awry if the communication feels warm. The guest experience is always better if they feel at home with all they need to cook and be comfortable, if they get a great night’s sleep, and feel inspired in clean, welcoming spaces. Notice how many of our reviews mention these same things over and over again? They are the pillars of a great guest experience. Nail them and you’ll see more 5 ⭐️ reviews than ever!

Always looking for fun new spots to recommend to our guests while visiting NWA. The Hiwasse Mercantile is situated between Bella Vista & Gravette, and has tons of locally made items to bring back home as souvenirs and even locally sourced meat for guests to snag to cook up on one of our grills at the property. Not to mention the large hangout space with free complimentary coffee is perfect if guests just want a meeting space larger indoors. These kinds of recommendations that only the locals know can set apart an experience for a guest. Locals, have you been to the Hiwasse Mercantile yet? What are some local favorites you always share with guests that they may not find just on a google search? #nwa #northwestarkansastravelguide #northwestarkansas

Highlighting some of our lakefront properties in stories. Summer is almost here. How have you planned to be intentional to build memories in it? (Tunnel Vision Treehouse featured here) #northwestarkansas #bellavistaarkansas #collectmemoriesnotthings

The real estate world is a world of acronyms, and here are a few we use the most when discussing deals. How familiar are you with all of these? Any you didn’t know? STR= Short Term Rental; typical Airbnbs, less than 30 day stays MTR= Mid Term Rental; month to month furnished rentals, longer than 30 days, also called executive rentals by some LTR= Long Term Rental; typical unfurnished rental with year long lease terms usually OTA= Online Travel Agency; anything that is a booking site, Airbnb, VrBO, Booking.com, Expedia, etc. MLS= Multiple Listing Service; online listing site available for realtors for both for sale and for rental ROI= Return On Investment; the return divided by the total investment CoC= Cash On Cash return; the annual pre-tax cash flow divided by the annual expenses PMS= Property Management Software; Variety of softwares to organize and automate rentals such as Guesty, Hostfully, SmartBNB, etc.

Truth be known, Northwest Arkansas has some pretty fantastic quaint downtowns. Bentonville, Rogers, & Fayetteville all get plenty of fanfare. But have you experienced Siloam Springs? Launching this week is a DT Siloam Springs loft that you won’t want to miss. Located in a historic building over 100 years old. Step out the door and grab coffee at Pour Jon’s. Linger on your private patio overlooking Broadway. Explore the restaurants, tap room, shopping, and cigar shop nearby. You’ll feel like you’re exploring a true Stars Hollow. And with a two way shower window and luxurious tub in the master suite, you may have just found your next romantic getaway destination (with room for the kids, too 😉). Directly across from Phat Tire bike shop downtown, you can rent a bike and explore all this sweet town has to offer on two wheels. Don’t miss Siloam Springs in NWA! Maybe the next NWA best kept secret? 😅 #siloamsprings #northwestarkansas #shorttermrentals

There’s a lot of uncertainty about city regulations with short-term rentals and it feels like it gets more and more restrictive around the country. The good news for our clients is that they don’t have to worry about it. With a licensed attorney & broker as one of our co-owners, Weekender is able to handle what can be a time-consuming process to make sure your STR follows local regulations. Check out Broker & Attorney Garrett Ham on this week’s @getpaidforyourpad podcast. Sharing link in stories to hear more about NWA regulations (and a little origin story of Weekender, too 😉).

Those consumables for guests add up REAL fast, don’t they? As a host and guest, I often can tell when hosts aren’t calculating their costs. On average, each stay runs us between $35-$45 in consumables for a 3 bed/2 bath short term rental. And because guests have come to expect everything from spices and cooking oil to coffee and tea to basics like toilet paper and shampoo, it’s getting harder and harder to price at a profit point. Sure, you can bulk buy for some savings, but we have to be mindful how MUCH we give guests and how MUCH it costs us each time. So many hosts already price their cleaning fee under market for labor, cleaning supplies, and laundry service because the internet cried out that fees on Airbnb are too high. And then they feel intimidated not to also provide every consumable imaginable to ensure great reviews, but don’t want to actually build that cost into their fees. So they eat it, and along with it, eat their profits. Hear us say this, host, YOU DESERVE TO WALK AWAY WITH MONEY WHEN A GUEST RENTS. We want our guests happy & comfortable, but we don’t want to be losing money with each stay. So what do we do: 1. Plan accordingly. Bulk buy. Invest in refillable containers versus single use. 2. Have a set system for what guests are given and communicate it ahead of time. Setting expectations is everything. 3. Build the consumable cost into your cleaning fee or nightly rate. 4. Match what hotels provide in the way of consumables, and be selective of any consumables above and beyond that. It is not your job as a host to make sure your guests only have to buy groceries, but if you want to be extra accommodating, make sure you are actually still making money and not just spending all they pay to provide them with consumables. Hospitality first, always, but profits run a close second. Make the numbers work for you 😉 Hosts, what are some of the consumables you leave for guests, and how do you monitor the actual cost to you? #superhost #airbnbhost #hospitalityindustry

Ok, let’s talk summer plans! We have some 💎 for every kind of vacation this summer in NWA. Large groups. Small groups. Lake adventure. Downtown adventure. Bike adventure. Bring the pups. Bring the kids. We have them all. The Lake Brittany Haven is one perfect for families and groups. Literally everything you could possibly need to unplug and connect with your people. Book direct on our website in bio to save 14% of AirBnB booking fees! #superhost #bellavistaarkansas #northwestarkansas #vacationrentalowner #weekendermanagement

We see it all the time. Owners get so excited about curating a fun short term rental, that they have no plan and end up spending more on aesthetics than was financially responsible. Here’s the thing: making your STR look “instagrammable” should not be the only goal when furnishing an investment property. Unless it’s simply your personal vacation home or a passion project and you want it just so, it’s important to analyze what adds VALUE and return on investment. Does this mean design doesn’t matter? ABSOLUTELY NOT. But it does mean you should be strategic in your design choices and budget for each specific property. Before you dare purchase a single piece of furniture: -know your guest avatar: what design and amenities will draw THEM and what could they care less about? -know your numbers: what is the top 10% of your market bringing in annual revenue? As a soft rule, you would want to cash flow enough within 9-12 months to pay for the furnishings. Work your budget to see if it’s feasible to hit that target and still have a comfortable, attractive place for guests. -know your market: location is typically the best indicator of what your property can revenue, and there is a cap for what your property can realistically make even if you curate the highest-end, most aesthetically pleasing design and amenities. Invest accordingly. If you aren’t sure how to budget for your property, speak with an area STR expert. At Weekender, we can take you through the entire process from choosing the right property to how much you should invest and in WHAT amenities you should invest in for the best return on your investment. Click link in bio to book a call with us to guide you through the process. #airbnbhost

DO NOT SLEEP ON MARKETING TO YOUR CURRENT GUESTS. Your most promising market is the one ALREADY in your property and loving it. By using @breezeway.io for our automated texts to guests about check-in & checkout, we also have it automated to alert guests when we have a day before or after their arrival vacant if they’d like to come early or extend. Just last month alone, one of the slowest months of the year in Northwest Arkansas for occupancy, we secured over 10 additional nights with this completely automated, passive marketing strategy. Current guests got a little discount, we filled an additional night, and we didn’t even have to track the calendar to make it happen. It’s a win-win for everyone! 🎉 What strategies do you have in place to market to guests already booked with you? #airbnbhost

That face to face awkwardness, though. We’ve found the quickest way to cool a 🔥 guest is a call, a show up, and an apology treat. Like with all things, it’s a lot harder to be incredibly rude when there is a face to the name you are speaking to. #airbnbhost #airbnbsuperhost #hospitalityindustry #customerservice

What does a budget bedroom refresh look like for a short term rental: -upgrade bed to largest available -shop the rest of the house to relocate items -bedside sconces (with dimmers 🙌) -wallpaper accent wall -cozy bedding We aren’t just property managers. We know what draws the eye in listing photos and what amenities increase value in our different markets. Our goal in our design consultations is always to get you the highest return on your investment, whatever budget you may be working with. We’d say the after of this room will certainly draw more visitors than the before, don’t you think? 😉 📸 @jaredmarkfincher #airbnbhost #airbnbdesign #superhost #beaverlakearkansas #weekendermanagement

Cute canisters for k-cups & cotton balls, folded towels and toilet paper triangles, perfectly placed blankets and pillows. As a host, all these little details matter, don’t they? ❤️ #airbnbhostsuperhost #weekendermanagement

We’ve been a little quiet over here, but it’s not because we are slowing down! Working hard to onboard new properties before peak season in the Ozarks! So many beauties to come for your getaways and adventures in Northwest Arkansas! Prairie Creek Getaway is just a mile and a half from Prairie Creek Marina on Beaver Lake, 4 miles to downtown Rogers restaurants, and situated beautifully on an acre lot totally fenced in for your favorite pups and kiddos to explore! She’ll be a stunner in spring and summer, but we are kinda digging these winter vibes, too, aren’t you? Link in stories to give her a look for your lake escape! #rogersarkansas #northwestarkansas #airbnbhost #beaverlake

Auto messages ensure you don’t miss any details your guests need to anticipate and experience a great stay. Balancing not too much communication and letting guests know you are working to curate an enjoyable stay is paramount. Try these 4 auto messages and get ahead of guests having to ask: 1. Confirmation email at booking with address, checkin and checkout times with dates, and questions about their contact information, why they are visiting, and why they chose your property (valuable market research to notice trends and prepare well for their specific stay). 2. Check-in instructions with door code, wifi passwords, parking instructions, and any other special instructions for them to find the property and utilize your amenities. 3. Quality check message once they settled in asking if they need anything and encouraging them to contact you if they have questions or concerns (get ahead of issues not showing up until the reviews when you can’t do anything about it). 4. Checkout message with how they should leave the property and what time checkout is. We use @guestyforhosts for all our platform messages, but additionally we have auto text messages with @breezeway.io to automatically send a “you can check in early!” text when housekeeping is done and a gap night message to encourage them to come a day early or stay a day late at a discounted rate. Auto messages don’t have to be stale. Make them personable and save your energy for specific question responses 😉 #airbnbtips #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement #vacationrentals

At least a couple times a week 😅 Glad I prepared that checkin message just so you could ask me directly what my checkin message said 🤣 #airbnbhost #airbnbexperience #airbnbsuperhost

Fit as many as we could 😉 We couldn’t be prouder of these owners and their properties that they allow us to maintain for them! What an incredible first full year of serving Northwest Arkansas bringing genuine and authentic hospitality to the short-term rental industry ❤️ • • #bentonvillearkansas #northwestarkansas #fayettevillear #airbnbexperience #propertymanagement

We acquire clients all the time that tried the remote budget management company first. They thought they’d save a little, but then guests show up and balls have been dropped because there isn’t a local putting eyes on their property regularly. Guests get “google search” recommendations for things to see and do because their management hasn’t experienced the best their community has to offer. At Weekender, we are passionate about actually sharing our love of Northwest Arkansas with your guests. We live and eat here; our kids go to school here and our spouses work in this community. We know exactly where your property is located and what target guest will love that location. We’ve experienced your space and what makes it special so that we can share that with guests. In 2023 are you ready to let a professional local company give your property the care and attention it needs? Click the link in bio and schedule a call today. We can’t wait to help you provide guests the best experience and share this little slice of heaven right here in NWA. #propertymanagement #airbnb #bentonvillearkansas #supportsmallbusiness #shoplocal

Most of us know what off season and shoulder season can look like for a short term rental. We absolutely have to curb our expectations in these markets where tourism slows significantly during certain points of the year, but that doesn’t mean we have to just surrender ourselves to little to no occupancy. A few strategies we use to optimize during slower seasons is: 1. Update photos with season appropriate ones. In an area with stellar Christmas lights nearby? How about a little of that? In our town the outdoor ice skating rink is open through February so showing what there is to do when our normal outdoor activities are fewer is a nice draw. 2. Update your copy description to sell the off season amenities. Indoor fireplace. Outdoor fire pit. Hot tub. Family gatherings. Hone in on what might draw an experience for those still traveling in the off season. 3. Market to mid-term renters temporarily. Furnished finder, accept 30+ day stays for certain months, and see if you can get some business travelers, travel nurses, or relocating families when tourism slows. Still have more vacancy than normal? Now is the time to tune up your property. Get to that maintenance you’ve been putting off. Schedule a deep clean. Add some amenities for busy season. And trust the high season swing will carry your annual revenue numbers. #airbnbhost #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbtips

Sneak peek 👀 of one of our newest Bentonville properties coming soon: 🖼The Gallery!🖼 Directly across from Osage Park and Thaden Airfield, this property is situated perfectly to jump on trails, or conduct business as it’s not far from the airport. There are actually 3 units in this one property, each with its own private access. Every suite has a spacious living room, bedroom, walk-in closet, and bath, and the top two units feature kitchenettes, while the first floor unit has a full kitchen, laundry, and fenced back yard with patio. This unique property pulls serious luxury hotel vibes, and the art even in the stairwell will have you feeling like you’ve stepped into a NYC boutique hotel. Keep an eye out for it coming soon! Book an individual suite or the whole place to give your group ultimate privacy of having their own suites! • • • #airbnbhost #bentonvillearkansas #boutiquehotel #airbnbexperience

How do you display shampoo, conditioner, and body wash for guests? When we travel, we tend to see hotel style mini samplings of these items for guests, but single use toiletries are not just more expensive, they are bad for the environment, too. Early on we used the wall refillable dispensers, but when they broke, removing them from shower walls was a headache we didn’t want to repeat, AND they can be pricey. An inexpensive soap dispenser has been our sweet spot. Amazon has fun ones with labels already provided, as well as trendy amber glass bottle type. We’ve chosen plastic to prevent shattering and these minimal embossed labels for Weekender properties. Then we just buy shampoo and body wash in bulk to refill, saving us money and the Earth from individual packaging ending up in a landfill. What are your thoughts on providing toiletries to guests in your Airbnb? • • • #airbnbhost #airbnb #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbexperience #airbnbtips

Any other hosts tired of the old meme that hosts are over asking for guests to clean before they checkout? Not over here. We ask 3 things. Run the dishwasher. Don’t make the bed (don’t ask you to strip it either). Place used towels and washcloths in the laundry room. Who’s out there asking guests to scrub toilets and mop floors? Seriously? Is that really happening or just a one off poor host who has created a false narrative? Hosts, what do you ask your guests for at check out? Guests, what have you actually had asked of you at checkout that seemed absurd? • • • #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbhost #propertymanagement #vacationrentalowners #airbnbexperience

Not going to want to miss when this one goes live. Book it for the lighting of the square, Thanksgiving, to have that Hallmark movie moment at Christmas, and all your bike ride trips. Walk or ride to the Momentary and everything downtown Bentonville has to offer. This one’s a rare gem 💎 📸 @jaredmarkfincher #comingsoon #bentonvillearkansas #downtownbentonville #northwestarkansas #airbnbhostexperience

Our Old Wire Retreat just opened up Thanksgiving week to guests, and we can’t think of a dreamier spot to gather with your family and truly retreat in this home on acreage just 10 minutes from downtown Rogers. You’ll love the privacy and the room for the kids and pups to roam, while relaxing in the comfort of a cozy home. Click the link in bio to book directly and make memories with your loved ones this harvest season. 🍁 • • #airbnbhost #northwestarkansas #rogersarkansas #fallfoliage

It’s all in those details at The Castle House 🏰 . This expansive Bentonville beauty is nestled by Crystal Bridges, Orchard Park trailhead, and all the connecting trail systems that make exploring Bentonville on two wheels easy. Bring the bikes. Rent one. Or simply connect in the luxury of the Castle 🏰 house, while you vacation. Bike garage for tune ups and storing securely, fire pit and numerous outdoor seating options for falling in love with Bentonville’s quaint and quiet atmosphere, and sleeping for 12 with two living spaces and downstairs wet bar with arcade games. Book directly at www.weekendermanagement.com or check us out on Airbnb. The calendar is wide open as it just launched, so go ahead and grab your spring and summer ride accommodations, too! • • • • #airbnb #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbexperience #vacationmode #bentonvillearkansas #oztrailsnwa #crystalbridgesmuseum

#iykyk 😆 We receive reviews on about 90% of our stays. So how do you increase your guest review count? There are typically 2 reasons guests don’t leave reviews: 1. They forget 🤷🏼‍♀️ 2. They don’t think your place is stellar and don’t want to hurt your feelings if you were a great host 😬 So to increase your review base, all you have to do is: 1. Remind them. Sometimes TWICE. 2. If they were a good guest, tell them you are leaving them a positive review, as well, so they feel more obligation to take the time to review you, as well. 3. Provide a guest experience they WANT to rave about 😍. You might feel silly asking for those reviews, but it’s the quickest way to increase your reviews with guests who are living in a busy world! • • • #airbnbhost #airbnbtips

We’ve slowly started rolling out these pup friendly stations at our pet welcoming properties. 🐾 ✅Poop gloves and bags to enable guests to pick up after their furry friends. ✅Dog specific rags and towels to wipe muddy paws before coming in and to avoid using human towels. ✅Chew treats to give our 4-legged guests something yummy to chew on. ✅Not pictured: a lint roller for both our human guests and furniture 😉. ✅Bonus: a collapsible crate if you ask guests to crate unsupervised pets. How do you accommodate your pets at your property? Do you include any of these items? • • • #airbnb #airbnbhost #airbnbexperience #airbnbtips #airbnbsuperhost

We are seeing more and more owners put all their eggs in one basket: the Airbnb 🧺 . Feels pretty risky to us, and limits your reach tremendously. Different OTAs (online travel agencies) serve different populations of guests, so why would you pigeon-hole yourself into only one demographic? Aside from that, the ultimate goal is direct booking as much as possible, isn’t it? To keep more of the actual profits yourself. If you’re interviewing management companies, always ask what platforms they utilize to maximize your exposure, and if you’re self managing and using only Airbnb for bookings, what’s holding you back from widening your reach with others? • • • • #airbnb #shorttermrental #vacationrental #propertymanagers

We may be biased, but our properties and our owners are just the best. 😍 4 new stunners welcomed guests in September, and we have 5 gorgeous ones coming on in October. As a management company, we’ve been intentional to grow at exactly the rate that is best for our clients and our guests. We’re selective because we don’t want to lose relationship and connection with our clients, but we are excited to use our skillset to help more owners and investors open their doors for guests in NWA, while not being bogged down by the day to day operations of running a short-term rental. October tomorrow! Bring on the leaf tour tourists and prep those backyard fire pits for use again 🍁 Holiday hosting is so fun! • • • #northwestarkansas #airbnbhost #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement #cohost

*Scrolls positive reviews for 30 minutes 😅😆 Don’t let the 1 diminish the joy of the 99 🙌 Keep at it, hosts that are passionate about hospitality. It’s shines through and is appreciated by most. ❤️ • • • #airbnbhost #airbnbsuperhost #propertymanagement #propertymanager #airbnbtips

We’ve all seen the complaints about cleaning fees going around, but let’s set the record straight. When staying with ethical hosts, even WITH the cleaning fee, most properties are priced comparably to the same amount of sleeping and amenities of a hotel. Comparing a 3 bed, 2 bath home with kitchen, yard, and garage shouldn’t be valued the same as a single hotel room, should it? Maybe 3 hotel rooms would be a better cost comparison? 🤷🏼‍♀️😅 Airbnb isn’t couch surfing anymore, and we aren’t pricing like it is. Be patient with your Airbnb hosts. They’ve invested so much to create beautiful spaces, and care so much about your guest experience. The cleaning fees likely just cover the cost of labor (which has increased year over year thanks to inflation), while a single hotel room takes a fraction of the time and labor cost to turnover. But also, hosts, stop asking your guests to clean your property before you pay someone to clean your property 😆 • • • #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbhost #airbnbexperience #vacationrental

Check our stories for some of our properties with backyards that will cater to your fall foliage dreams in Northwest Arkansas 🍁 Visitors are booking now for October and November visits to catch those trees *just* right. So much to love about NWA in the fall! (PSST: locals, can you identify these epic locations in Bentonville and Bella Vista?) • • • #fallfoliage #northwestarkansas #downtownbentonville #bellavistaarkansas #airbnbhost #findyouradventure #ozarkmountains

Come sprinkle hospitality love across some of our properties today. 🥰 There is so much that goes into building a successful short term rental business, but if you don’t nail the welcome, you’re definitely missing the point. And who says management companies don’t care about these touches 😏Your properties are OUR properties. And your guests are OUR guests. ❤️ Linking these properties in stories. Happy Friday! • • • #airbnbhost #superhost #airbnbexperience #propertymanagement

Those details that make a property feel like home for the weekend. Plants will do it 🌱 Real or faux plants in your vacation rental? 😉 Sneak Peak of The Serene on Maple coming to Fayetteville in time for some game weekend action against SC 😍 Keep those eyes peeled 👀 • • • #fayettevillear #northwestarkansas #razorbacks #airbnb #airbnbexperience #airbnbsuperhost

Happy Labor Day! We hope you are relaxing on a lake or creek somewhere, and are planning your kickoff for fall trips! This new Bentonville property is the ultimate family or friend retreat! ⛳️ The Greens on the Hill ⛳️ features acreage with 2 living spaces, 2 washer and dryer sets, and a hangout garage with air compressor pump for bikes, TV, fridge, and darts. You can put on the putting green or hit your balls on the range. AND you will have direct access to Snowbird trailhead, which connects to the Back 40 trail system. Build a fire, cook some stellar meals on the expansive island, ride all day, or explore nearby Bentonville attractions. This is a must for groups, AND located only 8 minutes from @format_festival . Direct book in bio! • • • #airbnb #bentonvillearkansas #northwestarkansas #airbnbsuperhost 📸 @jaredmarkfincher

When you price your property based on gut and emotion you do one of two things: 1. Overprice because it’s worth SO much more than anything else like it. It’s your baby! You poured your heart and soul into it. People should be so lucky to stay there! 2. Underprice because YOU would never pay THAT to stay there. Sure, it’s great, but you paid less to stay beachfront last summer. Why would someone pay more for your property? Both these mentalities leave money on the table. Fix your eyes instead on ANNUAL REVENUE. Are some people going to get a smokin’ deal on a random Tuesday in February at your property? You betcha. Is someone going to pay WELL above base price to catch the LSU vs Arkansas game in Fayetteville 😏 Maybe 🤪 But it’s the annual numbers you have to stay focused on. Rely on data more than your personal valuing of what you think the price should be. Softwares like Pricelabs and Wheelhouse are helpful, but put human eyes on your calendar, too. Checkout the competition’s pricing for certain dates. What are they charging and ARE THEY GETTING IT? The neighbors can charge twice what you are, but if their calendar is wide open, that data point is meaningless. Pricing is a strategy, not a set and leave. And it’s definitely not personal if you are running your STR like a business. How do you price your property to maximize your annual revenue? • • • #airbnb #airbnbhost #airbnbsuperhost #airbnbtips #vacationrentalowners

It takes a village! These are our top used contractors, and strong relationships with them is paramount to avoid burn out. As a host, you cannot do all the things. Establish these relationships early on in your hosting. (There are a few other key players who are used less frequently like a photographer and SEO copy writer, and of course your housekeeping team if they are contractors—they’re employees with Weekender, so not included here!) Anyone we missed that you need multiple times a month? Share them below! • • • #airbnbhost #propertymanagement #airbnbsuperhost #vrbo #shorttermrentalhacks #vacationrental