How do I launch my first STR the right way and scale?

Who is Haylee?

Haylee and her partner, Matt, started their short-term rental journey with one goal in mind: building their business the right way from day one.

As a mom with a demanding full-time job, Haylee wanted to build a business that wouldn't require her to be involved in every little detail. She had been interested in STRs for years and eventually got Matt on board after seeing the opportunity around football season.

From the beginning, she was intentional about doing things right. She wanted a strong brand, thoughtful guest experiences, and systems that would allow them to manage properties remotely without constantly having to be there in person.

Why did they join mentorship before buying their first property?

Haylee knew she didn't want to launch a property only to spend months fixing things she could have done correctly from the start.

After researching their options, she discovered MHM Luxury Properties on social media and was drawn to the attention to detail behind the brand.

They began their mentorship journey around February, working closely with Alex and Kelly to evaluate markets, analyze numbers, and identify the right property.

Because they knew their first STR wouldn't be within driving distance, they also needed to understand how to operate successfully from afar.

With guidance from the team, they narrowed down their options, purchased their first property in early June, and launched in mid-August.

What happened after they launched?

Within their first three weeks, Haylee and Matt had already exceeded their market's average occupancy rate and average daily rate (ADR), despite launching during their slow season.

And the momentum continued.

Between their first and second months, Haylee reported that their stays increased by almost 40%.

She credits much of that early success to the details: professional photos, thoughtful amenities, and designing the guest experience around a specific guest avatar.

Their guest reviews reinforced that strategy, with guests specifically recognizing the attention to detail throughout the property.

Can you run an STR remotely while working full-time?

For Haylee, having the right automations in place has made that possible.

With a demanding full-time job, she couldn't spend her days coordinating cleaners, manually sending guest messages, or constantly checking on the property.

Instead, she built systems that handled those recurring responsibilities.

Automated guest messaging and cleaning coordination allowed the property to operate even when she was tied up in meetings for hours.

As Haylee explained, having those systems in place helped her avoid adding more responsibilities to her already full plate while maintaining her full-time job.

Is it too late to get into short-term rentals?

That was one of Haylee's biggest concerns before getting started.

She worried they had missed the peak of the STR market and that existing competition would make it difficult to succeed.

But through working with the team, she began to see the opportunity differently.

Just because a market already has Airbnbs doesn't mean every property is performing at its potential.

Haylee realized that professional photography, attention to detail, and creating a guest experience that stands out could help differentiate their property—even in markets with existing competition.

Their early occupancy, ADR, and guest feedback gave them confidence in the approach they had taken.

How did they go from one property to two so quickly?

The systems they established for property number one made preparing for property number two much easier.

During their second month of operating their first STR, Haylee and Matt closed on their second property in Florida, with plans to launch it in early December.

And this time, the process felt different.

Haylee shared that Matt was surprised by how much their stress levels had decreased compared with setting up the first property.

They already understood the automations, door locks, operational processes, and other details that had initially felt overwhelming.

They had even saved their preferred products and supplies, including linens, so they could repeat what worked instead of starting from scratch.

The result was a more streamlined setup process and greater confidence as they prepared to launch their second property.

What was one of the best investments they made?

For Haylee, professional design support was one of the most valuable decisions.

She initially felt overwhelmed trying to make the design cohesive and ensure that everything flowed naturally between rooms.

Rather than trying to figure it all out herself, she followed the team's recommendations and invested in design assistance.

Looking back, she describes it as one of the best decisions they made.

"I'm so happy I did that because I just felt overwhelmed, and it's well worth that investment in terms of getting it right."

What is Haylee's advice to someone getting started?

Don't underestimate the details, and build the right foundation from the beginning.

Haylee emphasizes the importance of professional photos, thoughtful design, and automations that make running the business manageable. 

Her experience showed her that setting up those systems for the first property didn't just make hosting easier—it made growing to a second property significantly less stressful.

Instead of rebuilding everything from scratch, she and Matt could repeat the processes and decisions that were already working.

Where can I see how this program works?

You can read more client stories on the Streamlined testimonials page, compare the three paths into short-term rentals in our short-term rental education hub, or see what we offer in the resource shop.

Individual results vary. Haylee and Matt’s markets, timeline, occupancy, booking growth, and outcomes are their own and are not a projection of what any other owner will experience.