How do you seek new opportunities today?

• 90% of our opportunities are finding us. We are well optimized online, our Blog is active and our listing on Google is driving leads for us. We do get some referrals but more times than not we are just getting cold leads and winning those that fit our needs. 

What must you know about a prospective owner upfront?

• Legit: are they crazy? We have 25% of owners that will be a problem to manage. They want to be quasi-involved, have millions of questions and ultimately they will not have the levels of trust we expect to operate. Beyond that, we want to ensure owners are willing to fulfil all checklists re: guest needs and are willing to invest (as needed) to ensure the property is fully ready for guest hosting. 

What must you know about their property upfront?

• Is the property in a territory that will yield enough income. Are there municipal licensing rules that we need to follow or that require a licence (in Toronto, you cannot even list a property on Airbnb for STR unless you have a license to enter issued by the City of Toronto - else its 28 day + only). Does any condo board preside and do we need to check their rules. Is there municipal garbage service? Is the house on municipal services or do we need 3rd party gas and septic suppliers. 

What about your current process do you love?

• When we move forward with a client, we have all attestations we need to confirm they understand licensing, pricing, etc. There is no lack of clarity so we dont get into gotachas a few weeks on and owners cant say “hey you never told me...x” - we are thorough in informing them of all the potential concerns. 

What is the single most impactful question you ask your owners before committing to work with them? 

• What is your presiding reason for looking at Short Term Rentals? We are hoping to hear “flexibility”. If its purely income, that can go sideways due to variability or other reasons. If its flexibility, thats great as it means they will generate variable income but it meets their needs in keeping the property available for them or a change of use in the near term. 

How long does it typically take to formalize a partnership, from the time you meet a new owner to the signing of an agreement

• Typical is 4-6 weeks but it totally depends on how proactive the owner is. We have owners who are thinking 6 months ahead and are ready to go the day their place is vacant. No easy way to class

**Keep all these answers in mind and think about your legacy customers in this process** :)