How to Market to Military Families on Airbnb (Ep438)

By Jasper Ribbers

January 10, 2022

There is a surprisingly high demand for short-term rentals in and around military bases—and a lack of inventory.

But can you build an Airbnb business that caters primarily to military families? And how do you market to such a specialized niche?

Peter Shull serves as Business Development Manager at Patriot Family Homes, a veteran-owned and operated business that offers affordable short-term and vacation rentals. The Patriot team of veterans and military spouses is uniquely aware of the needs of traveling families and professionals, leveraging their expertise to grow from a single bedroom to 200-plus units in just three years.

On this episode of Get Paid for Your Pad, Peter joins me to discuss how Patriot Family Homes got into the military family niche and explain how the leadership skills he learned in the armed forces translate to building a business.

He shares the business development strategy his team uses to acquire listings in non-traditional vacation rental markets, describing what he looks for in a STR property and how the Patriot team developed systems to operate at scale.

Listen in for insight on finding a ground team of dependable people you can trust in a new market and learn how Patriot Family Homes markets to military families looking for a short-term rental or STR investment property.

Topics Covered

How Patriot Family Homes got into the military family niche and grew to 200 doors in 3 years
The need for short-term rentals in and around military bases
How guests benefit from the PFH team being made up of veterans and military spouses
The business development strategy Peter’s team uses to acquire utility properties in non-traditional vacation rental markets
What Peter looks for in a STR property and the neighborhood where it’s located
How Patriot Family Homes helps clients find homes to buy as short-term rental investments
Peter’s insight on the systems you need to operate 200 units
Why the quality of the STR property itself is less important than the guest interaction
Peter’s advice on finding a ground team of dependable people you can trust in a new market
How the leadership skills Peter learned in the US military translate to business