It's a question I get all the time. The short answer? No one knows for sure. There's no crystal ball. But there are plenty of things we can do to get a solid idea of your property's potential.
Start with the Data
Whether converting your current house or buying new, look at the numbers: occupancy rates, ADR, RevPAR. Tools like AirDNA and Rabbu let you dig into market metrics down to specific neighborhoods. The more granular, the better.
Setting Your Property Up for Success
1. Get your place ready and well-staged 2. Invest in professional decoration 3. Price strategically 4. List on all major platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo, direct booking sites, Google).
The Surprising Truth About Profitable Locations
Popular vacation destinations can kill it during peak season but go dead the rest of the year. Places with a diverse guest pool offer long-term consistency...suburbs of bigger markets (Englewood, Littleton outside Denver), smaller cities near major hubs (Round Rock, Georgetown outside Austin). In Georgetown the guest diversity is incredible: families visiting, people moving in/out, homeowners during renovations, contractors on remote assignments. We might not pull $500-$1,000/night, but we get consistent bookings, which drives RevPAR.
Start with What You've Got
Sometimes the best place to start is the home you live in. The reasons you chose to live there will attract others: local events, a cute downtown, a homey vibe.
Data Plus Intuition
Sometimes the data isn't there. If everything looks right...proximity to attractions, new development, a growing guest pool...listen to your gut. Off-the-beaten-path properties can be the best performers because less competition means it doesn't take as much demand to do well.
The Bottom Line
No guarantees, but if you look at the data, trust your intuition, and put in the work, you give yourself a solid shot. A lot of success comes down to optimization: design, photos, guest experience, pricing.