STR Investing, The Podcast
Unlock financial freedom through short-term rental investing with hosts Taylor Jones and Mark Lumpkin. Each week, they sit down with the biggest names in the STR industry to uncover what’s working right now — from acquisitions and design to operations, marketing, and scaling portfolios.
Taylor has helped acquire and manage over 500+ STRs, while Mark brings years of hands-on experience transforming properties into high-performing investments.
Together, they break down real strategies, real numbers, and real stories that help investors grow smarter and faster.
Whether you’re buying your first Airbnb or expanding a multi-market portfolio, this show is your roadmap to building wealth and freedom through short-term rentals.
Subscribe and start turning your STR goals into results.
STR Investing, The Podcast
Drive 60% Direct Bookings with Mark Simpson
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Are you tired of high OTA fees eating into your short-term rental profits? In this episode, Mark Lumpkin sits down with direct booking expert Mark Simpson, founder of Boostly, to uncover the secrets to maximizing direct bookings while keeping a balanced approach to Airbnb, Booking.com, and other platforms.
Mark shares valuable insights on:
- The real percentage breakdown of direct vs. OTA bookings and why 65% direct is the sweet spot.
- Why going 100% direct booking can be just as risky as relying entirely on OTAs.
- Simple but powerful strategies to drive direct bookings—including a game-changing messaging tactic that can land you instant reservations.
- The biggest mistakes hosts make with pricing and why some direct booking sites charge more than Airbnb (and how to fix it!).
- The top tools and tactics for increasing direct bookings, including Get Directo and other must-have resources.
- How to structure your OTA listings to drive traffic to your direct booking site without breaking platform rules.
Mark Simpson has helped set up over 1,000 direct booking websites, and he’s here to share his playbook on how to make your short-term rental business thrive.
Connect with Mark Simpson and get the exact template he uses to generate bookings: DM him “template” on Instagram @boostlyuk.
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this episode with your fellow hosts.
Let’s take control of our bookings!
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Episode Sponsored By:
STR Search
STR Search is the industry leading property finder service. They've helped investors acquire over 215 profitable STRs across the US. If you'd like the data professionals to help you find your next STR, reach out to STRsearch.com
