From time to time, we showcase OwnerRez users that show outstanding work. Not only does operating a vacation rental business take a lot of time, but also a huge amount of effort. This week, we’re back in the interview chair with Kacey from Premium Rentals. Kacey's website and operation can be found at PremiumRentals.com. Below are the questions we asked and his responses.
Can you tell us a little bit about your history?
Kacey: As for OwnerRez specifically, I remember when I started with you guys I had two properties, and I was having such a hard time even managing those two between Airbnb and Vrbo calendars. OwnerRez was a great solution for two properties, but then that’s when the magic happened and I quickly saw that because of OwnerRez there was no difference between two properties and 1,000. There is so much simplicity and automation to OwnerRez that I truly could manage 1000 properties as easily as I could manage 2. So the journey begins, we are now at a humble 83 with 15 more leads in the pipeline and should be on pace to close out the year right near 100!
What is your background?
Kacey: I worked my way up to being a general manager for several businesses where I found my passion for working around highly driven individuals who bring hard work ethic to a team. I earned my business management degree from Ricks College, after which I landed a career within a local RV dealership in Idaho as a General Manager working my way up to becoming the Regional Director of the company. Back in 2008, I started flipping homes as a side hobby. I then spent the next 8 years independently remodeling and selling 15 homes as I balanced my career and my family with 3 children.
What jump-started your transition to short-term rentals?
Kacey: In 2017 we had just wrapped up the final touches on a home we intended to sell. My wife Tiffanie had the idea to hold onto the property and to give the short-term rental industry a try by listing it as an Airbnb rental for an event happening within our city over the weekend. This turned into a massively successful venture as the calendar filled with all sorts of bookings and we decided to keep the property up and running as a short-term rental. In 2019 I decided to jump 100% full time into the business, leaving the RV industry and opened the proprietary self-built system to manage for other clients. Since 2019, Premium Rentals has grown from 24 properties to now having over 80 listings and is rapidly growing!
What do you love the most about the VR business?
Kacey: What I like the most about VR industry is the opportunity it has opened up for me and my family to be able to easily grow and scale a business and be independent from working for anyone else.
What do you dislike the most about it?
Kacey: What I dislike most about the VR business is how picky COVID has made everyone. If I have to hear another guest say how our nearly perfectly clean homes have a spec of dust hidden some place and they say “I would expect a better cleaning considering COVID” LOL! Covid has made cleanings that used to be considered perfect no longer good enough.
What is the most useful feature OwnerRez offers?
Kacey: OwnerRez has opened my eyes to integrations I had never thought about, especially when I was at 2. We now integrate with Merchant Services, QuickBooks, PriceLabs, RemoteLock, Duve and so much more to come. Most of the integrations I only looked at because OR integrated with it. OwnerRez offered it, and I figured if you offer it, it's for a reason.
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Thanks, Kacey! We wish Premium Rentals much success and look forward to you breaking into the double digits soon with 100+ properties!
