Real Estate Rookie Podcast – Detailed Episode Summary

Episode: How to Make Up to $20K/Month with Airbnb Co-Hosting (No Rentals Needed)
Hosts: Ashley Kehr and Tony J. Robinson
Guest: Garrett Brown (Host of BiggerPockets’ “Bigger Stays” YouTube Channel)
Release Date: January 21, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the world of Airbnb co-hosting as an accessible, low-risk path for real estate rookies to generate significant cash flow—potentially $20,000 per month—without owning or renting properties themselves. Special guest Garrett Brown, a successful co-host and short-term rental operator, lays out his step-by-step blueprint for starting (and scaling) a co-hosting business, clearly explaining what this role entails, the operational details, and how to secure clients in a competitive market.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What is Airbnb Co-Hosting? (01:39–03:37)

• Co-hosting is essentially property management for a short-term rental, but with less regulatory burden than traditional property management.
  • “Airbnb kind of popularized and coined the phrase co host, but it’s essentially you’re doing property management for a short term rental...” (Garrett, 01:53)
• There’s a spectrum—from basic guest messaging (5–15%) to full service (20–25%); Garrett only does full service for maximum pay and control.
  • “I only do full service. ...You get paid a lot more on the percentage; ours typically is 20 to 25%.” (Garrett, 03:37)

2. Path to Co-Hosting: Experience, Risks & Rewards (04:25–09:03)

• Garrett started as a short-term rental owner and self-manager before switching to co-hosting.
• Strongly recommends gaining management experience (even with someone else’s property or working under a co-host) before pitching services.
  • “If I didn’t own properties I would, I would have gone and worked under another co host...get some experience and learn the ins and outs.” (Garrett, 05:07)
• Co-hosting is a balance of hospitality and real estate investing. It's not totally passive—hospitality (guest management) is always required.
  • “Short term rentals is nothing but real estate investing mixed with the hospitality business. And people always underestimate the hospitality business side.” (Garrett, 09:03)
• If you dislike guest interactions or fixing problems, this may not be for you.

3. How Much Can You Really Make? Garrett’s Numbers (15:07–16:24)

• Garrett spends ~10–15 hours per week on co-hosting (but has a team).
• He currently co-hosts 16 properties.
• His business brings in about $50,000/month gross, retaining about $20,000/month profit from co-hosting alone.
  • “We make probably, probably 50, $50,000 a month between the 16 rentals... profit—I’d say $20,000 a month, maybe a little less.” (Garrett, 15:44)

4. Getting Your First Co-Hosting Clients: Actionable Tactics (18:59–27:54)

• Detective work on Airbnb: Identify struggling properties (bad photos, poor reviews) near you.
  • Use tools like PropStream, AirDNA, PricedLabs, and Facebook Groups to track down owners.
  • Provide free advice in Facebook/Airbnb owner groups—demonstrate expertise, build trust.
  • “Facebook groups are one of the most underutilized way to gain traction in any real estate investment or business that you’re looking for.” (Garrett, 24:26)
• Postcard strategy:
  • Take a picture of the property and (if possible) highlight poor rankings or reviews.
  • Send direct mail to owners to start the conversation; reinforce your credibility with actionable fixes.
  • “We actually used...Price Labs market Dashboard...sort it in reverse order from lowest review score to highest...take those lat and long coordinates, plug them into Google Maps, do Street View, confirm the address. ...Our approach was creating postcards...” (Tony, 24:51)

5. The First Call: Converting Prospects to Clients (27:54–31:18)

• Focus on listening: Ask the owner about the main pain point (few bookings? cleaning trouble? can't manage from afar?).
  • “You just need to be a good listener and figure out what their biggest issue is that they have and solve that immediately for them.” (Garrett, 27:54)
• Come prepared with proven solutions and articulate how your involvement will directly address their issues.
• Solving just one or two major pain points often leads to signing the client.

6. Objections and Overcoming Them (31:18–35:39)

• The most common objection: “Why should I pay 20%?”
• Overcome by showing potential for higher revenue and less owner effort—increase bookings, update pricing, add guest appeal (pet friendly, better photos, etc.).
  • “If you can bring us on and pay us 20% and we can still make you $40,000 that year and you work less, which one sounds better?” (Garrett, 31:18)
• Stand out by offering:
  • Short-term rental safety certification (reduces owner insurance/risks)
  • Built-in guest damage coverage (using third-party tools like Safely)
  • Quote: “We tell them, as a part of our co hosting fee we can supply between $1,500 and $10,000 in guest damage insurance...that peace of mind for owners—we’ve sold so many owners when we tell them those two things.” (Garrett, 34:34)

7. Fee Structure Details (35:39–40:04)

• Standard Model:
  • 20% of nightly rental rate (some special deals go higher)
  • Collect full cleaning fee (generally passes through to cleaning team)
  • $1,000 property setup fee (for photos, staging, onboarding)
  • $100/month technology fee per property (for dynamic pricing, automation, PMS, communication tools)
• Cleaning is handled with a combination of in-house staff and trusted subcontractors, usually discovered via Facebook groups.

8. Standing Out Against Other Co-Hosts (43:13–46:59)

• “Pricing is going to matter a lot less in 2026; marketing is really what is going to move the needle for short term rentals everywhere.” (Garrett, 43:13)
  • Everyone has dynamic pricing, automations, professional photos—these are no longer differentiators.
  • Invest in:
    • Direct marketing (SEO, property blogs, paid Instagram/TikTok ads)
    • Personalized, targeted outreach
    • Strong brand, excellent guest and owner care
  • “If you can learn some small things about marketing, whether it’s how to really build your SEO...Instagram is the new OTA if you want to be honest.” (Garrett, 46:09)

9. Building a Team & Scaling: First Steps for Rookies (46:59–50:45)

• First hires: Boots on the ground—cleaners, backup cleaners, reliable handyman/handywoman.
• Virtual assistants or ops managers come later; start with strong local support.
• Lean into AI tools for messaging and workflow (e.g., HostBuddy, Hospitable) to minimize time investment.
  • “There’s one called Conduit...but some of these AI tools are better hosts than like even me...they’ll answer questions overnight, reply in two to three minutes.” (Garrett, 47:12)
• Quote: “For your first couple [co-host] properties, I don’t think you really need a team if you get an amazing cleaner and an amazing handy person...boots on the ground, there’s no AI for that—yet.” (Garrett, 48:45)

10. Long-Term Vision and Exit Strategy (50:45–52:56)

• Garrett doesn’t want to turn his company into a nationwide giant.
• With 50 contracts generating $20k/mo, you can sell your co-hosting business for a 1x–3x multiple to private equity or operators.
  • “If I get 50 contracts...you could sell that business with those contracts for between a 1 or 3x multiple depending on your teams and operation...” (Garrett, 51:03)
• Co-hosting increases the profitability of one's own owned properties (economies of scale for marketing, staff, tools).

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------| | 01:53 | “Airbnb kind of popularized and coined the phrase co host, but it’s essentially you’re doing property management...” | Garrett | | 03:37 | “I only do full service. ...We get paid a lot more on the percentage; ours typically is 20 to 25%.” | Garrett | | 09:03 | “Short term rentals is nothing but real estate investing mixed with the hospitality business.” | Garrett | | 15:44 | “We make probably, probably 50, $50,000 a month between the 16 rentals... profit—I’d say $20,000 a month...” | Garrett | | 24:26 | “Facebook groups are one of the most underutilized way to gain traction in any...real estate investment or business...” | Garrett | | 27:54 | “You just need to be a good listener and figure out what their biggest issue is...and solve that immediately.” | Garrett | | 31:18 | “If you can bring us on and pay us 20% and we can still make you $40,000 that year and you work less, which one sounds better?” | Garrett | | 34:34 | “We tell them, as a part of our co hosting fee we can supply between $1,500 and $10,000 in guest damage insurance...that peace of mind for owners—we’ve sold so many owners when we tell them those two things.” | Garrett | | 43:13 | “Pricing is going to matter a lot less in 2026; marketing is really what is going to move the needle for short term rentals everywhere.” | Garrett | | 47:12 | “Some of these AI tools are better hosts than like even me...they’ll answer questions overnight...” | Garrett | | 51:03 | “You could sell that business with those contracts for between a 1 or 3x multiple...” | Garrett |

Useful Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:39] – What is Airbnb Co-Hosting?
• [04:25] – Getting started: Experience & recommendations
• [09:03] – Should you try co-hosting? Self-assessment
• [15:07] – Garrett shares real numbers: hours, portfolio size, income
• [18:59] – How to find and pitch your first clients
• [24:26] – Facebook groups & value-first outreach
• [27:54] – The first phone call: uncovering pain points
• [31:18] – Common objections and what sets you apart
• [35:39] – Fee structure, cleaning, property setup, and tech fees
• [43:13] – Standing out: the importance of marketing in 2026
• [46:59] – First hires and leveraging automation/AI
• [50:45] – Exit strategies and scaling up

Takeaways for Rookies

• Co-hosting is accessible with minimal capital—focus on learning, networking, and providing value.
• Start by mastering the basics: know guest management, operations, and owner communication.
• Use detective work and outreach: Leverage tech and social platforms to find struggling owners.
• Stand out by solving owners’ pain points: safety, marketing, and owner peace of mind win business.
• Leverage automation and teams as you grow: Start with great cleaning/maintenance partners; expand to assistants and AI tools when you scale.
• Plan for the future: A well-run co-hosting business can be sold as an asset down the road.

Connect with Garrett

• YouTube: Bigger Stays/BiggerPockets Short Term Rental Channel
• Instagram: @garrettbrown.re
• Newsletter: Bigger Stays

If you want a low-risk way to make serious money in real estate without owning property—or want to sharpen your hospitality and management chops—this episode is a must-listen. Garrett’s blueprint provides accessible, actionable steps every rookie can leverage.