The Boostly Podcast Summary

Episode: How Ryan Luke Built a £100K/Property Mid-Term Rental Business (Without Airbnb Tourists)
Date: September 1, 2025
Host: Mark Simpson
Guest: Ryan Luke, Founder of Contractor BNB
Theme: Building a high-income, mid-term rental business by specializing in contractor stays—bypassing typical short-term Airbnb tourists for more stable, lucrative, and manageable bookings.

Episode Overview

Mark Simpson sits down with Ryan Luke to explore how Ryan built a £100,000 per property mid-term rental (MTR) business, focusing exclusively on contractor stays and shunning the traditional Airbnb tourism model. The episode dives deep into Ryan’s business pivot, his criteria for acquiring high-performing properties, direct booking strategies, the economics of MTRs, managing investor relations, and the practical realities of running such a business. Key insights revolve around the importance of the right property type, market research, and relationship-building over volume scaling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ryan's Story: From Scaling Short-Term Rentals to MTR Success

• Rapid Growth, Burnout, and a Major Pivot

  • Started in property in 2018-2019, quickly grew to 450 units across the UK and Dubai, with large teams and high revenues—until things went wrong.
  • "Looked great on paper, was absolute chaos behind the scenes. I didn’t have a life." (Ryan, [01:47])
  • Major losses led to a complete restructuring. Ryan realized bigger, longer-term bookings (contractors) were the true drivers of profit and stability.

• Finding the Sweet Spot

  • Identified that properties suited to contractor bookings delivered better profit, occupancy, and less hassle.
  • Niche Focus: Mid-to-large homes adapted for contractor teams, situated near ongoing construction and infrastructure projects.

2. Criteria for Selecting & Configuring Properties

• Buying Over Renting:

  • No longer pursues rent-to-rent; views it as unscalable and high-risk in the UK, especially with VAT complications.
  • "For me, it’s the same effort to find a property and raise capital to buy as it is to convince a landlord to sublet." (Ryan, [07:01])

• Property Features:

  • Targets 3-bed houses with potential to convert to at least 4-5 beds.
  • Looks for older stock that can be modernized and reconfigured (adding extra bedrooms via garage conversions, etc.)
  • Wealth Strategy: Uses BRR (Buy, Refurbish, Refinance) to recycle capital.

• Research Tools:

  • Uses Rightmove with browser extension Property Log to spot motivated sellers.
  • "Whenever I see properties with wooden bathrooms, green carpets... that’s a potential opportunity." (Ryan, [10:56])

• Choosing Location:

  • Relies on ConstructionMap.io to pinpoint areas with significant ongoing contract work.
  • "If there’s a lot of dots, that’s a good sign." (Ryan, [14:31])
  • Now prioritizes dominating the northeast of England with concentrated stock, having learned the pitfalls of scaling nationally.

• Focus on Larger Houses:

  • Four of these houses can net £100k/year; emphasizes profit per property over building massive portfolios.
  • "It’s all about quality, not quantity." (Ryan, [15:55])

3. Brand Positioning & Direct Booking Mastery

• Building the Contractor BNB Brand:

  • Rebranded the business website, visuals, and messaging exclusively for contractors and trade stays.
  • "I just wanted to become the niche contractor company in our area, and that’s what we carved out." (Ryan, [18:57])

• Developing Relationships:

  • Success with direct bookings comes from volume of rooms, reliability, and strong relationships.
  • Contractor teams refer peers and return for future projects.
  • Blue-chip companies prefer one-stop solutions (one landlord, one invoice, easy communications).

• OTAs as Lead Generators:

  • Still uses Airbnb and Booking.com to supplement direct website bookings and fill calendar gaps, but the focus is on converting these to direct relationships for long-term stays.

• % of Direct Bookings:

  • Now achieves 80%+ direct bookings (up from 15-20% pre-pivot).

4. The Economics & Operations of the MTR Model

• Occupancy and Revenue:

  • Typical bookings are 4-7 months. Some companies have stayed for nearly 2 years.
  • Emphasizes that contractors value flexibility and hassle-free housing over saving money by renting directly.
  • "Most of them could save money renting themselves, but they just don’t want the hassle." (Ryan, [24:58])

• Optimizing for Contractor Needs:

  • Homes set up with four double rooms and one twin (for a 5-bed) to maximize privacy and comfort.
  • Cleans every 10 days minimum; robust appliances, good WiFi, basic but functional furniture.

• Staffing & Scale:

  • Downscaled from 100+ staff to just 7 due to simpler operations, less guest turnover, and reduced hassle.
  • "It just works, it’s a better model, a nicer model to run." (Ryan, [04:27])

5. Raising Money & Working with Investors

• How to Attract Investment:
  • Trust, transparency, and a track record are key.
  • Uses social media to showcase projects and results.
  • Offers a 30-day ‘Raising Money Challenge’ as a resource.
    • "You probably have £2m in your phone book already... but until you know how to speak the language, you can’t unlock it." (Ryan, [38:37])
  • Most deals with private lenders or JV partners; sometimes offers high-interest rates to start, with options for equity partnerships later.
  • Has now acquired multiple properties in a year with no personal capital required.

6. Transition Advice for Hosts Considering MTR

• Not All Properties Will Transition:

  • City center/flats with no parking unlikely to attract contractor stays, regardless of calendar optimization.
  • On the other hand, out-of-center houses with parking and space can be repositioned for mid-term bookings.

• Growth Advice:

  • Use existing tourist BNBs for cash flow while identifying and renovating the right stock for transition.
  • "I personally, if I had my time again, wouldn't even touch rent-to-rent. I would just raise money and buy assets." (Ryan, [44:55])

7. Host Community and Deal Sharing

• Collaborative Bookings:
  • Ryan facilitates a WhatsApp community ("Host Connect") for UK hosts to cross-refer bookings and fill oversubscribed projects.
  • Can broker large bookings by combining stock with other trusted hosts—handling invoicing centrally for client convenience.
  • "We’re the 130 for the client, and then it’s up to us to sort out the rest behind the scenes." (Ryan, [50:28])

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• "Looked great on paper, was absolute chaos behind the scenes. I didn’t have a life, really."
  — Ryan ([01:47])

• "Four of these houses will make you 100k net income a year."
  — Ryan ([15:55])

• "You don’t need Instagrammable places, you don’t need hot tubs in the backyard... you need a good fridge, washing machine, and good WiFi."
  — Ryan ([31:54])

• "You can’t really dip your toe in either water. You either go all in on this, or you go all in on the tourism model."
  — Ryan ([22:20])

• "Most of them could save money renting themselves, but they just don’t want the hassle."
  — Ryan ([24:58])

• "You probably have £2m in your phone book already... but until you know how to speak the language, you can’t unlock it."
  — Ryan ([38:37])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – Introduction, framing the MTR bootcamp, Ryan's background
• 01:25 – Ryan’s story: from hundreds of units to pivoting his business
• 06:50 – Property acquisition strategy: why he only buys, not rents
• 10:56 – What property features he targets; floor plans and value-add
• 14:31 – Using construction data for location selection
• 15:55 – Quality over quantity: financial framework explained
• 17:42 – Direct booking strategies, relationship building
• 18:57 – Brand overhaul: focusing website/message on contractors
• 22:20 – Mindset shift: why the MTR model requires total commitment
• 24:12 – Current scale: 59 properties, 7 staff, occupancy rates
• 29:32 – Contractor client profiles: why large houses are key
• 33:39 – Area expansion plans & local strategy
• 37:03 – Raising private investment: trust, social proof, and methods
• 42:51 – Switching from tourism to contractor BNB: where to start
• 44:55 – Ryan’s advice: if starting over, skip rent-to-rent, buy assets
• 48:19 – Host community, sharing large contracts
• 50:28 – Logistics of large booking deals; centralized invoicing
• 51:47 – The importance of systems and good accounting

Final Takeaways

• Stability > Flexibility: Long mid-term stays offer less turnover, better occupancy, and higher profit per property than the regular tourist model.
• Focus on Fit: Not all properties (or locations) are suitable for the contractor/MTR model—be selective and optimize for the needs of contractor teams.
• Direct Bookings are Achievable: A specialized brand, strong local reputation, and word-of-mouth among trade clients deliver high direct booking rates.
• Leverage Communities: Networking with other hosts can secure large client deals and ensure full occupancy.
• Invest for the Long Game: Prioritize purchasing and configuring underperforming homes over short-term, risky rent-to-rent arrangements.

Connect with Ryan & Boostly

• Ryan’s Instagram: @RyanKLuke84 (direct message for raising money resources)
• Boostly: Instagram @BoostlyUK
• Host Connect WhatsApp: Available via Ryan’s academy
• Free training: Tag both on IG with your feedback to get Ryan’s ’30-day Raising Money Challenge’

This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to escape Airbnb dependence, reduce hospitality headaches, and build a high-profit, sustainable, and scalable MTR business focused on contractor stays.