Vacation rental markets were some of the biggest winners of the housing boom several years ago. But where are those real estate markets today?
New data suggests that many of the operators who chased cash flow in the Airbnb gold rush are now looking to cut their short-term rentals loose. As it turns out, running a profitable Airbnb is much harder than it looks. So, does that make this the perfect time to buy?
Our resident short-term rental expert, Garrett Brown, joins the show to break down exactly what’s happening and why it could be worth making a few “disrespectful” offers on these types of properties in 2026.
Sellers are highly motivated, and more properties are hitting the market, but investors must be able to distinguish the “good” rental properties from the homes that should never have been vacation rentals in the first place. We’ll get into market analysis, the amenities that actually drive bookings, and why the next wave of successful short-term rental investors will win with hospitality—not hype.
In This Episode We Cover
The exact type of operator being squeezed out of vacation rental markets
The two types of short-term rentals that are still wildly profitable in 2026
Why there are so many motivated sellers in the short-term rental space right now
Garrett’s favorite short-term rental markets to target in 2026
The number one thing you must do when entering a new Airbnb market
And So Much More!
Links from the Show
Join the Future of Real Estate Investing with Fundrise
Join BiggerPockets for FREE
Join us at the BiggerPockets Conference October 2-4 in Orlando. Buy tickets
Sign Up for the Investor Brief Newsletter
Find an Investor-Friendly Agent in Your Area
Investing in Short-Term Rentals: A Beginner’s Guide & How to Get Started
Garrett's BiggerPockets Profile
Dave's BiggerPockets Profile
Watch Garrett on BiggerStays!
Parcl: Trouble in Paradise: America’s Vacation-Home Sellers Are the Most Motivated in Housing
AirDNA
BNBCalc
Buy the Book, Smarter Short-Term Rentals
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/on-the-market-449.
Interested in learning more about today’s sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email advertise@biggerpockets.com.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
