Garrett found flipping houses to be less aligned with his hospitality background and customer service focus. He saw an opportunity in short-term rentals, which allowed him to leverage his skills in guest experience and create unique stays.
Houston's Airbnb market became oversaturated in 2021, leading to a race to the bottom on pricing. This made it difficult to maintain profitability with traditional short-term rentals.
Garrett focused on creating unique stays that offered an experience guests couldn't find elsewhere, such as geodesic domes and glamping sites, blending luxury with outdoor adventure.
The rule states that the property should be within 60 minutes of a major city with over 500,000 people, 30 minutes from a state, national, or regional attraction, and 10 minutes from basic amenities like a gas station or Dollar General.
Garrett funded the initial build-out with cash he saved up, along with a business partner (his mother). The total investment for the first geodesic dome was around $100,000.
The geodesic dome generated $96,000 in its first year, with a 50% cash-on-cash return, making it a highly profitable investment.
Garrett wanted to share his journey in real-time, including his mistakes and successes, to inspire others and build a community. This also helped him attract direct bookings and potential partners.
Garrett's properties receive about 65% of their bookings directly through social media and his website, with the remaining coming from platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com.
Garrett advises rookies to focus on creating unique experiences that stand out in their market. He also emphasizes the importance of market research, staying close to major cities, and leveraging social media to build a brand and attract direct bookings.
**$50,000 **cash flow) from ONE rental!? Not many properties will give you this kind of return in today’s housing market, but this investor beat his competition to an innovative investing strategy), and it’s paying huge dividends. Want to find out what it is and how he did it? You don’t want to miss this one!
Welcome back to the Real Estate Rookie podcast! Garrett Brown envisioned himself running restaurants or operating hotels before real estate investing) took him down a different path. He got his real estate agent license, flipped a few houses), and then, in a full circle moment, put his background in hospitality to good use—buying **three condos at a discount **and converting them into short-term rentals). But when Houston, Texas, like many Airbnb markets, became oversaturated in 2021, Garrett landed on a new strategy that would allow him to stand out. It gives vacationers a taste of the great outdoors without sacrificing the luxuries and comfort of a cozy home!
If you want to know how to earn five-figure cash flow from a single rental and keep your vacation rentals booked year-round, stay tuned. We’ll also get into why you should document your investing journey online (even if you’re just starting) and the trick to finding discounted properties!
In This Episode We Cover:
How this investor makes $50,000 in annual cash flow from one rental “unit”
The **innovative **rental property) that blends luxury and the outdoors
How to stand out in any market by offering “unique stays”
Where *most *short-term rental bookings are coming from in 2025
Why every rookie should document their investing journey on social media
Scoring a deep discount on property by knowing a seller’s motivation
And **So **Much More!
Links from the Show
Ashley's BiggerPockets Profile)
Tony's BiggerPokckets Profile)
Real Estate Rookie Facebook Group)
Ask Your Question on the BiggerPockets Forums)
Pre-Order the Book “Smarter Short-Term Rentals”)
Find Investor-Friendly Lenders)
Real Estate Rookie 91 – 8 Units, 10 Wholesale Deals, and $0 Spent on Marketing w/ @liliinvests)
Check out more resources from this show on BiggerPockets.com) and https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/rookie-494)
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