#285 - How to Use Data to Find and Buy Profitable Short-Term Rentals - Taylor Jones

Joining us on this episode of Living Off Rentals is someone who helps short-term rental investors find the best deals and scale faster using real data.

Taylor Jones is a short-term rental investing specialist at STR Search who helps investors build and grow profitable Airbnb portfolios.

Listen as he explains how to spot strong STR opportunities using real market and property data—and what red flags to watch for before you buy. You’ll also learn how amenities like pools, pickleball courts, fire pits, and even string lights can seriously boost your booking rates, and why great photography might be the most valuable amenity of all.

Enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

[00:00] Introducing Taylor Jones and his background

[02:05] How he got into the short-term rental data analysis space

[04:56] What makes a good, profitable Airbnb?

[08:45] Different means to identify the best properties

[13:46] What is bad data, and how to eliminate it?

[19:33] Improving data confidence and making an informed decision in rental data analysis

[21:21] Taylor's definition of market saturation

[30:04] Make the best available decision based on the data you have today

[35:50] How to analyze STR comps and project revenue with realistic low-mid-high ranges

[37:41] Pool vs. no-pool revenue boosts: $20K–$70K, depending on market

[41:26] Why photography is the most powerful STR investment

[44:58] STR investing is 80% data, 20% art

[45:32] Two paths to higher rates: More luxury or more value

[46:38] Matching amenities to your ideal guest demographic

[50:14] Outro

Guest Links:

Website: https://strsearch.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-jones-38997154/

Show Links:

Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals

Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast

Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/

Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals

Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals