I Used to Think STR Design Was an Expense. Now Every Property We Own Is Professionally Designed

You just spent $1M on a property. Now someone is telling you to spend another $200K on design. That fear is real, and it stopped me too.

In this episode, I sit down with Jordan McDonough and Bri West, co-founders of Somerled Designs, the largest short-term rental focused design firm in the country, to break down why professional design is the highest-ROI decision you can make for your STR investment.

Jordan and Bri have worked with hundreds of STR investors and manage over 35 properties of their own. What they've built at Somerled isn't just a design firm. It's a data-first strategy that tells you exactly what to build, who to build it for, and how to make sure it pays for itself.

We break down:

Why design is a revenue driver, not an expense, and how to calculate the ROI before you spend a dollar

The data and comp analysis Somerled uses to forecast revenue and build the right design budget for any market

Why generic design is a losing strategy in 2026 and what "niching down" actually looks like in practice

The amenity stacking strategy that creates hero shots, drives bookings, and separates top 10% properties from everyone else

Why relying on Airbnb alone to sell your property is no longer enough and what a real marketing strategy looks like

The "astrology cabin" case study: how Bri branded a 3-bedroom cabin around a theme guests didn't know they wanted until they saw it

The bottom line: the investors winning in this market aren't spending more. They're spending smarter, and design is where the smartest money goes first.

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