STR Accelerator is a real estate investment course by Robert Iacob that teaches you how to create a short term rental business without owning any property. The easy to follow course covers the fundamentals of Airbnb and rental arbitrage all the way to scaling and automation.
Short term rental arbitrage is the strategy of renting out a property long-term and then having it rented out short term at a higher rate than the monthly rate. This strategy is popular because it allows people with little capital to invest in the real estate industry. An example of rental arbitrage is Airbnb arbitrage. This works by leasing a long-term property and then listing it on Airbnb for short term rent. Before you do so, you need permission from the landlord to avoid issues. Short term rental arbitrage, like any real estate business, is high risk.
Local lead generation is a low cost, low risk business model that creates passive income. It is a type of digital real estate in which you rank and rent your website to local businesses. You don't have to deal with tenants, property maintenance, automation costs, laws and regulations, and more. It's definitely worth checking out local lead generation for a sustainable passive income business.
STR Accelerator Pros and Cons
Pros
The course covers the A-Zs of short term rental arbitrage, from finding properties to automation.
You have lifetime access to the course. You can access the course at any time and on any device as long as you have an internet connection.
Cons
Pricing is not standard.
Course is too short for its price.
Course has not been updated since Feb 2020.
Price
STR Accelerator costs $297 on Teachable. $199.00 on BrainLearns.
Refund Policy
STR Accelerator has a 30-day refund provided that less than 15% of the course is consumed.
Origin
2019
Reputation
Mixed reviews
It’s good for absolute beginners but too many fluff
How Do I Pitch to Landlords for Short Term Rental Arbitrage?
To pitch short term rental arbitrage to landlords, list down the benefits they’ll receive from agreeing to let you sublet their property on short term rental platforms. Also, let them know the work you’ll be doing and how they can secure a stable income without worrying about their property’s maintenance.
Landlord Benefits From Short Term Rental Arbitrage:
Who Is Robert Iacob’s STR Accelerator For?
STR Accelerator is for beginners who want to supplement their income by investing in short term rentals without owning any property. The course teaches a complete, step-by-step process, from setting up your business all the way up to scaling and automation.
What Do You Get With Robert Iacob’s STR Accelerator?
With STR Accelerator, you get 4 hours of on-demand video training and 4 articles across 78 lectures separated into 11 sections. You can access the training via a mobile device or smart TV. Completing the course comes with a certificate of completion.
Course Curriculum
What Do Students of Robert Iacob’s STR Accelerator Say?
Robert Iacob's STR Accelerator course has had mixed reviews. On Udemy, 273 students have taken his course, which has a rating of 3.2/5. Here are some of the reviews posted; take them with a grain of salt:
Who Is Robert Iacob?
Robert Iacob is a real estate investor, co-founder, and managing director of the short term rental platform Sleepover Inc. He created and instructed the STR Accelerator, which is a short term rental course, and previously had an Airbnb mastery program. Robert is also the founder of HouseKeeper, which is a fully integrated software that connects cleaners and hosts. Originally from Springfield, Missouri, Robert now lives in Los Angeles, California.
Is Rental Arbitrage Still Worth It in 2024?
Rental arbitrage is still worth it in 2024. The real estate industry is ever-growing, as people will always need a place to rent. Rental arbitrage is cheaper than buying property, so this strategy can prove highly profitable to those who cannot afford to buy. Investing in short term rentals can make more money than long term rentals if you can maintain good occupancy rates. Short term rentals are growing in popularity as a substitute for hotels as they are cheaper and more homey.
Airbnb arbitrage is legal in most areas. However, regulations on short term rentals are changing in many locations. Make sure to check the local restrictions on short term rentals beforehand, or you might face problems later on. Be aware of the downsides of short term rental arbitrage before jumping into it.
Costs and Profits
You can start earning money on Airbnb without owning properties by using the rental arbitrage strategy. Alternatively, you can also co host, in which you take over the management of another person’s Airbnb business. It costs as little as $1,500 to start an Airbnb arbitrage. This includes rent and operating costs like cleaning, utilities, internet, etc. This does not include advance rent, a security deposit, or furnishing. If your landlord still requires a security deposit and advanced rent and you need to buy furnishing, add improvements, and do repairs, Your initial costs would be around $5,000 or more.
Airbnb is a good platform to list your short term rentals. Airbnb will help you make money by having your listing on their platform. There are over 150 million Airbnb users, making it the top short term rental platform to date. How much you earn would depend on factors such as occupancy rate, how much you charge, operating costs, customer experience, etc. You can make as much as a 25% profit margin with STR.
Conclusion: Is Robert Iacob's STR Accelerator Course Worth It?
I would not recommend Robert Iacob's STR Accelerator course because of its price and content. Regardless, taking a good course will definitely benefit you. The benefits of following a short term rental course are that you get to save time by following an organized lesson plan rather than finding various sources to learn for free online. You also get to save a lot of money by avoiding common, costly beginner mistakes. Getting a mentor would prove more helpful than taking a DIY course.
Related Articles on Short Term Rental Arbitrage
My Number 1 Online Business Recommendation for 2024
Local lead generation is my number 1 online business recommendation for 2024. With local lead generation, you create and rank a site on Google using free tactics like SEO. You then rent out this site to local businesses for the organic leads it generates. This creates predictable and passive income without the hassles of traditional real estate. As for competition, there are hundreds of niches and thousands of areas that you can choose from, which makes it very minimal.
A local lead generation business basically runs itself. You don't need to outsource work or hire a team to manage it. A site can stay ranked on local Google searches for years before even needing an update. To scale, you simply need to repeat the process of ranking a site and renting it out. This gives you the potential to earn as much as $2,000 a month per site. You can scale as much as you want, making the potential to earn limitless. These qualities make local lead generation the best passive income business model to create time and financial freedom.