Vacation Rentals Are Officially on Sale: Where They’re Worth Buying

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