Efficiency gains with Breezeway + Hospitable integration

When Alex and Kimberly first evaluated purchasing the Shotgun House, one of the key elements needed to increase the property’s financial performance was enhancing operations of the short-term rental business. The Shotgun House, featured on Season 3 of HGTV's Fixer Upper show, was already operating as a short-term rental, but it was only listed on Airbnb and was operating through a string of texts to guests, cleaners, and maintenance technicians. Purchasing the property and adding new systems like Hospitable & Breezeway provided Alex and Kimberly the confidence and ability to step confidently into their first short-term rental. And now, with the integration of Breezeway and Hospitable and additional features, Alex and Kimberly have taken the Shotgun House to the next level.

“Getting into real estate investing and the short-term rental industry was already a big risk for us as first-time investors, so we were willing to invest in technology, like Breezeway and Hospitable, that would help us do this right from the start. Especially with full-time jobs, we didn’t have time to do it any other way.”

Alex and Kimberly now list the Shotgun House on Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Google vacation rentals, and have their own direct booking site, while streamlining reservation management through Hospitable. Alex says, “From a business health perspective, diversifying our listings and reducing dependency on one OTA (Airbnb) was critical.”

From there, Breezeway’s technology allowed them to streamline their operations between every reservation. A cleaning task is automatically created and assigned to their cleaner after each check-out equipped with a cleaning checklist. Alex and Kimberly then are automatically notified when the property is ready and can pay their cleaner for the completed task. Now day-to-day operations are handled automatically, saving Alex and Kimberly around 7 hours per week.

“What we really appreciate about Breezeway and Hospitable is that when a booking comes in, not only do we get notified as the hosts, but our cleaner also gets notified that she has a new cleaning at our property. So now I don’t even have to think about if the property will be ready because it always is and I can track everything in Breezeway.”

Enhanced guest and cleaner satisfaction

With about a two-night average stay, the Shotgun House sees about two stays per week. This means a lot of work for their cleaner and the need for streamlined scheduling. “Since we implemented Breezeway, we have not had any complaints about cleanliness, and we haven’t had any reviews less than five stars on cleanliness.”

Alex and Kimberly automatically have a cleaning checklist associated with every turnover. This way, their cleaner can use the Breezeway app to upload photos to verify the cleanliness of the property before a guest checks in. They can also verify that certain safety precautions are in place for liability reasons, like a safety ladder from their loft, for example. They’ve also customized this checklist to include an area for their cleaner to provide feedback on the condition the house was left in by the prior guests so Alex and Kimberly can write their guest reviews on Airbnb.

Effortless cleaner payments

Managing cleaner payments was previously a tedious and manual process. With Breezeway, Alex and Kimberly streamlined the payment workflow, ensuring their cleaner is compensated promptly and accurately. Breezeway's Payment features allow them to review and send payment upon job completion, saving time and avoiding delays.

By integrating payment tracking into their operations, Alex and Kimberly fostered a positive working relationship with their cleaner and ensured a smooth, hassle-free process for everyone involved. Alex emphasizes, “Our cleaner loves Breezeway. She can see the schedule, choose jobs, and know exactly what needs to be done. Plus, Breezeway makes it simple for us to track completed jobs and pay her right away. It’s been a huge upgrade for her and us.”

Easy onboarding: Getting it right from the start

The onboarding experience with Breezeway was another standout for Alex and Kimberly. Breezeway’s team provided step-by-step guidance to ensure the system was tailored to their unique needs. From setting up cleaning templates to integrating with Hospitable, the process was seamless.

"The onboarding process was phenomenal. Cameron, our onboarding specialist, walked us through everything step by step. He was patient, thorough, and helped us create cleaning checklists and workflows that were tailored perfectly to our property. It was great!"

The couple appreciated the personalized support, which included multiple training sessions to ensure they were confident in using Breezeway. Even months later, the system required minimal adjustments, a testament to the onboarding team's careful attention to detail. Alex says, "Cameron’s guidance made sure we got everything right from the start. We haven’t had to make many changes since then, which is a huge relief when you’re managing so much.”

The importance of investing in technology

With Breezeway, Alex and Kimberly turned potential risk into a smoothly operating, scalable business model. It has empowered them to transform their property into a high-performing business while balancing their personal and professional lives. Their success showcases how thoughtful technology adoption can empower part-time real estate entrepreneurs to deliver exceptional guest experiences and achieve operational excellence.