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Dissecting AirDNA’s Latest Updates with Jamie Lane
In this episode, we dive deep into the world of short-term rentals and data analytics with Jamie Lane, the Chief Economist and SVP of Analytics at AirDNA. Jamie shares his journey from hosting on Airbnb in 2008 to joining AirDNA in 2020, and how he used his background in hospitality research to help revolutionize the vacation rental industry.
Avery: On today’s show, we’re here to talk about the way AirDNA is now, especially after they rolled out a new interface and new pricing. We have Jamie here to answer all our questions about it. Jamie, how’s it going today?
Jamie: Great, Avery. How about you?
Avery: Good! It was great to meet you in person at STR Wealth. That was a lot of fun, and I know it was a little too quick, but thank you so much for coming on. We’re super happy to have you here.
Jamie: Yeah, it was great meeting you too! Thanks for having me.
Avery: So, let’s start with a little bit about you. Can you tell us a bit about how you got into the vacation rental business and AirDNA?
Jamie: Sure! Going back to 2008 or 2009, I started hosting on Airbnb. Before that, I was hosting through Couchsurfing. Around 2012, I started renting out a private room in my own house, and that’s really how I got started. At the same time, I was working in the hospitality industry, specifically at PKF Hospitality Research. My job was to forecast the future of the hotel industry.
Avery: Interesting! So you were involved in research and analysis?
Jamie: Yeah, exactly. As an economist, I started seeing the rise of Airbnb and short-term rentals, which was making an impact on hotels. I became one of AirDNA’s first clients back in 2015.
Avery: Wow! You were there early on. What was your role at AirDNA when you joined?
Jamie: Well, I basically told Scott Shatford to give me the entire database! I wanted to digest all the data and incorporate it into our analysis. I officially joined AirDNA in October 2020 as Chief Economist and SVP of Analytics, and I’ve been with the company ever since.
Avery: That’s amazing. So for people who might not be familiar, what is AirDNA, and what does it do?
Jamie: AirDNA is a short-term data and analytics company. We track nearly every short-term rental around the world, analyzing their revenue, how often they’re being booked, what rates they’re getting, and other key property attributes—like how many bedrooms, bathrooms, and amenities. We package all that data to help investors and other users make informed decisions.
Avery: That’s really powerful. You provide all the data needed for investment decisions and underwriting.
Jamie: Exactly! We make it easy to find opportunities and underwrite potential investments in short-term rentals.
