From Engineer to Remote STR Pro: Eric Bell’s Journey to Automating Success by Hospitable Hosts

In this episode of the Hospitable Hosts podcast, we sit down with Eric Bell, founder of Milux and a dedicated Hospitable customer. Eric shares his inspiring journey from working as an electrical engineer to launching a thriving short-term rental business—all while managing properties remotely. From the challenges of arbitrage to the nuances of co-hosting, Eric walks us through his strategy for automating operations, scaling his business, and incorporating smart home technology to enhance guest experiences.

Eric recognizes that taking the time and effort to learn Hospitable features and utilizing them in his business processes will result in a value add for everyone involved. As owners/hosts, sometimes it’s difficult to identify what is important. Many tasks are urgent in this industry, but focusing effort on the important is essential, and tools are essential.

Whether you’re an aspiring host or a seasoned STR professional, Eric’s insights on systemization, risk mitigation, and the future of hospitality tech are not to be missed. You can find Eric on Instagram @ericbellreal or contact him via his website.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:40 Balancing short-term rentals with a full-time job
• 5:09 The growth of Eric's business
• 10:08 Lessons learned about rental arbitrage and co-hosting
• 13:20 Managing STRs in urban vs vacation markets
• 16:25 Smart home tech for short-term rentals
• 22:46 Closing thoughts