Momentum is a Metric: Why We Are Outpacing the Industry

In the world of short-term rental management, most property owners focus on "lagging indicators"—metrics like last month’s occupancy or yesterday’s ADR. While those numbers are essential for reporting, they tell you what has happened, not what is happening.

To predict where a portfolio is going, you have to look at momentum.

We recently pulled the data from Crunchbase, the leading platform for tracking business

trends and market relevance. Their "Heat Score" algorithm measures a company’s momentum based on web traffic,

news activity, and brand engagement.

The results paint a very clear picture of the current Nashville landscape: The gap between "Legacy

Management" and "Modern Execution" is widening.

The Data: A Tale of Two Trajectories

When we stacked our performance against both major national players and local competitors, the trend lines diverged significantly.

1. The Leader of the Pack Host Extraordinaires is currently sitting at a Heat Score of 91. This isn't just a high number; it represents a brand in peak growth mode. It means that in a crowded market, our listings, our platform, and our brand are generating significantly more interest and activity than the field.

2. The National Giants We often hear about the massive marketing budgets of the VC-backed national chains. Yet, the data shows their momentum is stalling.

• AvantStay: Heat Score of 77.

• GoodNight Stay: Heat Score of 71.
  

While respectable, these scores indicate a leveling off. In a hyper-competitive market like Nashville, staying flat is the first step toward falling behind.

3. The Cooling Crowd The data is even starker when looking at other managers who have been in the market for years but haven't evolved their tech or operational stack.

• Beckon Homes: Heat Score of 68.

• Urban Nashville: Heat Score of 64.

• Stay Local Nashville: Heat Score of 61.

• Misfit Homes: Heat Score of 60.

• Grand Welcome: Heat Score of 32.
  

Why Does a "Heat Score" Matter to Your Wallet?

You might be asking, "Why do I care about a Crunchbase score? I just want my mortgage paid."

The answer is simple: Attention is the currency of the hospitality industry.

A high Heat Score correlates directly with brand visibility and organic traffic. When a management company has high momentum:

1. Higher Direct Traffic: We rely less on OTA (Airbnb/VRBO) algorithms because travelers are searching for our brand directly. This lowers acquisition costs and increases net margins.

2. Algorithm Dominance: High engagement signals to platforms that our listings are desirable, pushing them higher in search results.

3. Market Relevance: It validates that our strategies—from our Prediction Machine underwriting to our in-house laundry operations—are resonating with the market.