How One Couple Used Tripadvisor Reviews To Build A Rental Business

In the next release of our Customer Spotlight series, we head over to the United Kingdom and sit down with Sara and Mike Eastwood.

The Eastwoods were faced with an interesting challenge, one that many soon-to-be parents across the world know all too well. How do we financially provide for our growing family, while still being able to dedicate time to our children? They were both already working full-time jobs, had purchased their dream home, and were ready to begin the next chapter of their lives.

“There are only four years between all our children, and they were all very young at the time [we got into the rental business], and it was really about searching out something I could do that would not impact massively on them.”

After seeing a few friends have success with “holiday lettings,” Sara and Mike quickly set out to find the perfect rental that could accommodate their—and future guests’—needs. That dream home they just bought to live in for years to come? They sold it, and made the decision to purchase a different lot of land with two properties on it—one to live in and one to rent out.

Five years and 200 amazing reviews later, the Eastwoods rental business is thriving. They leveraged one great review after another to improve their reputation, gradually increase pricing, and expand property types to meet different traveler needs.

Download the full story below to find out how Mark and Sara went from new owners to having three properties with 90% of their bookings coming from TripAdvisor Rentals.