The real estate industry moves through extreme cycles. Boom periods and downturns often sit only a few years apart. In that environment, some platforms chase growth. Others focus on surviving the next downturn. Very few manage to do both.
That gap raises a recurring question across the industry. What does it take to build a platform that can grow and still hold up when conditions turn? Growth and resilience rarely coexist by accident.
The discussion usually points to familiar concepts like marketplaces, choice, and friction. These terms come up constantly, but they are often used without clarity. The mechanics behind them matter, yet they are frequently misunderstood.
That misunderstanding creates risk. Platforms build strategies around these ideas without fully understanding how they behave under pressure.
This conversation aims to clarify those mechanics and examine how they shape platform scale, consolidation, and long-term survival in a market where cycles are unavoidable.
STR Global Unlocked Podcast | Episode 19
EPISODE WITH JON GRAY, CEO OF RVSHARE
Think about how many listings you reviewed before booking your last trip. The number easily reaches 10, 20, or more.
Some listings come from individual owners who have managed one or two units for years. Others belong to professional operators overseeing hundreds of listings. On the surface, these groups feel far apart. In practice, both deliver great stays. Both also fall short at times.
What sets strong options apart, according to Jon Gray, is not whether inventory is professionally managed.
Jon is the CEO of RVshare and joined the company in 2018. Since then, the platform has grown to more than 100,000 listed RVs and over five million booked nights. He previously spent over a decade at HomeAway, where he held senior leadership roles and was part of the company’s $3.9 billion sale to Expedia.
In this conversation, Simon Lehmann explores Jon’s perspective on what allows travel platforms to endure across cycles.
From the guest’s point of view, management type matters less than outcome. A successful platform, whether STR or RV, needs to deliver a consistently strong experience.
That means removing friction at every stage of the journey, from booking to the stay to issue resolution. A seamless experience drives trust. Repeated at scale, that trust is what builds a resilient platform.
In this conversation, we discuss:
What truly defines a strong marketplace: expanding real choice while removing friction.
Lessons from HomeAway that feel obvious in hindsight, and why instant booking proved to be a critical unlock.
Why experience quality matters more than who manages the inventory, and what that means for professional operators.
Why accelerating quality standards protects long-term trust, even when owners push back.
Why the RV marketplace introduces risks STR operators do not face, including theft and asset mobility.
Why categories and labels matter less than outcomes, and why sustainable growth consistently outperforms growth at all costs.
"It is not lost on me as a marketplace executive over the course of the past two decades that literally everything a marketplace does is dependent on great operators."
Key STR Trends
INDUSTRY CHECK-IN
From the outside, growth often looks noisy. New tools, new verticals, and constant expansion create the impression that momentum comes from chasing what’s next. In reality, marketplaces that endure are built differently.
Resilient platforms focus first on strengthening their core. Growing the market and increasing share requires discipline. New technologies and adjacent verticals matter, but only when they reduce friction and reinforce what already works.
GetYourGuide offers a clear example. The company reached major milestones through organic growth, staying anchored in its core experience marketplace while expanding carefully. That focus helped it scale beyond one billion euros in revenue without sacrificing resilience.
The lesson mirrors what defines durable marketplaces. Endurance comes from clarity. Platforms that understand where they win, remove friction consistently, and expand with intent are better positioned to survive cycles and grow over time.
Weekly News
WORTH A READ
Stay current on the industry. Each edition covers key insights, major headlines, and the technology shaping travel and short-term rentals.
Prices soar in Hawai’i
Hawai‘i plans to eliminate up to 10,000 vacation rentals by 2026. The move has driven hotel prices higher and sparked strong backlash.
Short-term rentals become shelter
Storm-stricken Nashville saw a spike in STRs serving as shelters for locals without power, as 70,000 remain without electricity.
What are the best places to invest?
AirDNA, one of the leading STR data analysts, has released its list of the best places to invest in STR in 2026. Did any of the places surprise you?
CLOSING THOUGHTS
You might think today’s conversation and tips for success apply only to the RV sector. In reality, these are time-tested rules across the real estate industry. Guests do not chase labels. They do not care about hype or inflated credentials.
What customers want is simple. A seamless transaction and consistent trust.
Deliver those two elements, and customers stay with you through both strong and difficult cycles. Real estate has no shortage of either.
This newsletter and podcast are brought to you thanks to AJL Atelier.
AJL Atelier is a globally recognized consultancy, specializing in the Short-Term Rental (STR) industry, known for our unique blend of trend forecasting, consumer insight, brand strategy, and innovation.
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