Building Property Management Companies That Scale with Merilee Karr of Under the Doormat

Episode notes

In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, host Lynell Gordon sits down with Merilee Karr, founder and CEO of Under the Doormat Group and former chairperson of the UK's short-term rental industry association. Merilee brings a rare mix of operational, technological, and advocacy expertise to a wide-ranging conversation about what it actually takes to grow a property management business. The episode covers the importance of building systems for the company you want to be—not the one you are today—and why technology integration is critical to avoiding what Merilee's COO calls "death by Chrome tab." Merilee also unpacks the AI strategies property managers can adopt now, from data centralization to owning your supply, and explores how the industry can professionalize without losing the authenticity that makes short-term rentals special.