The Airbnb question: What’s a broker to do?

March 21, 2016 | by Ariel Stulberg
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Airbnb and other short-term rental services make it easy for “hosts” to find willing renters for their spaces. Before that can happen, though, they need a space. And for that, they often need a broker. Brokers, both sales and rental, are encountering an increasing number of clients who – openly or otherwise – seek units they plan to market through the services, sometimes “commercially,” as de facto hotels. The Real Deal spoke to a handful of agents navigating this 21st Century problem and encountered a range of responses: from solicitude to suspicion. “We’re seeing a lot of people who want to cash cow their investment,” said Frances Katzen, a luxury broker at Douglas Elliman. She described ... Read More