Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Owarume and AJ Dike.
Erica and AJ, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2017, when the Super Bowl came to Houston, we put our apartment up on Airbnb. At the time, we didn’t know anything about it. We were just giving it a try. We did it for about a month after the Super Bowl. It went so well we were like “wow, we didn’t even do any research. We just gave it a try.” So, we took about a year to research and learn more about the Short-Term Rental business. Specifically to Airbnb. When we got back in, we paid more attention to the little details. Fine-tuning what we already knew. We found a newer and modern apartment in a better location. The more we learned, the more we were able to improve our process. We hired professional cleaners, paid more attention to the overall furniture, design, and amenities that guests were attracted to. Today, we manage over 10 listings, houses and condos included, and are currently in the process of setting up a couple more. We have since grown from renting out just apartments.
Has it been a smooth road?
We were young and did not have much capital to go out and buy properties ourselves. We had to get creative so we first looked into subleasing. We had a friend that was moving out of state with a month left in their lease. That apartment unit taught us the most lessons. At first glance, it seemed like a good deal, but once we started setting it up we saw that there was a lot more than needed improvement. We ended up putting in more money than we got out. Luckily, it was just a short time. The next apartment we got after that went a lot better.
Once we had ours up and running, we got the idea to focus on managing short-term rentals for property owners. Our first go at that ended within two months. The owner changed their mind and we didn’t have a contract in place. Although it was short-lived, that experience is what we have built our business on today.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with EA Lodging – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Our business is based on creating a seamless guest experience. By focusing on the needs of our guests we are able to better manage and maintain each owners’ property. We are a full-service Short-Term Rental management company. From setup and design to management, we work with property owners to turn their vacation homes into lucrative short-term rentals. We are most proud of the amount of growth we have had in such a short time.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
We love diversity. We are both Nigerian so it feels good to live in a place outside of your home country where you are accepted.
Houston is a very beautiful city but we have a lot of underdeveloped areas that if shown the right amount of love and care, we would be able to showcase more of its beauty. That is why we are so invested in what we are doing. As more people begin to visit Houston, we hope that the expansion of short-term rentals in the city will spark the change needed to keep Houston beautiful.
Pricing:
- Our management fee is 20% per guest booking
- $750 Setup and Design (We will setup your STR for you)
- $75 STR Setup Guide (A step-by-step guide to setting it up on your own)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.EALodging.com
- Email: ealodging@gmail.com
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
