Building a Legacy Brand in Vacation Rentals with Rachele Hobbs of Hobbs Realty
May 26, 2026
In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, host Lynell Gordon sits down with Rachele Hobbs, CEO of Hobbs Realty, to talk about building a legacy brand on the North Carolina coast through intentional growth, gracious professionalism, and smart AI adoption.
With more than two decades of experience leading a family-owned vacation rental company, Rachele shares how she trimmed her portfolio to fit the company's identity, defined a culture that touches every owner, guest, and vendor interaction, and built a 99 percent direct booking strategy with a 60 to 63 percent return guest rate. She also opens up about training AI in her hospitality voice, the difference between investment and sentiment owners, and the launch of Hospitality Heroes, the nonprofit she cofounded to support hospitality workers through disaster and difficult times.
This episode is sponsored by RentalGuardian
Rachele Hobbs is the CEO of Hobbs Realty, one of the most respected vacation rental companies on the North Carolina coast. For more than two decades, she's led the company through digital modernization, brand building, and a portfolio strategy rooted in family-centered hospitality. She's widely recognized in the vacation rental industry for her expertise in marketing, strategic growth, and innovation, and she's been an early adopter of AI in property management while protecting the human element that defines her team's guest experience.
What You'll Learn:
- Why intentional portfolio sizing matters more than scale in vacation rental management
- How gracious professionalism became the operating principle behind every team interaction
- Practical AI advice for property managers, including how to train AI in your own voice
- The branding and direct booking strategy behind a 99 percent direct booking rate
- How to differentiate between investment owners and sentiment owners
- The mission of Hospitality Heroes and how it supports hospitality workers in crisis
This episode's brought to you by Rental Guardian, the vacation rental industry's leading travel, damage, and liability protection platform. Learn more at rentalguardian.com.
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Previous guests include: Jim DeVos of Best Beach Getaways, Stacy Wesson of Cascara Vacation Rentals, Michael Friedman of The Simple Life Hospitality, Steve Caron of Inhabit, John An of TechTape, Jessica Gillingham of Abode Worldwide, Justin Ford of Breezeway, Mahwussh Alam of One Perfect Stay, Sofia Rossato of Inhabit, and many more.
Check out the three most downloaded episodes:
- Vacation Rental Stories: Episode 63 - Driving Innovation and Partnership
- Homeowners Become Family with Michael Godfrey, Owner of Michael’s Vacation Rentals
- Life in Maui as a Property Manager with Scott Jordan, Owner of Maui Life Realty
Got a question for The Vacation Rental Show?
Our host, Lynell Gordon, is answering your vacation rental questions in our new segment: Ask Lynell.
Whether you’re navigating pricing strategy, owner retention, tech stack decisions, franchise growth, or operational scaling — no question is too big or too niche.
Submit your question in writing, audio, or video — whatever works for you. Lynell and her industry expert guests will select real questions from property managers like you and answer them on the show.
👉 Submit your question here: https://lnkd.in/eFy_6ssW
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The Vacation Rental Show reaches thousands of property managers worldwide. We're particularly interested in perspectives on:
- Scaling your vacation rental portfolio
- Optimizing guest experiences
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