Building Property Management Companies That Scale with Merilee Karr of Under the Doormat
March 10, 2026
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.
This episode is sponsored by RevMax
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.
What you'll learn:
- Why you should build systems for the company you want to be in 2–3 years, not just for today
- How technology integration reduces the "death by Chrome tab" problem and improves team training and efficiency
- Why owning exclusive property supply is your most important competitive advantage in an AI world
- How to centralize your data to power AI-driven guest interactions and own your brand voice
- What "standards, not standardization" means for professionalizing without losing your authentic edge
- How proactive industry advocacy can open entirely new revenue channels, including government contracts and global distribution
Merilee Karr is the founder and CEO of Under the Doormat Group and the builder of Hosperia, a hospitality technology platform created by operators for operators. She served as chairperson of the UK's short-term rental industry association for seven years and has been an industry spokesperson in major outlets including the BBC, Sky News, The Guardian, and The Huffington Post. Merilee works with governments across Europe and the Middle East to shape responsible regulation and has led landmark initiatives including the Homes for NHS program and the first industry connection into the global distribution system.
This episode is sponsored by RevMax, helping property managers maximize revenue performance across their portfolio.
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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
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