Press

Koloa Kai Featured in National Redfin Blog

Redfin Real Estate – Koloa Kai | May 2023

Koloa Kai was featured in the ongoing Redfin Blog, Design Your Dream Vacation Rental, click the link to read how we’re helping to give others insight into how to optimize their vacation rentals for outstanding guest experiences. 

Jed appears in Panel Discussion at the 2023 Vacation Rental Managers Association on Ways to Manage Guest Expectations

VRMA Connect – California – Ways to Manage Guest Expectations. Panelist, Jed Stevens | May 2023

Jed appeared as part of an expert panel to discuss how to approach guest expectations with a novel approach that utilizes the best tools available and results in regularly exceeding guest expectations, even as rental rates have increased and guests are expecting more than ever before.  Jed appeared in the panel moderated by Jeff Iloulian, CEO & Co-Founder of HostGPO; Bob Zev, Managing Director of Los Angeles Luxury Furnished Housing, Inc.; Brad Greiner, Founder of Open Air Homes; and Nir Maimon, President of The Maimon Group.  

Jed featured in 2023 Breezeway Elevate Conference on the role of Technology in Vacation Rental Management

Breezeway Elevate Conference – How to determine the right technology stack for your business. Panelist, Jed Stevens | March 2023

Jed appeared as part of an expert panel to discuss the critical need to select the right software tools that align with the business goals of Vacation Rental Managers. Crack the code on optimizing your tech stack and understanding the systems and integrations your business truly needs. Brandy Canaley (Sextant Stays) sits down with Jed Stevens (Koloa Kai), Adam Norko from TAN, and Luca Zambello (Jurny).

Accelerator For Vacation Rental Managers – New Book Available!

Koloa Kai LLC Publishing – Jed Stevens & Linda Sylvester | June 2022

Are you looking to get more out of your vacation rental management business? Maybe you are looking to grow, but can’t find the right steps. Maybe you have an established business but can’t seem to break through to the next level, be it total number of properties or attracting the right kind of properties. Maybe you have just been in a holding pattern, unable to organize your thoughts. You need an ACCELERATOR to get you moving.

Whether you’re just starting out or have been in the business for decades, there is one common trait that will hold you back from growing on your own terms: lack of a solid foundation. In this book, you’ll learn how to establish the guidelines that will fill out and solidify your foundation so that whether your plans are to grow to 10 properties or 100s, you’ll have laid the groundwork for your empire to stand on. Don’t prepare to fail by failing to prepare. Get your foundation set from the start with the Accelerator for Vacation Rental Managers.

Purchase Paperback or Kindle Edition on Amazon | Learn more about The Accelerator Program at VRMB.com

Importance of Flexible Tools that Mold to Your Business 

Breezeway Elevate Conference – Panel, Matt Landau, Jed Stevens & Ron Breuner | March 2022

As vacation rentals continue to embrace the growing technology ecosystem, selecting software tools that align with your business is critical to success. Led by VRMB’s Matt Landau, this panel of forward-thinking operators will dissect the ‘agile approach’, and discuss the implications of using purposeful yet flexible tools to scale your business and help craft lasting vacation rental experiences.

Do Vacation Rentals Make Money?

Facebook Live, Lynda Gill & Linda Sylvester | January 2022

A talk with Linda Sylvester, Vacation Rental Expert about the vacation rental market, what to expect, and how to get the best experience when buying and operating a successful vacation rental- Episode 1

VRM Intel: Sustainability & Quality: the New Barriers to Entry.

VRM Intel (pg. 78-82) – Jed Stevens | 10/01/2021

Read about how sustainability and quality are becoming the new barriers to entry in the professionally managed vacation rental space.  This article by Jed Stevens, GM & Co-Founder of Koloa Kai discusses the current and developing industry and provides insight into how to position a vacation rental company for continuous prosperity.

Koloa Kai Implemented Smart Tools for Long Term Scalability & Sustainability

Breezeway | 09/01/2021

Breezway performs an in-depth case study on Koloa Kai to examine their strategic adoption of industry-leading tools to provide the most stable and best-performing property care systems. 

“Applying skills that made him successful in other endeavors, Co-founder Jed Stevens uses smart processes and industry-leading operations technology to both scale his business, and deliver amazing Hawaiian vacation experiences.”

Koloa Kai Partners with Vintory to Drive Consistent Growth

Vintory | 08/24/2021

Vintory performs and in-depth case study on Koloa Kai to examine their process of business development and acquisition of new properties into their management programs. 

“Despite being located in what was one of the most restrictive COVID-19 quarantines in the world – Kauai, Hawaii – over the past year Jed has successfully grown his inventory…and cracked the code to creating a sustainable system for building a vacation rental management company.”

Hosting an Airbnb Right Now Is Harder Than You Think

New York Times – Ronda Kaysen, Columnist & Author | 07/09/2021

Koloa Kai General Manager & Co-Founder Jed Stevens is interviewed by New York Times Columnist Ronda Kaysen about the challenges of hosting a vacation rental in the current environmnet.

“You are signing up for an entire job of managing somebody else’s vacation,” said Mr. Stevens, who supervises a team of workers that was able to pivot when the tourists returned and turn over rentals efficiently. “People think, ‘I’m going to throw it on Airbnb or on VRBO and I’m going to make a lot of money and it’s going to be fine. Sometimes it isn’t.

Matt Landau Discusses Koloa Kai on ‘Overheard’ Breezeway.io Blog

Overheard – Lizzie Griffen, Breezeway | 06/30/2021

Lizzie and Matt discuss the most recent season of the Unlocked Podcast “Magic Zones” and their take on different messages gleaned from the managers that Matt has interviewed over the course of the season. 

“Jed is as advanced of a property manager as I have ever met in terms of building something sustainable and scaling it. I’m not exaggerating when I say that he’s the most forward-thinking manager that I have met.” – Matt Landau, VRMB Founder

Listen to Jed on the Unlocked Podcast (#102) – THE Vacation Rental Master Plan

Unlocked Podcast – Matt Landau, Founder of VRMB | 05/12/2021

Koloa Kai General Manager & Co-Founder Jed Stevens sits down with Matt Landau and discusses the future of vacation rental management and how to structure a healthy, sustainable busienss by laying out a detailed 6 part plan.

“…I’ve been interviewing vacation rental professionals and researching best practices for the better part of 10 years and Jed Stevens is one of the most advanced managers I have ever come across…” – Matt Landau, VRMB Founder

Record-High Vacation Rental Bookings Leave Vacation Rental Managers with No Supply

Rental Scale-Up – Brooke Pfautz, CEO & Founder, Vintory | 06/22/21

Koloa Kai General Manager & Co-Founder Jed Stevens is interviewed about the surging bookings in the Hawaii Vacation Rental market.

“[we are] managing a booking pace up 700% from 2020…guests are working harder than ever before to secure bookings.” – Jed Stevens

Listen to Jed on the Rented Webinar:  The Art of Pricing: Acquisition Strategies to Make Inventory Growth Consistant and Successful

Rented Webinar – Talia Lockard, Director of Business Development | 05/26/2021

Koloa Kai General Manager & Co-Founder Jed Stevens joins host Talia Lockard, Brian Riggs of Vintory and Matt DeAngelis at AvantStay for this week’s Art of Pricing as we dive into Acquisition Strategies to Make Inventory Growth Easy and Successful.

Partner Profiles – Read about how Koloa Kai works with industry leader Vintory to manage responsible growth of property inventory

VRTECH Blog, by Vivien Magyar | 05/13/2021

Koloa Kai General Manager & Co-Founder Jed Stevens contributes to marketing firm Vintory’s profile by sharing his experience and partnership with the trailblazing company which is responsible for a catagory defining business to help professional managers grow their inventory in a responsible and sustainable way. 

“My goal of having regular, high-quality marketing materials, systems, and practices across multiple platforms is now a reality.” – Jed Stevens 

Kauai to open doors to more tourists

Honolulu Star Advertiser, by Allison Schaefers | 03/04/2021

Koloa Kai Owner & Co-Founder Lisa Stevens Wegner was quoted on the expected reopening of Kauai due to the mayor’s request to rejoin the Hawaii Safe Travels Program.

“It has been difficult for us as small-business owners to blindly assess how far and how long to leverage our assets in order to hang on. This is much-needed relief.”

Economic recovery for Kauai likely to be slow going

Honolulu Star Advertiser, by Allison Schaefers | 01/04/2021

Koloa Kai Owner & Co-Founder Lisa Stevens Wegner was quoted on the continued devestation to local businesses caused by the “Resort Bubble” trans-pacific traveler policy proposal.

“Things continue to devolve on Kauai, and with the most recent passage of the ‘resort bubble’ shortened quarantine idea, we fear it will not help, and will only embolden the Mayor to continue to keep the island shuttered. Businesses are going under or temporarily closing daily.”

Kauai left out as vacation rental recovery improves

Honolulu Star Advertiser, by Allison Schaefers | 12/26/2020

Koloa Kai Owner & Co-Founder Lisa Stevens Wegner was quoted on the impact of the decision by Kauai’s mayor to opt-out of the state Safe Travels Program.

“Occupancy had ticked up to 60% for December. We usually run about 85% or 90% in December, but we were headed back to a sustainable level,” Lisa Stevens said. “Then the rug got pulled out from under us. We had to reach out to all our guests and let them know that we couldn’t host them anymore and we didn’t know when we might host them again…”

Vrmb Inner Circle Weekly Digest Discussion

VRMB, by Matt Landau | 11/27/2020

Vrmb Founder Matt Landau discusses Jed’s take on the philosophy of focus and highest return activities in a contribution to Vrmb forum post.  See the video link from 4:32-5:55 for Jed’s input and Matt’s commentary.

Stays Group Welcomes Koloa Kai

Linked-In, by Vince Perez | 12//2020

Vince Perez of the Stays Group powered by Fetch My Guest welcomes Koloa Kai from Kauai to the Great Hawaii Stays direct booking distribution network.

Prominent Property Management Software Company, LiveRez, marks Koloa Kai as one to “keep an eye on…”

LiveRez, by Ryan Norton | 11/2020

Koloa Kai General Manager & Co-Founder Jed Stevens mentioned at LiveRez partner conference as an up-and-coming property manager with lots of great things on the horizon…

Koloa Kai earns Kauai’s first accreditation for home watch with National Home Watch Association

Linked-In, by Jack Luber | 06/09/2020

Koloa Kai Vacation Rentals & Home Watch has earned accreditation with the National Home Watch Association – which is believed to be the first such accrediation to any company on Kauai.  Founder of NHWA, Jack Luber gives background on Koloa Kai and its principal members in a press release…