How STR Property Managers are Improving Margins in 2026
Protect Margins. Scale Smarter.
Margins are getting squeezed across the short-term rental (STR) industry. Rising operating costs, increased competition, and mounting pressure from OTAs are cutting into profitability—even as demand remains strong.
In this panel, leaders from Wander, Topkey, Curated Vacation Properties (150+ units), and Ocean City Vacation Homes (50+ Units) unpack how forward-thinking operators are turning the tide. From scaling direct bookings to automating financial workflows, you’ll learn how top property managers are reclaiming control, boosting efficiency, and building more resilient businesses in 2026.
Key Takeaways:
- How to increase direct bookings and reduce OTA dependency without sacrificing occupancy
- Why manual financial processes are costing you margin—and how to streamline them
- Strategies to reduce expense leakage and gain real-time visibility into spend
- What the best-in-class tech stack looks like for growing STR companies
- Market insights from successful property managers, Wander, and Topkey on the financial trends shaping 2026
About the speakers
Corporate America refugee. Short Term Rental (STR) and Bed & Breakfast (B&B) investor. Lifelong learner. Josh Hatter is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Curated Vacation Properties (CVP), a boutique short-term rental and property management company headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina. Since founding CVP in 2016, Josh has grown the company into a 3-time Inc. 5000 honoree (2023, 2024, 2025), with a portfolio of 132 active listings, 400+ bedrooms, $11M+ in annual bookings, and $200M+ in real estate under management. CVP’s long-term target—CVP 2030—is to scale to $5M in EBITDA by 2030.
Sales and marketing leader with 9+ years driving revenue, demand, and brand growth across luxury real estate, hospitality, tourism and prop tech. I blend full-cycle sales experience with a creative marketing background to help premium brands attract high-value customers, elevate their positioning, and build sustainable growth.I’ve led sales and marketing for boutique real estate and hospitality brands, advised clients as the founder of a boutique creative agency, and now partner with leading property managers as an sales and partnership manager at Wander.
I am a motivated, results-driven Certified Customer Success Manager with 4 years experience with AI tools in the Fintech SaaS space. I am a collaborative Customer Success professional specializing in shaping internal process, maximizing customer retention through intentional relationship building, and understanding key concepts that nurture customers dependent upon their key business goals and objectives. I have seen continued success due to my ability to navigate key relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, ranging from C-Suite executives to sales, marketing, and product teams that work to deliver exceptional service to our client base, ensuring continued goal attainment and a solution-oriented approach.
.png){kind=logo}
At Ocean City Vacation Homes, we’re more than just a rental company offering ocean city luxury rentals – we’re your gateway to experiencing the true essence of Ocean City, Maryland. Founded by father-son duo Andrew and Zachary, our roots run deep in this vibrant coastal community.
.jpeg)