Sales calls are designed to move quickly toward a decision. That is not a criticism, it is simply how most programs operate. The best way to protect yourself is to arrive with your own questions and to write down the answers. This guide groups the questions we think matter most into categories. Use them with any short-term rental program you are considering, including BNB Accelerator.
A good habit: after the call, ask the program to confirm the most important answers by email. Anything that matters enough to influence your decision is worth having in writing.
Questions About Scope
These questions clarify what you are buying and prevent the most common source of disappointment, which is mismatched expectations.
- Which tasks does your team perform, and which tasks are my responsibility?
- Do you help choose the market, or do I choose it?
- Do you find properties, or do you review properties I find?
- Who handles financing, insurance, and closing coordination?
- Is design and furnishing included, and who purchases the items?
- Who creates the listing, takes the photos, and sets the pricing?
- After launch, who handles guest messaging, cleaning, and maintenance?
- Who is responsible for permits, licenses, and occupancy tax registration?
If the answers are vague, ask the program to walk you through a typical client engagement from the first call to the first guest. For help organizing the answers, see our framework for evaluating STR programs.
Questions About Total Cost
The headline price is rarely the full cost of getting a property live. Ask about everything that sits outside the program fee.
- What is the full fee, and when is each part due?
- Are there recurring fees, subscriptions, or percentage-based fees after launch?
- What other costs should I budget for, such as down payment, closing costs, furnishing, renovation, software, and reserves?
- Do you or your staff receive referral fees from any lender, agent, contractor, or vendor you recommend?
- Are there optional upsells, and are any of them effectively required?
Ask for a sample budget for a property similar to the one you would target. A program that is comfortable with transparency should be able to show you the categories of cost even if exact figures vary by market.
Questions About Evidence
Evidence is how you separate marketing from track record. These questions help you understand what the program can actually demonstrate.
- Where can I read reviews that your company does not control?
- Can you share documented case studies that include purchase price, setup costs, timeline, and operating expenses, not only revenue?
- Can I speak with more than one past client, and can I choose clients who had different experiences?
- How do you define a successful client outcome, and how do you measure it?
- What happened with clients whose properties did not perform as projected?
Pay attention to how a program answers the last question. Every real estate business has properties that underperform. A program that says it has none is either very new or not being candid. Our guide on realistic STR results explains why a range of outcomes is normal.
Questions About Timelines
- What is a typical timeline from signing to first booking, and what causes delays?
- Which steps depend on me, and how do my response times affect the schedule?
- Are there target dates in the agreement, and what happens if they are missed?
- How do you communicate progress, and how often?
Timelines depend heavily on factors outside anyone's control, such as inventory in the chosen market, lender processing, inspection findings, and contractor availability. A thoughtful answer will acknowledge these variables rather than promising a fixed date.
Questions About the Contract
- Can I read the full agreement before paying?
- What are the refund and cancellation terms?
- If there is a guarantee, what exactly does it cover, and what conditions must I meet?
- Who owns the property, the listing accounts, the guest data, and the photos?
- If I end the relationship, what happens to ongoing services and accounts?
Never rely on a verbal description of a guarantee. Read the actual language. Conditions can be reasonable, but you need to know what they are.
Questions About Risk and Fit
- Who is this program not a good fit for?
- What capital reserves do you recommend clients keep after launch?
- How do you evaluate local regulation risk in a market, and what happens if rules change after purchase?
- What are the most common reasons client properties underperform?
- How much of my time will this realistically take in the first year?
The question about who the program is not a good fit for is one of the most revealing you can ask. Good providers turn away prospects who are not a fit, because a mismatched client is bad for everyone.
Questions About Communication and Support
- Who will be my main point of contact, and how do I reach them?
- What response time should I expect?
- Are there regular check-ins or reports, and what do they include?
- How are disagreements or problems escalated?
How to Use the Answers
After each call, score the answers against your own priorities. Clear, specific, written answers should count for more than enthusiastic but general ones. If a program becomes defensive or evasive when you ask about costs, evidence, or contract terms, compare that with our list of STR program red flags. And if you are still deciding which service model suits you, read DIY vs done-with-you vs done-for-you.
We welcome these questions on calls with BNB Accelerator. If any answer we give is unclear, ask us to put it in writing.