Are you a property owner operator? I am not in the traditional sense a property owner operator, but I work day in and day out with thousands of them across our platform. It gives me a 360-degree perspective on their challenges and opportunities — from revenue optimization and dynamic pricing to operational bottlenecks and changing regulations. What I do is to try to connect the dots between those challenges and scalable solutions, reconciling technology, marketing and partnerships into growth that's both durable and repeatable. If you could wish for anything having to do with your business, what would it be? If there was one thing I could wish for 2026 it would be all short terms rents operate under one global data standard, with the ability to easily compare, benchmark at anytime and displays cost transparency on a real time of what's happening in any given market. Today, every owner and operator has to make pricing decisions with incomplete information - haphazard data coming from OTAs or siloed pricing knowledge or inconsistent reporting. With a universal data layer, operators would be able to see exactly how they're performing relative to peers, which pricing levers it's time to pull and where operational inefficiencies are eating into margin. Why would this matter? The why: Because clarity of data decreases uncertainty, and uncertainty is the silent tax on growth. Owners aren't willing to add to their portfolios when they can't have faith in projections; managers over or under price properties without the broader demand curve being visible; even investors approach the sector with trepidation because performance visibility isn't consistent. A globally accepted benchmark standard would cut through all that noise, rendering the STR sector as transparent and investable as hotels. We can take an operator with hundred properties across three regions. Today, they could be leaning on their own anecdotal insights and OTA dashboards to price the property, which are frequently out of date with real time movement of the market. They could also compare their occupancy and RevPAR to benchmarks immediately with an industry wide data standard, adapt strategies accordingly and communicate performance credibly to investors.
As a former mortgage banker now in real estate, I see people sell their homes in tough financial situations, and my wish for 2026 is for a more robust ecosystem to support them after the sale. I'd love to see a formalized network or platform that directly connects investors like me with a vetted pool of financial counselors and relocation services we can offer to sellers. This would allow us to provide a true 'soft landing'--not just providing a speedy home sale, but also a trusted path forward, which builds deeper community trust and helps us live up to our mission of genuinely helping people.
Are you a property owner operator? I don't "own and operate" properties in the traditional sense, but I work with thousands of owners and property managers throughout North America in my company RedAwning's platform. This vantage point affords me a front row seat to the daily challenges and opportunities operators face (from pricing optimization and guest communication, to regulations dance and vendor relationships management). It's afforded me an appreciation for the sheer complexity of the job, and how technology and policy can either pave the way or generate drag. If you could wish for anything having to do with your business, what would it be? What would I wish for in 2026? A one size fits all regulation that preserves the rights of communities and embraces the opportunities of short term rentals coupled with embedded technology so we could easily enforce and manage compliance. Today, the mishmash of local ordinances is unnecessarily confusing and costly to both property managers and platforms. A single framework — perhaps one developed in consultation with cities, operators and travelers — could promote stability and growth and liberate resources that are now lost to the distortion caused by disparate rules. Why would this matter? Because stability breeds investment. When owners and operators understand the rules of the game, and that they won't change overnight, they are more comfortable reinvesting in their properties, enhancing guest experiences around them and can even grow their portfolios. By contrast, unpredictability breeds hesitation, which retards growth not only for the sector but to local economies that depend on dollars spent by tourists. Consider a manager in charge of 50 properties spread across several cities today. They have to track dozens of distinct compliance rules — everything from license renewals to tax filings to orders concerning new safety practices, each with its own deadlines and portals. Not only is such complexity inefficient, but it is risky as well; a single missed step can lead to fines or being deranked. In short, my 2026 wish is not just for new technology or renters but coherence — a structure that balances the interests of owners, communities and travelers, and that allows businesses to blossom without constantly checking over their shoulders.
My wish for 2026 is a more predictable and expedited legal process for handling non-paying tenants or squatters, which are common in the 'burdensome' houses I buy. When I acquire a property to help a homeowner out of a tough spot, a lengthy court battle to remove an occupant can stall renovations and add thousands in costs. A standardized, faster resolution would let me confidently purchase more of these problem properties, fix them up, and get them ready for a new family without the extreme financial risk and delays that clog up the system now.
Are you a property owner operator? I'm not an operator myself, but I work closely with thousands of property owners and managers daily. This vantage point provides me with a wide-ranging view of not just what helps their businesses succeed, but also where they can encounter friction — whether it's technology that doesn't fit together, regulations that change overnight, or marketing platforms failing to reach your average traveler today. It's my job to listen to those pain points and translate them into strategies and tools that truly move the needle. If you could wish for anything having to do with your business, what would it be? Realistically, if I were to make one wish for 2026 it would be for the industry to come together to establish a new global technology standard that integrates all of these disparate systems (and anything that may pop up in future); from property management software and distribution channels through dynamic pricing tools. Now, today's operators make do with several disconnected systems, sometimes clumsily duct-taped together, and all the inefficiency takes both time and energy from what matters most: guest experience and property management. Why would this matter? Because integration has been its buried growth engine. With systems relate seamlessly, owners and managers can re focus energy on building even better relationships with guests and growing their portfolios. For travelers, that translates to better listings, seamless booking and fewer frictions the moment they walk into the property. For operators, it ensures that no time is wasted reconciling calendars or troubleshooting double bookings. I've known managers who have not quite a little more than few dozen properties end up losing entire workdays out of each month just trying to reconcile the differences from booking platforms. Instead, if tech is running in real time, that's the kind of hours they can spend honing their marketing strategy or on designing guest experiences that separate their first-timer brand. So I hope for a 2026 where the STR industry isn't just paying lip service to innovation but is incubating connectivity. It is a universe where technology recedes into the background, enabling owners, operators, and guests to concentrate on what makes hospitality noteworthy.
Are you a property owner operator? I'm not a traditional "property owner operator" but I've operated and overseen portfolios on behalf of investors, so that has really helped and provided me with an operator's point of view. In practice, this has meant navigating the tensions between tenant satisfaction, operational efficiency and investor returns. You see the whole chessboard together: renters at one end of the spectrum, regulation on the other, and a wide ecosystem of vendors and services in between. That point of view is important because it allows you to see how a relatively minor operational glitch can lead directly to financial underperformance as though along a kinked rope, andthe same way regulatory oversight can throw your expansion plans into the shredder. If you could wish for anything having to do with your business, what would it be? If there's something I could "wish for in 2026," it's very similar to how Alex put it, where we have a comprehensive financial infrastructure that runs real estate — where you're just pushing rent collection down into vendor payments and regulatory compliance and investment performance, managing it all like part of the same system. Today most operators must toggle between a patchwork of platforms — one for accounting, another for tenant communication, a third for tracking compliance. The result is more duplication of work, more human error, and a continuing feeling that you're rather reacting than planning. Why would this matter? Because clarity drives better decisions. When owners and operators are able to watch as it happens how each submitted dollar plays out against short term cash flow and long term asset value in real time the more likely they're going to feel confident enough to be strategic instead of defensive. For investors, the greater visibility lowers risk. For operators, it reduces stress. And for renters, it raises the bar of service they get, because operators are no longer bogged down with manual reconciliations and can spend more time into establishing relationships.
If I could wish for anything in 2026, it would be a standardized, national database for property valuations and repair estimates. Currently, getting accurate, timely data requires piecing together information from multiple sources, which can be inefficient and lead to discrepancies. A unified platform would streamline our due diligence process, ensuring we can provide the most accurate and fair offers to sellers, ultimately speeding up transactions and reducing uncertainty for everyone involved.
For my business, I'd wish for a transparent insurance marketplace customized for property investors and operators. The challenge I often face is comparing dozens of policies with different loopholes, which slows down decision-making and leaves room for risk. When the chips were down during a quick property acquisition, sorting through coverage was honestly the longest part of the process. If we had a system that simplified policy options and provided competitive rates in one place, it would ease stress, protect our business better, and speed up transactions.
By 2026, I'd love to see predictive maintenance become a built-in feature for landlords and investors. Whenever tenant issues pop up, like heating failures or plumbing leaks, I've found they usually show warning signs days beforebut no one notices. With smart sensors in place, these problems could be solved before renters are even inconvenienced. For owners, it would cut down costly emergency repairs, while for tenants, it builds trust and creates a smoother living experience.
If I could wish for one thing in 2026, it would be a truly automated property management system that runs like a silent partner. I imagine waking up and seeing maintenance tickets already assigned, rent collected, and financial reports ready without needing my input. Having gone through thousands of transactions, this would free up time to focus on solving tougher problems, like negotiating better deals or revitalizing entire neighborhoods.
The answer comes from wearing two hats, on one side, I'm a Vancouver Realtor and founder of Vancouver Home Search, and on the other, I also own Akasha, a luxury villa in St. Lucia. So I look at this from both the perspective of a property operator here in Canada and someone managing a high-end rental abroad. If I could wish for one thing in 2026, it would be a seamless, unified technology platform that ties everything together, guest communications, vendor scheduling, maintenance tracking, real-time financial reporting, and even regulatory compliance. Right now, you end up stitching together different systems, and while they get the job done, they don't really talk to each other. It means double-handling information, relying on too many people to manually update things, and sometimes missing opportunities to improve the guest or client experience. Having one integrated solution would be a game-changer. For Akasha, it would mean guests could book, check in, request services, and even give feedback all in one app, while I could track vendors, monitor upkeep, and see performance metrics instantly. For my real estate business in Vancouver, it could streamline everything from transaction timelines to after-sale client support. The benefits? Huge efficiency gains, happier clients and guests, better oversight, and less stress. It would free me up to focus on what really matters, building relationships, improving the experience for the people we serve, and scaling the business instead of chasing down details across five different platforms.
If I could wish for one thing in 2026, it would be a streamlined, intelligent system that connects property owners, renters, and managers in a way that makes the entire real estate experience smoother. Right now, a lot of time is spent juggling different platforms, chasing down paperwork, and clarifying details that should be obvious. Imagine if there were a single tool that handled lease agreements, maintenance requests, and financial reporting in a way that was transparent for everyone involved. It would take away so many of the small headaches that distract from the bigger work of helping people find the right houses and keeping properties in top shape. As someone who has been hands-on with houses, multifamily units, and commercial spaces across San Diego, I know how valuable time is. When processes drag or systems don't communicate, it slows down growth for owners and creates stress for renters. Having everything connected would mean fewer misunderstandings, faster resolutions, and more trust built into the relationship between owners, operators, and tenants. At the end of the day, real estate is about people as much as properties, and I'd want technology in 2026 to reflect that by keeping the focus on service and connection.
I have seen how the operations of property owners evolved throughout the years. Since the initial steps were made to handle the properties manually and use the advanced technology systems, the mode of conducting business has changed dramatically. But in the case that I desire, in 2026, being a property owner operator then it would be regulation automation and streamlining. Changes in rules and regulations concerning rental of properties has been perceived to be among the biggest obstacle of property owners. Such changes are frequent, not only, they cause confusion but they also create extra compliance costs. Therefore, a standardized set of regulations which can be easily understood and applied, is what I would wish in 2026. As technology improved traditionally, automation has the power to be very useful in offering property management to the owners. Automation can also be used to facilitate the whole procedure of tenant screening up to rent collection and save time and effort on property owners. It would also be beneficial to tenants to have a more pleasant experience as they can readily access information and afford to pay online.
Anything I could wish for in 2026, it would be technology that makes running a rental business easier without adding extra work. I compare it to sourcing. When we added automated dashboards to SourcingXpro in Shenzhen, customers cut order mistakes by 20% and avoided thousands of dollars in returns. The ideal platform for property owners would collect rent, schedule maintenance, and allow clear contact all in one place. You won't have to chase vendors or guess about safety rules anymore. To be honest, most systems today are a mess and require you to find ways to get around them. Renters would trust you more if you had a smarter, all-in-one answer. In any case, the main gain is that things are clearer and less work is wasted.
If I could wish for anything by 2026, it would be integrated property management technology that connects all aspects of our business--acquisition, renovation, rental management, and eventual disposition--through a single, intuitive platform. As someone who's worked in both corporate environments and real estate, I've seen how fragmented systems create inefficiencies and miscommunications that cost us time and money. A truly unified solution would eliminate the constant switching between software, reduce data entry errors, and give us real-time insights on property performance across our portfolio. This would transform our ability to make data-driven decisions and ultimately create better housing opportunities for the families we serve.
If I could wish for anything in 2026, it would be a standardized approach to how municipalities handle property data and permits across different towns and cities. Having grown up watching my parents navigate landlord responsibilities and then doing it myself, I've seen firsthand how varying local requirements can complicate even simple renovations or sales. A universal system would cut down on so much wasted time and resources, making it easier for us to quickly improve properties and get them back into the hands of families who need them, without getting bogged down in endless red tape specific to each jurisdiction.
Yes, as both a property owner operator and someone who's spent 25 years elbow-deep in construction sites, my big wish for 2026 would be simplified nationwide zoning reform -- specifically, more 'as-of-right' variances allowing accessory dwelling units. When cities automatically permit ADUs within existing footprints, it eliminates months of hearings and unpredictability for us investors trying to add housing. Just this month in Bremerton, we had to delay converting a basement into an apartment due to zoning conflicts -- reform would solve that overnight, letting us create more affordable rentals without bureaucratic delays that hurt both investors and residents.
My wish for 2026 is a centralized, state-level database where buyers can see verified performance metrics for all licensed real estate agents--things like transaction speed, client satisfaction scores, and number of deals closed in specific neighborhoods. Since launching Realty Done to protect clients from bad experiences, I've seen too many people choose agents based on flashy ads rather than proven results. If my Cleveland clients could easily compare agents based on actual data (like how successfully they've managed new construction negotiations in Akron suburbs), it'd cut through the guesswork and put more power in consumers' hands immediately. This would eliminate those horror stories I heard back in 2002 by raising industry standards overnight.
If I could wish for anything in 2026, it would be a way for property owners and operators to instantly access verified contractor and vendor performance data--things like completed project timelines, cost accuracy, and customer reviews. Too often we take risks on unreliable vendors, which leads to delays or unexpected expenses. Having a trusted, transparent system would save us time, stretch budgets further, and ultimately let us get quality homes back into the community faster.
If I could wish for anything in 2026, it would be an AI-powered renovation cost predictor that uses real-time data from local contractors, material suppliers, and permit timelines. Having renovated dozens of properties here in Vegas, I know how quickly a $15,000 kitchen budget can balloon to $25,000 due to unexpected plumbing issues or material delays. This technology would analyze property photos, local building codes, and current market rates to give me accurate renovation estimates within 24 hours, letting me make faster, more confident offers to sellers while ensuring I can still deliver quality results without eating into my margins.