Join host Gil Chan on 'Booked Solid,' the podcast dedicated to helping short-term rental operators and property managers maximize bookings and scale their businesses. Each week, gain actionable insights from industry experts, uncover proven strategies, and learn the secrets to achieving more nights booked. Elevate your rental business and stay ahead in the competitive market with 'Booked Solid.'
Direct Bookings Simplified
Claim This Podcastby Gil Chan
5.0(22 reviews)
118 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇬🇧
60
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality91
Social0
YouTube0
Engagement71
Podcast Overview
Join host Gil Chan on 'Booked Solid,' the podcast dedicated to helping short-term rental operators and property managers maximize bookings and scale their businesses. Each week, gain actionable insights from industry experts, uncover proven strategies, and learn the secrets to achieving more nights booked. Elevate your rental business and stay ahead in the competitive market with 'Booked Solid.'
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
2/28/2024
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60
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality91
Social0
YouTube0
Engagement71
7
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3
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9
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excellent
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Every 7 days
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3.0/5
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Recent Episodes
August 13, 2026
Direct Booking Channels Hiding in Your Guest Messages with Jeff Iloulian
<p>Jeff Iloulian spent five years building a 150 property portfolio in Los Angeles, and set up close to 300 units along the way. He also once checked out of IKEA with 48 shopping carts and a $40,000 bill, then watched most of it break, chip and peel inside a year.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Jeff, cofounder and CEO of HostGPO, to talk about what that portfolio actually taught him. Not just about furniture, but about where bookings really come from. Jeff's direct booking strategy had nothing to do with paid ads or email funnels. It came from reading guest messages closely enough to notice who kept showing up, then walking across town and building the relationship himself. That instinct led to Netflix, Warner Brothers, UCLA faculty housing, Lakers players, and one film shoot that covered nine months of annual revenue.</p><p><br></p><p>If you have ever wondered why the same guests keep booking your place, this conversation gives you a way to turn that pattern into a channel.</p><p><br></p><p>🤝 Connect With Jeff Iloulian</p><p>💼 LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-iloulian-hostgpo-bb0b6829/">Jeff Iloulian</a><br>📸 Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hostgpo/">@hostgpo</a><br>🌐 Web: <a href="https://www.hostgpo.com">HostGPO</a></p><p><br>🏓 Jeff also runs the HostGPOpen, an annual pickleball tournament at VRMA with proceeds going to short term rental advocacy through the VRMA advocacy fund and Rent Responsibly. It is expanding beyond VRMA in 2026 with events planned in Palm Springs, Austin, and Atlanta.</p>
August 4, 2026
Host to Host Direct Bookings That Pay Peers Instead of Platforms with Na'ím Anís Paymán
<p>"Pay your peers, not the platforms."</p><p><br></p><p>That one line explains most of what Na'ím Anís Paymán has built. He scaled a UK portfolio past 500 units across serviced apartments, guesthouses, and hotels. When the software could not keep up, he gave two developers six months and a hard deadline, then migrated 150 units onto a system he owned. Today he has made that PMS free and launched a host to host direct bookings network where operators refer guests to each other and keep the commission inside the community.</p><p><br></p><p>This conversation covers why a free PMS makes commercial sense, how smaller hosts can market a portfolio they do not own, and why Na'ím believes the biggest gap in direct bookings is mindset rather than tooling. Gil and Na'ím also get into paid ads discipline, guest data, voucher tracking, and the quiet risks hiding inside a vibe coded booking website. 🎧</p><p><br></p><p>🔗 Connect With Na'ím Anís Paymán</p><p>Personal site and free consultation booking: <a href="https://naimanispayman.com/">naimanispayman.com</a><br>ZeeLink host network: <a href="https://zee.link">zee.link</a><br>Zeevou: <a href="https://zeevou.com">zeevou.com</a><br>Communitise: <a href="https://communitise.com">communitise.com</a><br>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/naimanispayman/">Na'ím Anís Paymán</a><br>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/naimanispayman/">Na'ím Anís Paymán</a></p>
July 9, 2026
Guest Fraud Prevention Made Simple for Direct Booking Hosts with Ela Mezhiborsky
<p>"Real fraud that's aware of your loopholes will not come in looking sketchy." </p><p><br></p><p>That's the moment this episode shifts from guest screening 101 into something a lot more unsettling — and a lot more useful. On this episode of the Booked Solid Show, Gil sits down with Ela Mezhiborsky, Co-Founder and President of Autohost, to talk about guest fraud prevention in an age where AI can fabricate a convincing, sympathetic, entirely fake guest from scratch. Ela walks through how fraud has evolved from fake IDs to synthetic identities, why "gut feeling" is a liability instead of a filter, and why screening guests properly is what actually lets you say yes to direct bookings with confidence instead of fear. </p><p><br></p><p>Whether you're just getting your first direct booking site off the ground or you're managing a growing portfolio, this conversation reframes guest screening as the thing that protects your hospitality — not the thing that gets in its way.</p><p><br></p><p>🤝 Connect with Ela Mezhiborsky</p><p>Ela is most active on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elamezhiborsky/">LinkedIn</a>, where she shares insights on guest fraud prevention, identity verification, and the occasional parenting story.</p>
118 total episodes available
Recent guests on Direct Bookings Simplified
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Chad Harker
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Skyler Vaughn
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Ishita Lalan
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Kenny Bedwell
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Brianna Amigo
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Jonathan Wicks
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