Managing uncertainty for knockout rounds

The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be one of the biggest short-term rental demand events in history—bigger than the Super Bowl, bigger than Taylor Swift tours, and long enough to make or break an entire revenue year. In this episode, Jamie Lane sits down with revenue strategist and Happy Guest founder Rebecca Ballart, who has personally priced more than 10,000 listings worldwide, to help hosts understand what to expect… and how not to leave thousands of dollars on the table.

Rebecca breaks down why mega-events behave nothing like peak season, how booking windows warp under immense hype, and why the “right” price can’t be pulled from comps or pricing tools alone. This conversation is filled with practical guidance for hosts in every 2026 host city—especially those looking at early booking spikes and wondering, “Am I priced too low… or way too high?”

They also walk through real-world examples, from massive wins at Hangout Fest to the hard realities when an event is suddenly canceled. Rebecca shares what operators can monitor between now and kickoff, how to think about length-of-stay strategy, when to adjust, and why the smartest revenue managers mix tools with human intuition—not one or the other.

If you’re hosting anywhere near a World Cup stadium, you can’t afford to miss this episode.

Key Takeaways

• Mega-events don’t follow normal demand patterns. Expect sudden booking rushes, long periods of quiet, and another surge as the event approaches.

• Length of stay is a powerful lever. Shorter stays + higher nightly rates often outperform long minimums during multi-week events.

• Inventory size dictates upside. Large homes can safely aim higher, while 1–2 bedroom units compete directly with hotels and must price accordingly.

• Use pricing tools—but don’t outsource your thinking. Algorithms can miss nuance; human oversight catches opportunities and prevents painful mistakes.

• Set guardrails before cancellations hit. Minimum event rates and watchful monitoring protect you from losing revenue when fans shift cities or plans change.

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Episode 161