How to Price Your STR for the 2026 World Cup

Dec 11, 2025

In this insightful conversation, revenue strategist Rebecca Ballart, founder of Happy Guest and co-founder of Reven Research, shares her expertise on pricing strategies for the upcoming 2026 World Cup. She explains how mega-events differ from peak seasons, emphasizing unpredictable booking patterns and the importance of adjusting rates dynamically. Rebecca also discusses length-of-stay tactics, highlights the significance of local supply, and shares real-world examples of pricing successes and challenges, offering practical tips for hosts in every key city.

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INSIGHT

Mega-Events Have Irregular Demand Curves

Mega-events create hype-driven booking rushes rather than steady peak-season demand.
Expect early spikes, long quiets, and renewed surges as the event approaches.

ADVICE

Use Booking Window To Shape Strategy

Monitor booking window: days between booking and arrival determine demand patterns.
Use booking-window data to set expectations: smaller units book closer in, larger homes book earlier.

INSIGHT

Local Supply Dictates Booking Urgency

Supply in each host city changes urgency and pacing for bookings.
Smaller-supply cities show earlier high occupancy than large-supply hubs.

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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.

https://bit.ly/4muz61v

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Connect with Jamie on social media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiehlane/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jamie_Lane

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Connect with Scott on social media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagescott

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Episode 161