Vacation Rental Secrets Review (Updated 2024): Is Antonio Bortolotti The Best Short Term Rental Coach?

TLDR – What’s The Verdict On Vacation Rental Secrets?

If you’re anything like me, I’m guessing that most of you like to get right to the punchline of a story before having to listen to a long, drawn-out set up. So if that’s you, then I would tell you to hold off on making any quick decisions about Vacation Rental Secrets. 

Now, I’m not saying that because I think the course is a waste of time and money, or that Antonio Bortolotti and his team are trying to take you for a ride. I’m just concerned that there may be some pitfalls that you might run into if you don’t keep your eyes opened. 

Before I get into all that, let me first say that the short term rental industry is a good way to make money. 

For example, let’s take a look at a few numbers… 

The market for global vacation rentals is estimated at just over $82 Billion in 2022, with just over $12 Billion in the U.S. Those markets are expected to grow at a rate of 4.7% between 2024 and 2030. 

With numbers like that, you can see how some people, who are positioned well in front of that trend, stand to make a good deal of money. 

In fact, some estimates show that you can earn up to 10%-20% ROI, and for some properties that could mean anywhere from $185-$1,000 per night depending on the size of the home. 

However, the vacation rental industry is quite competitive and if you’re looking to jump into it, that’s going to be the biggest hurdle you’ll come across starting out. 

As of 2023, there are well over 23,000 companies that do vacation rentals just in the United States. On top of that, the current revenue is just under $67 Million whereas just a few years ago in 2021, the revenue was just over $13 Million. 

That’s a growth of 515% in about two years. 

Let’s also not forget that state regulations can throw in a monkey wrench in your plans every now and again. For example, in New York City you’re not allowed to rent to a guest for less than 30 days unless you (as the owner or manager) are on site.  

Clearly you can see how this can be an issue if you’re out-of-state or even out-of-town. 

So, keeping this in mind, you should give some serious thought to whether investing in this type of real estate is something that you should do.

I don’t want to to get the wrong idea, I think real estate has single-handedly created the most wealth worldwide.

For many investors, this comes in the form of:

• Wholesaling
• Flipping
• Buy and Hold

It wasn’t until the middle of 2010 when rental arbitrage caught the eye of a savvy investor or two, with 2014-2016 seeing the industry explode. 

But, even with its popularity, the vacation rental business can take up a lot of your time and money. So, given your circumstances, it might still be out of reach. 

This doesn’t mean that you can’t participate in the real estate rental industry altogether. In fact, there are many individuals who are tapping into a little known way of making money with real estate called Digital Leasing. 

With Digital Leasing, you’re able to generate the type of passive income that you typically see with traditional (or even contemporary) forms of real estate investing, but without all the roadblocks like: 

• Little or negative cash flow
• Going into debt 
• Maintenance and repairs
• The hassle of tenants

The beauty of Digital Leasing is that the income you generate is semi-passive, in that you could make as much as $2,000 – $10,000 per month without even lifting a finger once you have your assets in place. 

You also have total control over your business and can build it as small or as large as your time permits. 

So, if this sounds like something you could tackle with both hands, then you should seriously consider Digital Leasing. 

Although, if you’re still on the fence with Vacation Rental Secrets, then let’s look at who it’s for and who it’s not for. 

Who Should Consider Vacation Rental Secrets And Who Should Look Somewhere Else?

Now, if you’ve had the chance to read any of the other reviews on my site, you’ll probably see that I’m a big advocate of real estate investing, so long as it’s done the right way. 

Real estate investing as a whole is very lucrative, but it can also be a money pit with all the moving pieces involved. 

Which, I suppose, is why vacation rentals has grown to be a huge industry in and of itself over the last few years. 

So, when someone asks me if they should jump on the vacation rental bandwagon, I tend to take a few steps back to understand the type of person they are. 

No one understands better if a business opportunity is right for you than yourself, and you’re usually right nine times out of ten. 

With that said, Vacation Rental Secrets might be for you if: 

• You’ve been a customer of vacation rentals and are considering buying one as a source of income part of the year and a place to vacation at the other part of the year like this Reddit user. 
• This Quora user had some good experiences with VRBO renting a Dallas condo and a Colorado cabin and ultimately paid less than he would have at a hotel. 
• Investing in real estate has always been a dream of yours and rental arbitrage seems like a good way to get started. 

Although, if any of the following scenarios makes you cringe, it might not be for you: 

• You’ve heard horror stories from vacation rental owners about people suing them because they were injured on the property. 
• You’re concerned about property from your vacation rental being stolen. 
• You worry about market volatility or relying on rental income especially during the offer seasons. 

Next, let’s get a better view of Vacation Rental Secrets.

Vacation Rental Secrets: A 1,000 Ft View

First let me say Congratulations for making it to this point of my Vacation Secrets review.  

At this point, I’d like to give you a look at the business model behind this course with sort of a wide angle lens. 

How Does The Business Model Work?

The basic idea of the rental arbitrage business model is to act as the middleman between the property owner and short-term tenants. 

Here are a few examples:

1. Residential: In this case, you would rent out a property with the property owner, then use platforms like AirBnB or VRBO to list the properties for rent again.  The goal is to rent the property for a higher short-term fee than it would cost you over the long-term. 
2. Commercial: Sometimes investors will lease commercial spaces (i.e. offices, retail spaces, warehouses) from the property owner and then sublet them to other businesses. This route is most profitable if you’re in an area where commercial spaces are in high demand. 
3. Events: The purpose of this is to sublet spaces that are primarily for weddings, parties or other special occasions, so long as you pay close attention to the location and curb appeal. 
4. Storage: In this situation, you would sublet small warehouses or garages to small business owners who need the extra room for storage or expansion. This works really well in the urban areas of town and is somewhat similar to a review I did about Hamza Ali who makes money with Flex Spaces. 
5. Vacation Rentals: As you might guess, this is the business model promoted by Antonio Bortolotti and is somewhat similar to residential rental arbitrage, but the properties are primarily located in vacation areas and sublet out to tourists or frequent travelers. 

Who Is Antonio Bortolotti?

Antonio Bortolotti is a teacher, speaker, pilot, and owner of short-term vacation rental properties. He created Vacation Rental Secrets and the Fully Booked Formula and also runs the Vacation Rental World Summit every year.

He owns a special house called Casa Teulada, which many magazines have talked about. Before all this, he was a pilot for an Italian airline.

Antonio also went to the University of Florence for his college degree in International Law and learned advanced German at the Berlitz Language School in Germany from 1992 to 1997. Before that, he got a diploma in foreign languages and was an exchange student in the U.S.

He worked for the Italian airline, Alitalia, for about 17 years. On LinkedIn, Antonio remembers back to the time when he was part of the airline crew from 1997 to 2014 and was a pilot for four years, but decided to hang up his wings after the attacks on 9/11 and started working with short-term rentals.

Source	Link	Quote
	LinkedIn	“We strongly believe that a nice surprise sets a great start and as such we’ve always gone the extra mile to add a little bit of uniqueness to every Vacation Rental World Summit edition.”
	Facebook	“Founder (company) at Vacation Rental Secrets – Fully Booked Formula, Owner and Founder at Vacation Rental World Summit and Owner at Casa Teulada.”
	Twitter	“Bringing together the best expertise in the Vacation Rental Industry.”

In just three years, Antonio bought three properties that needed fixing. He bought Casa Teulada in 2007 in Italy and after the renovations were completed, he got featured in several magazines. In 2010, it was named one of the best places to go on holiday by some famous travel magazines.

Antonio also started making websites and giving advice. In 2011, he started a website called Holiday Homes Round The World, which showed holiday homes in Europe and Italy for over three years.

Then In 2012, he made Vacation Rental Secrets where people can learn about running short-term rental businesses. It has a special course called the Fully Booked Formula, which helps people make more money and get more guests.

How Much Does Vacation Rental Secrets Cost?

The cost for Vacation Rental Secrets can cost about $1,631 and is broken down by… 

• Vacation Rental World Summit:  $540.
• One-On-One Consulting: $125 to $500.
• Fully Booked Formula: $591 for the three modules. 

How Is Vacation Rental Secrets Different From Other Similar Programs?

As you may have guessed by now, rental arbitrage is a relatively new branch of real estate investing, and I’ve quite a few reviews on the subject.

So, at this point, I’d like to touch on a few of those courses that are similar to Vacation Rental Secrets. 

To recap, Vacation Rental Secrets focuses on different factors of vacation rental management, including direct booking strategies and industry trends and offers a broader view of the vacation rental industry.

BnB Formula 

In my Brian Page BnB Formula review, I go over how it’s more about Airbnb rental arbitrage, teaching how to rent properties and make money by listing them on AirBnB. 

Beyond BnB Secrets 

Beyond BnB Secrets, by Dr. Chau Ong, focuses more towards corporate housing opportunities and long-term stays for executives rather than short-term rentals. 

Vodyssey 

Vodyssey is a vacation rental investing program started by Shawn Moore, focusing on buying and renting out vacation homes. 

My Personal Opinion About Vacation Rental Secrets

As we get closer to wrapping up this Vacation Rental Secrets review, I’d like to go over a checklist that I use when trying to clear the air and decide whether or not a course is worth buying. 

If you remember, I threw out a lot of stats earlier in the article along with a few reasons why someone may or may not want to get involved with vacation rentals. 

Of course, I didn’t reference those stats and stories to scare you into one direction or the other, I just did to give you a more well-rounded look at the industry as a whole. 

Now, let’s take a look at my five-point that I use whenever I need some direction: 

1. Experience: Does Antonio Bortolotti have the right experience in the industry? 
2. Training: Is the training in Vacation Rental Secrets and the Fully Booked Formula worth the price tag? 
3. Integrity: Is Antonio above board with the program he promotes or is there anything else he has up his sleeve? 
4. Mentorship: Is there additional mentorship with his training so that students do get stuck on an issue? 
5. Student Success: Are there testimonials from students who have taken his course and are successful? 

The Vacation Rental Secrets Scam Question: Yay or Nay?

Let me first start by saying that I don’t believe that Vacation Rental Secrets is a scam, and I also don’t believe that Antonio Bortolotti is out to pick your pockets. 

Although I believe that rental arbitrage is an effective and legit way to make money in the real estate industry, I just don’t think it’s as easy as Antonio makes it look – even if it’s just a matter of managing vacation rentals as opposed to buying them. 

For one thing, if you’re a beginner with no track record, very few people are going to want to let you sublet their rentals or vacation homes to complete strangers… especially if they don’t know you from Adam. 

Secondly, you’re going to need to make hundreds of cold calls, send out hundreds of emails, or maybe even hundreds of carrier pigeons to potential clients before one of them decides to take you up on an offer. 

This can get very time consuming, disheartening and when you get that first ‘Yes’, the profit margins will be very slim. 

Thirdly, just because you get a ‘Yes’ from someone willing to work with you, it doesn’t mean you’re home free. 

Let’s say you are able to tie down a property for 12 months, you could face vacancies and maintenance costs that can cut deep into your profits. 

How would it feel if you were paying your client for 3 months, while the properties you’re managing are sitting empty. 

Of course, I don’t say that to turn you off on the idea of Vacation Rental management altogether, I’m just simply providing a possible scenario. 

I would rather get into something that offers a much better return on my efforts than 3 months worth of negative cash flow. 

In fact, I would rather spend 3 months creating Digital Leasing assets that could make me anywhere from $500 – $2,000 per asset, per month – month after month. 

That’s the type of income that I and 2,000 other students are making, with assets that number into the tens of thousands. 

How would that type of income change your perspective on life? 

We have individuals that are living the type of lifestyles that only require a laptop and a connection to the internet, and their running their multi-million dollar business from places like: 

• A ski lodge in Rockies
• A beach house off the coast of Bali
• An RV road trip on route 66

They’re living life on their own terms, and having a heck of a time doing it! 

They make the quality of their life a priority, because even though they’re on the road, the money keeps coming in like clockwork. 

If this is the type of lifestyle you would like to live, then you should take a serious look at Digital Leasing now. 

Would I Recommend Vacation Rental Secrets?

Now, let’s get back to my five-point checklist for a minute or so before I give you my final recommendation on Vacation Rental Secrets. 

First, what I like… 

Frankly, I’ve seen courses like this that cost more than $1,631 and probably aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. 

Does that mean that Antonio’s course isn’t of any value? 

I don’t think so, because from what I’ve seen, he seems like a genuine guy and has more than a handful of success stories from his students. 

So barring any obvious shills or paid endorsements, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. 

What I don’t like… 

He promotes a program that shows you how to build your own sites in order to do direct booking without having to use third-party platforms like AirBnB and VRBO. 

But there are a few issues with his sales site, one being the fact that when you click on the “Yes, Let Me In” button for the Fully Booked Formula –  nothing happens.

I just hope that isn’t a foreshadowing of the web design platform that he has his students use.

What’s Inside Vacation Rental Secrets?

Fully Book Formula: 

In this program, Antonio teaches you how to use psychology and technical skills to persuade your customers to rent from you.  By mastering this, you’ll be steps ahead of other managers who aren’t even given the time of day by potential customers.

Vacation Rental World Summit:

To stay ahead in the competitive vacation rental industry, Antonio and his team gives right knowledge and tools to keep your business moving. At the Vacation Rental World Summit, you’ll join a community of dedicated rental owners, managers, and industry experts. This 2-day event offers intensive training, effective business strategies, and networking opportunities with top professionals.

Web Design

You might notice some property owners and managers getting more direct bookings than you. It’s not just about the traffic or Google rankings, what really matters is turning those visitors into actual bookings. If your website isn’t amazing, inspiring, and engaging, you’re losing out, because a great website means not relying on others for bookings and more success for you.

One-On-One Sessions

If the thought of losing bookings, a broken website, getting lost in the crowd, and dwindling rental income is keeping you up at night, then schedule some one-on-one time with Antonio.

My Conclusion: Should You Join Vacation Rental Secrets?

I know we’re trying to keep this under 15 minutes, so I’ll keep this short… 

The real estate industry can be tricky, with so many ways to make money, but just as many ways to lose it. 

Like the old saying goes – “How do you make a million dollars in real estate? Start with two million.” 

Although vacation rental arbitrage may be a sound investment of time and money, and though I believe that Antonio Borlotti might have a great course at a reasonable price, It’s just not my #1 pick, and here’s why… 

My #1 Pick For Making Money Online In 2024

I’ve personally tried all of the major online business models:

• I’ve sold fidget spinners through Amazon FBA
• I’ve drop-shipped a toilet-bowl putting green on Shopify
• I’ve sold women’s health supplements via Clickbank affiliate marketing

And I made money with all of them, so trust me when I say: there is no “perfect” business model.

It’s worth noting that I FULLY endorse real estate investing as a way to grow wealth, and that’s why I invest my own money in commercial and residential real estate.

That being said, my #1 recommendation for making real money online as a beginner is, hands-down: Digital Leasing.

Whether you’re a complete newbie, or you’ve been around the block before but have never had that “big win” to propel you forward, Digital Leasing is for you. 

Why?

Time: If you’ve got a spare hour-or-two each day, you can do this. If you want to drop everything and go all-in, you can do this. More time obviously means faster results, but even putting in a few hours per day is enough to see real success.

And because of that flexibility, you don’t need to trade your time for money. Once the income starts, it’s recurring.

That means you can take a month off, travel the country, pursue a passion project, chill on the beach, or charter a boat across the world.

But you can only do that once you’ve created an income stream that doesn’t require YOU to be there all day, every day.

Vacation Rental Arbitrage is a FULL TIME JOB. If you stop finding deals, your money dries up.

Ownership & Control: Unless you’re buying your vacation rentals, you don’t own the properties – the one you’re renting from does.

If you miss a single payment, they can discontinue your agreement.

Why pour your soul into a business that could be taken away from you at the drop of a dime?

With Digital Leasing, you literally own all of the assets, which means you have ultimate control.

Ongoing costs: With vacation rentals, profit margins are actually pretty slim. Real wealth is made in owning the assets, and owning A LOT of them.

In Digital Leasing, your profit margin is nearly 100%. Watch here to learn how.

Just a reminder: these Digital Rental Properties are worth (at a minimum) $500/mo in semi-passive income. And each time you create another one, your income increases, and the effort put into creating the next property decreases.

Best case scenario, you have properties bringing in over $3,000+/mo on auto-pilot.

It’s Effectively Copy-Paste: Here’s my favorite part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up, you can literally copy-paste another version of it and find another willing “renter” in a few days. DOUBLING your income doesn’t get much easier than that…

If you wanted to double your income with vacation rentals, you would need twice as many properties, or double your profit margins on each property. And I can guarantee you , that’s a lot harder than a few clicks & a phone call.

Make Money Helping Real People: When you’re in Digital Leasing, you’re helping solve REAL problems that people are ASKING for help with:

Small local businesses around the world need one thing: customers. Without them, their business would fall apart. If we can provide those customers, they’re going to be really happy – and they’re going to pay you for it.

You’re helping a struggling mother or father put FOOD on the table for their families, put their kids through college, or simply live life a little bit more comfortably.

Having this type of impact on the world is what will help you sleep soundly at night.

So, the rest is up to you. You could keep looking at other opportunities similar to Vacation Rental Secrets, which might make you money.

You could keep researching and researching for the next few months (or few years), never making a concrete decision.

OR, you can look deep inside, think about those dreams, hopes, & desires, and make the decision to ACTUALLY make it happen, just like it has for thousands of other students before you.

Making a fortune while actually helping real people that need it.

If this sounds like you, click here to see how Digital Leasing works.