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Many people spend their whole lives chasing after financial freedom. Few succeed in achieving it. Avery Carl, the CEO and Founder of The Short Term Shop, is one of these remarkable individuals. 

We sat down with Carl to delve into her fascinating story, how she went from a rookie who didn’t own a single property to someone who has amassed a portfolio of over 250 properties, (a mix of short term rentals, long term rentals, and multifamily apartment buildings), and helped investors purchase $2.5 billion worth of cash flowing short-term and vacation rentals. 

A frequent contributor to the two-million member community of BiggerPockets, Carl is an expert in the short-term rental landscape, and she’s just getting started. 

From Humble Beginnings to Short-Term Rental Mogul

Carl’s venture into real estate began in 2015, alongside her husband, after they had spent several years saving up for their first downpayment. Nestled in the picturesque Smoky Mountains, their first short-term rental property was an instant hit, and it led them to buy a few others before they ventured into buying properties out of state. 

Carl’s decision to buy in the Smoky Mountains, even though she and her husband lived in Nashville, was a strategic one. The Smoky Mountains are only three hours away from Nashville but are subject to fewer regulations. It’s also an idyllic landscape, the perfect location for a vacation or short-term rental. “That’s what everyone does when they go to the Smokies,” said Carl, “People don’t stay in hotels. They stay in cabins.” 

However, as she continued to grow her short-term portfolio, Carl soon encountered an unexpected obstacle: a lack of support from real estate agents who couldn’t address her specific short-term rental questions. Determined to become her own best resource, Carl embarked on a journey to obtain her realtor license. 

“I’m just some girl who had a music marketing job that didn’t pay very much,” said Carl. “But I was able to build this huge real estate portfolio. I want people to understand that they can be successful no matter where they start. ‘You know, I built this giant portfolio from nothing, and you can do this too.’ I didn’t come from money or have connections when I started, and I think other people in the same position never get started because they think they need those things. They don’t.”

Launching The Short Term Shop

Carl’s marketing background would come in handy once she launched The Short Term Shop, which arose from a desire to share her short-term real estate learnings so that others could benefit from the mistakes she made — and learned from — along the way.

“The Short Term Shop is focused on guiding clients through the intricacies of investing in short term rentals and then managing those rentals to optimize their income,” said Carl. “We share everything we know about how to handle guests, how to  optimize property listings, how to use property management software, and how to find the local vendors investors need to run their properties remotely, without having to give a large share of revenue to a property management company.”

Another aspect that sets The Short Term Shop apart is its commitment to providing clients with a network of trusted local professionals, including cleaners, handymen, contractors, and skilled tradespeople. “We give our investors the tools to manage their short-term rental properties from anywhere in the world, all through their phones,” said Carl. “It’s amazing how many tasks can be automated and carried out without ever having to live in the state, or even the country, where you own a property.”

What Success Means For Carl

Seven years into her real estate journey, Carl is now at the pinnacle in her field, speaking at world-famous conferences, like BiggerPockets CON23, the BiggerPockets summit taking place in October in Orlando, where Carl is slated to present.  

But all of this success is only a means to an end for Carl. What matters to her more is the freedom to dictate her schedule. “I finally broke out of the 9-5 hamster wheel thanks to my short-term investments,” said Carl. “I can wrap up my workday by 1:30 p.m. and be there to pick up my kids from school. My husband, kids, and I do a big motorhome trip every summer. Later this year, we are taking the kids to all kinds of concerts like KISS, Billy Joel, and Guns N Roses.

Carl aspires for her clients to enjoy the same freedom and flexibility in their lives. “That’s what I also hope for all of my clients,” said Carl. “I want them to experience the bliss of achieving financial freedom after making well-informed, short-term investments. At The Short Term Shop, that’s one of our core values, helping others come into abundance in the same way we have.” 

About Avery Carl

Avery Carl, Founder of The Short Term Shop brokered by EXP, was named one of Newsweek’s Top 500 agents in 2020, Wall Street Journal’s Top 100 in 2021, Top 50 in 2022, and Top 10 in 2023, as well as the New York Times Top 100 in 2023. She and her team focus exclusively on vacation rental and short-term rental clients, having connected investors with over $2.5 Billion in cash flowing real estate investments. To join over 5,000 happy Short Term Shop investors, please visit https://theshorttermshop.com/