Linda Kim shares how she transitioned from tech to real estate, launching a thriving short-term rental business.
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Show Notes:
In this episode of Mission Matters, Adam Torres interviews Linda Kim, Real Estate Entrepreneur at Olive Gold Properties, about how she launched and scaled her Airbnb arbitrage business. Linda shares her journey from tech to real estate, why she chose mentorship, and how she’s expanding into new markets like Texas.
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Full Unedited Transcript
Hey, I’d like to welcome you to another episode of Mission Matters. My name is Adam Torres, and if you’d like to apply to be a guest on the show, just head on over to mission matters.com and click on Be Our Guest to Apply. I. Alright, so today I am here at Monetized Talks in Beverly Hills, California, and I’ve been waiting to do this interview for a long time.
Linda, Kim, been a long time supporter of Mission Matters in the community and has come to many events. And Linda, first off, thank you. Welcome to the show, finally got you on. Yeah, I’m excited to be here. So Linda, um, what brings you to monetize Talks? Like what brings you out tonight? Yeah. I just love being around other entrepreneurs.
It’s always motivating, inspirational, and, um, David’s, you know, someone that I just, he has just so much energy, so every time I’m here I get motivated. And what, what do you think, I know you go to a lot of different events and what do you think is so special about monetized talks? Like the energy or like what Yeah.
What brings people coming together month after month? It’s growing. Like what do you think the secret sauce is? Yeah, I think it’s the quality of the people. Um, the quality of the speakers. Mm-hmm. Um, everyone, because I’ve been so many to so many, there’s, I think it’s, some of ’em are hit and miss, and this one, there’s always a lot of value that you get and the connections, um, the things that you learn.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. So talk a little bit more about your work and what you do. Yeah, so I have an Airbnb arbitrage business. Um, I started a few years ago when I left tech. Mm-hmm. And, um, now I’m scaling into Texas and California. Explain the, the, the, the thesis behind it and like the, and the business model. So Airbnb arbitrage.
Yeah. So it’s basically when you lease properties from the landlord or the property owner and then you put it on Airbnb, you basically sub blood it. Yeah. And then you make the profit from, uh, the difference between the rent and then what you make on Airbnb. How, how’d you learn that initial strategy?
Super interesting. Yeah. So I had a mentor a few years ago, uh, Chris Choi, so I learned it from him. And then I started my business pretty quickly, about a month. Wow. And. To the mentorship. So talk to me about, I wanna take you back in time, that first deal. What was that like? Like how, how did that feel to land it, but also like, how’d you pull it off?
Yeah. So we were having the class where you learn how to pitch to the landlord. Yeah. And he said it takes about 30, um, 30 nos to get a yes. Yeah. And so I thought, okay, well this is probably gonna take a while. Um, and I am not, you know, into cold calling and all that. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, but then when I started calling around a few days, I think.
So the first four people that I started calling said, hold on, you didn’t land one in the first four. He said 30, right? Yeah. Yeah. You got the fourth. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So you’re lucky. Continue. Yeah. ’cause I thought it’d take a while. And then he said also if you go in person, you get, it’s every, you know, 10 nos.
You get a yes. Oh. So I, I did it on the phone ’cause I didn’t have time to go there. Mm-hmm. And then I got the yeses on the phone. So then I went there and then. Mm. Yeah, they said. Okay. And what are some of the reasons why a landlord would, would, you know, hire you or, or create a partnership with you to allow you to sublet and to, to, to run the Airbnb for them?
Like tell me about the value add and why people would, would go on, sign on for this. Yeah, that’s a great question. Um, so you saw it in the. Way that it benefits them. Yeah. So you sell it as, I am gonna take really good care of your property. Mm-hmm. You’re not having a long term tenant that’s coming in that’s trashing the place and you see it a year later and you’re replacing everything that’s in there.
Yeah. Um, so you have cleaners coming in all the time. Um, something goes wrong, they don’t have to come and fix it. Mm-hmm. We come and fix it, so it’s very hands off for them, and then they get guaranteed rent every month. Mm. Yeah. That’s awesome. And so now what are your plans for the business going forward?
Like where are you stand and what, like what are the plans on scaling this and continuing to grow it? Yeah, so I just expanded to Texas, so I wanna, um, keep expanding there. It, it’s a new market for me. Yeah. I have two now. Yeah. So it’s, I’m doing well there and I’m just gonna keep growing over there ’cause.
A lot more lenient than California on regulations and mm-hmm. Yeah. So if you had some tips for others that are listening, they wanna learn more about Airbnb arbitrage or how to get into the business. Like what, what are some of the things only so much we can do in, you know, a, a podcast episode, but what are some of the things you would tell them to consider as they, as they go on that journey?
Um, I would highly recommend getting a mentor. If I didn’t. I almost did it on my own, you know, when you learn through YouTube and, um, really that would’ve been okay. Yeah. I mean, like. Because I didn’t know which avenue to go. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then I kept seeing, um, ads for the mentor that I took, and then I thought, okay, I think I should do this.
So I, after that I realized you really need a mentor to, um. Be more successful to ride out the gate. Yeah. So you know what you’re doing and you waste less time and money in the long run. Um, so that, I would highly recommend that. Yeah. Fantastic. Yeah. Well, Linda, um, thank you for making some time out for us here at Mission Matters.
Uh, I want you to la as the last thing, look into the camera and, uh, who, if somebody wants to follow you, whether it’s on social, learn more. They’re landlords, they wanna do a deal with you or, uh, or otherwise, how do they connect? Yeah, so Instagram, I have, uh, Linda, Kim is my personal. I still have a lot of stuff on there.
And then it’s Linda, Kim. I have my mentorship, um, information there. Um, olive Gold Collective. Um, is my account for my intro design and Airbnb listings. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Fantastic. Well, for everybody listing, just so you know, we’ll definitely put the link in the show notes so you can just click on it and head right on over.
And speaking to the audience, if this is your first time with Mission Matters and you haven’t done it yet. Hit that subscribe or follow button. This is a daily show. Each and every day we’re providing new content, new ideas, and hopefully new inspiration to help you along win your journey as well. So again, hit that subscribe or follow button.
And Linda, thanks so much again for coming on. Thank you so much. Mm-hmm. Awesome. Oh, we finally got one done.
