We were lucky to catch up with Michelle Prier recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Michelle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

Investing in property in my home country is one of the best investments I’ve made. In 2014 my husband and I decided to invest in a beach front property in Playa del Carmen, Mexico with the purpose of creating memories with our family and maybe renting it from time to time to pay our mortgage. At that time airbnb had recently opened internationally and I decided to list my property to see if people would like it. Less than 24 hrs later I got my first booking and I’ve never stopped renting it since then. Being a stay-at-home mom of 5, generating income for my family while showing my guests the beauty of Mexico provided me so much satisfaction and joy that in 2015, I had the opportunity to buy some land in Tulum and I went for it. Three years later we built 5 beautiful homes to leave as a legacy for our kids so they would always stay connected to their Mexican Heritage. Being an airbnb superhost is one of the things I enjoy the most about doing this. I want my guest to connect with the culture and enjoy their vacation while staying safe. When people stay with us, they not only get a place to stay, but they also get a local friend that will help them plan their whole trip seamlessly. My properties in Playa del Carmen and Tulum are very successful and guests always leave happy, proof of this is that guest have left over 700 5-star reviews and stay in touch with most of my clients. The biggest lesson I’ve learned during this process is to take calculated risks, to work hard and do things with love and joy and most likely your investment will pay off.

Michelle , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi! My name is Michelle Prier and I am an airbnb super host in Playa del Carmen and Tulum Mexico. Being a Mexican expat living in the US I always knew I wanted to have a business that will connect me and my family with my beautiful country. In 2014 I bought my first property in Playa del Carmen and have been adding ever since. Today I own 6 properties and manage 3 more for a total of 9 properties in Tulum and Playa del Carmen. I am very proud of the business I have created as it has allowed me to stay at home with my kids while still generating income for my family. It has also given me the opportunity to show everyone that wants to travel to Mexico, the beautiful culture and country Mexico is. When people book one of my properties, they not only get a place to stay, but they also get a full-time host that will help them plan and customize their trip to their needs.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What has helped me the most in building a great reputation within the airbnb community is mostly treating others like I would like to be treated. As a traveler, I realize traveling is a big investment of time and money and it sometimes can be overwhelming, so getting to know every single client is very important to me. Knowing the purpose of their trip and their expectations is key in helping them plan for a great vacation. For example, if you were traveling for a family trip, what I recommend would be very different than if you were traveling for a bachelorette party. My purpose with these houses is to create a memorable experience for the whole group, that is why I customize everyone’s experience taking in consideration their budget as well. I will leave you with one of the many reviews that make it all worth it.

“I can say enough amazing things about Casa Lucas and Michelle. From the start, Michelle was amazing to work with! She gave her advice for everything Tulum and it was spot on! This is truly one of the best vacations I’ve ever had! The villa has an amazing layout, and the staff onsite was very friendly. We enjoyed the rooftop terrace, star gazing at night and the pool after a long day at the beach. There is no question we will come back to Casa Lucas.”

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building an audience in Social Media is one of the hardest but most necessary things I’ve had to do to grow my business outside of the airbnb platform. To grow a following I had to figure out the market for my properties and then cater to that market. Little by little I have been able to grow my following thanks to the experiences our guests share on social media about us. My advice for anyone starting out on social media is to figure out the market and keep posting.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.airbnb.com/p/michelle
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/aldeakaantulum
• Facebook: luna encantada
• Linkedin: Michelle Prier
• Other: www.instagram.com/lunaencantadaplaya

Image Credits
Danny Batista