Adam Hager: 19 Airbnbs in a year—without owning property?

Adam Hager is a former corporate sales professional who traded his stable 9-5 for a system of building cash-flowing Airbnbs. We spoke about how he scaled from pitching his very first landlord to managing over 40 properties while spending just “one to two hours a week max on managing.”

His turning point came when he discovered Airbnb arbitrage—leasing properties and relisting them—combined with business credit to cover startup costs. “The very first person I ever pitched their property to actually said yes,” he recalled. From there, he reinvested everything, faced challenges like bad cleaners and overspending on furniture, and learned to protect against issues like unauthorized parties by building strong systems.

Hager also stresses the power of co-hosting, where “you, as an investor, have $0 out of pocket” because landlords cover all costs while he manages operations. Today he mentors others on skills like pitching landlords, optimizing pricing, and hiring reliable cleaners, emphasizing that “people don’t need content, they need skill sets.” His long-term goal is financial freedom, family time, and even advancing his passion for learning languages.

Listeners will walk away with a clear, tested framework for starting Airbnb income without heavy capital, plus the mindset shifts and skill sets to scale sustainably.

Key takeaways

Start Airbnb without owning property using arbitrage or co-hostingUse business credit for 0% startup funding and scalingExpect early mistakes with furniture and cleaners; build systems fastLearn to pitch landlords confidently—it’s the core skill for growthAutomate operations to cut workload to 1–2 hours per weekReinvest profits strategically to expand into ownership and long-term equity