Today we’d like to introduce you to Ava Markham.
Hi Ava, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am 24 years old, my family has lived in Bluffton for over 15 years. I worked in property management during the summers while I went to college at Clemson University. After graduating and attending graduate school in Charleston for a couple semesters, I decided to make a career pivot and enter into property management full-time. After about a year of working for one the most reputable long-term rental companies in the area, I had the opportunity to purchase their short-term division – Bluffton Traveler.
I purchased the company in October and have been working for myself trying to grow the business since then. The short-term vacation rental industry has experienced a lot of change in recent history with the rise of 3rd-party platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO, etc. – but we are working hard to establish a brand and retain repeat guests by focusing on relationships.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Aside from the prevalence of Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com and other 3rd-party services making it difficult to establish repeat clients, many issues that come up in the short-term world need to be addressed same-day – or else you risk a bad review. It has been difficult to find contractors and maintenance techs that have a schedule flexible enough to respond to these issues on the spot. I’m learning something new every day through trying to handle these issues on our own. But this whole experience has definitely been trial by fire for me. To think that at the beginning of October I had never written a check, and now I’m successfully running business operations without losing any clients in the ownership change.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bluffton Traveler?
We specialize in professional short-term rental management in downtown, Old Town, and Alljoy areas of Bluffton. Bluffton Traveler was formed as a response to the need for professional management in the area, as we observed a rise in this new type of rental. Homeowners are wanting the flexibility of being able to set aside time at the property for themselves, and not committing to leasing their home out to someone else for the typical year lease term.
What sets us apart from others is our dual-perspective of the industry. Our property-manager in charge (PMIC) has 12-years of experience in long-term property management. When discussing options with homeowners, we know the pros and cons of both long and short-term management, and can offer an honest opinion on both.
On the guest side of things, I want people to know that you can oftentimes save money by booking directly through a management company. 3rd-party platforms always take their share from both the host and the guests, so when planning your next vacation, it is worth your time to check out reputable, local brands.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
One thing that may surprise people is the time we spend curating each guest experience. Whether it is informing them of local events, decorating for Christmas, or making sure we leave dog bowls at the door for their arrival – we are constantly thinking about how we can show our guests value outside of providing a place to lay their heads.
On the next page, I will provide comparative pricing for a guest looking to book 3/27/26 – 3/30/26. This demonstrates the savings a guest could have by taking the extra step to research local agencies before booking through a popular app online.
Pricing:
- Direct – $734.39
- Booking.com – from $856
- Airbnb – from $907
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blufftontraveler.com/
- Instagram: @blufftontraveler
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blufftontraveler/
- Other: [email protected]
