How do you turn a single rental into a national brand? Sarah Karakaian shares the lessons, pivots, and bold moves that helped her scale in the STR world. In our debut episode of Columbus Brick by Brick, Sarah shares how she built a thriving STR business from scratch — and why going narrow and deep is the real key to success.

Welcome to the very first episode of Columbus Brick by Brick, where we uncover the people, projects, and ideas shaping the future of Columbus, Ohio.

Your host, Jon Styer, broker and owner of Styer Real Estate Professionals, kicks things off with a powerful guest: Sarah Karakaian, co-founder of Thanks For Visiting, licensed Realtor, STR educator, and hospitality industry consultant.

Sarah’s story starts on Broadway and leads to flipping Airbnbs, scaling a media platform with over 3 million downloads, and now developing a resort in Hocking Hills. We talk about her early wins in NYC, how a leap of faith led her to Columbus, and what it means to build something that lasts in a saturated market.

In this episode, we explore:

• How Sarah transitioned from performer to short-term rental entrepreneur
• Why Columbus stood out as a real estate investment market
• Lessons learned from managing dozens of properties
• Her co-founding journey with Thanks For Visiting
• Burnout, business growth, and building the right team
• Predictions for the future of STRs in Columbus and beyond

Guest Links:

🌐 Website: ThanksForVisiting.com

📺 YouTube: @ThanksForVisiting

📸 Instagram: @thanksforvisiting_

📍 Learn more about the podcast at ColumbusBrickbyBrick.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook & YouTube: @ColumbusBrickbyBrick

🎙️ Every Brick Has a Story. We're Here to Tell It.