VRS606 - AI Meets Hospitality: Shahar Goldboim on Building the World's First AI-Powered PMS

(0:03) This is the Vacation Rental Success Podcast, keeping you up to date with news, views, information, and resources on this rapidly changing short-term rental business. (0:10) I'm your host, Heather Bayer, and with 25 years of experience in this industry, I'm making sure you know what's hot, what's not, what's new, (0:19) and what will help make your business a success. (0:22) [Music] (0:35) Well, hello and welcome to another episode of the Vacation Rental Success Podcast. (0:45) This is your host, Heather Bayer, and as ever, I am super delighted to be back with you once again. (0:52) We did the long 4-day drive back up from Alabama a few days ago and everything went really smoothly. (1:01) It was really nice to get back home again and get everything set back up in my little basement studio. (1:08) I'm going to be doing some work on it over the next couple of months to improve sound quality. (1:17) We've got a couple of new podcasts being launched next month and I'm really excited about that. (1:25) More on that to come. We’ll be sharing that over the next week or so. (1:34) Heading off to the VR Nation conference in Austin in a couple of weeks. (1:40) I’ll be doing a presentation called Trust Me. (1:50) It’s about competitiveness between property managers and co-hosts and how to overcome it. (1:59) This will be no ordinary presentation. (2:08) The theme this year is “out with the old and in with the bold.” (2:15) No more standing up and reading slides. It’s outdated. (2:27) Others are also upping their game in presentations. (2:35) I’ll link a great article about presenting in the show notes. (2:50) You’ve got to think outside the box these days. (2:55) With AI, there is so much you can do alongside audience engagement. (3:04) Enough of that. You’ll hear more soon. (3:15) Today we’re still talking AI. (3:23) Have you ever looked at your PMS and thought there has to be a better way? (3:32) Property management systems haven’t changed much over the years. (3:39) Some have more features than you’ll ever use. (3:46) My guest today asked that question and built something new. (3:54) I’m thrilled to welcome Shahar Gold, CEO and founder of Boom. (4:01) Boom is an AI-powered PMS built by property managers for property managers. (4:10) It’s more than just a new piece of tech. (4:18) It’s built from real frustrations and long hours. (4:26) It’s driven by a desire to deliver hospitality while staying sane. (4:34) In this conversation, we explore Shahar’s journey (4:42) from listing a home on Airbnb to scaling a $150M portfolio (4:49) and launching Boom with his team. (5:04) This episode is not just about tech. (5:14) It’s about trust, empathy, and humanity in the age of automation. (5:22) AI is used to enhance, not replace, hospitality. (5:33) It handles the mundane so managers can focus on guest moments. (5:40) It can even read emotional cues in messages. (5:48) This is not science fiction. It’s happening now. (5:56) If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, you’ll love this episode. (6:04) Let’s get into the interview. (6:12) I’m delighted to have Shahar Gold from Boom. (6:22) I first saw Boom at the Shorties Awards. (6:30) I was blown away by it. (6:36) I wish I had this when I was managing properties. (6:44) We’ll talk about AI, PMS, and hospitality. (6:58) Shahar: Thanks for having me. (7:07) Heather explains her background and interest. (7:29) She invites Shahar to share his story. (7:46) Shahar: I got into vacation rentals in 2016. (7:56) I was doing a real estate startup. (8:03) A friend approached me about listing a home on Airbnb. (8:11) I found a company to digitally stage the property. (8:27) We listed it and got bookings immediately. (9:03) I told my wife we had a business. (9:19) We improved the design and launched properly. (9:26) I converted other properties into Airbnb. (9:42) I built a management company. (9:51) PMS tools felt inefficient. (9:58) We built our own tools and scaled to $150M. (10:06) Then we launched Boom. (10:15) Built with family and experienced operators. (11:01) Strong AI and tech foundation. (12:07) Deep industry understanding drives the product. (12:44) Hospitality must remain central. (13:01) Question: How does AI enhance hospitality? (13:26) Shahar: Property management is complex and stressful. (13:42) Many tedious tasks take time away from guests. (14:04) AI removes those tasks. (14:14) It allows focus on meaningful guest interactions. (14:28) Informational questions can be automated. (14:44) Humans step in for important moments. (15:00) AI enables better time allocation. (15:08) It improves margins and scalability. (15:37) Heather reflects on guest communication challenges. (16:00) AI maintains connection instead of breaking it. (17:00) AI provides responses when needed and stays invisible otherwise. (17:30) AI detects emotional tone in guest messages. (18:00) System tracks “fun level” or sentiment. (18:23) It adjusts responses based on mood and context. (19:47) AI is evolving rapidly. (20:04) Discussion on staffing and AI fears. (20:20) AI improves work-life balance. (20:36) Fewer but higher-quality employees. (21:04) Human expertise remains essential. (21:43) AI reduces stress by removing overload. (22:11) Training teams to adopt AI is key. (22:58) Encourage teams to use tools like ChatGPT first. (23:37) AI becomes core infrastructure like electricity. (24:16) Companies not using AI risk falling behind. (25:01) Heather compares AI adoption to early computing. (26:08) Discussion shifts to trust. (26:31) AI must strengthen trust, not reduce it. (26:59) Good AI becomes invisible to users. (27:15) AI adopts brand voice and tone. (27:40) It learns from past conversations. (28:04) Ensures consistency across teams. (28:30) Data and integration are key. (29:02) Systems must connect for accurate decisions. (29:23) Discussion on loyalty. (29:58) Loyalty = consistency. (30:24) AI enables consistent experiences. (30:40) Better service increases repeat bookings. (31:05) Reduced stress improves team performance. (32:05) AI supports hospitality, not replaces it. (33:09) Discussion on ROI of AI. (33:37) Example: AI handling night shift inquiries. (34:07) Faster responses increase conversions. (34:24) AI reduces costs and increases efficiency. (35:01) AI is a major technological shift. (35:25) Comparable to industrial revolution. (35:49) Future of property management evolves rapidly. (36:16) Automation of core operations. (36:25) Changes in labor and robotics. (37:00) Robots may handle maintenance tasks. (38:00) Financial implications of automation. (39:17) Increased revenue potential through automation. (40:11) Human hospitality remains irreplaceable. (41:13) AI supports future relevance. (41:54) Closing thoughts on Boom. (42:05) Boom integrates all systems into one platform. (42:28) Provides full operational visibility. (43:05) Connects tasks, finances, and analytics. (43:54) AI acts as a “worker” within the system. (44:27) Discussion on implementation challenges. (45:04) Gradual onboarding approach. (45:29) Strong focus on customer success. (46:04) Built by operators who understand the pain. (46:46) Real-time support improves experience. (47:24) Final remarks and links to Boom. (48:12) Episode recap and key takeaway: (48:55) AI enables better hospitality with less stress. (49:22) Visit boomnow.com to learn more. (49:42) Share the episode and stay curious. (50:41) Closing remarks.