AI is moving quickly across vacation rental technology, but adding more automation doesn’t automatically make a business better.
In this episode of The Vacation Rental Show, Lynell Gordon sits down with Sofia Rossato, EVP of Inhabit’s Short-Term Rental division, and Jennifer Cashier, VP of Product for the Short-Term Rental division, to talk about where agentic AI can actually create value for property managers.
They explore how operators can avoid automating broken processes, decide which tasks deserve more AI autonomy, use insights to strengthen owner conversations, prepare for changing traveler search behavior, and evaluate AI based on business outcomes rather than hype.
Don’t Turn Bad Processes Into “Workflow Slop”
Sofia introduces a new term during this conversation: workflow slop.
The idea is simple. If you take an inefficient workflow and automate it without first asking whether that workflow makes sense, you may simply be making the same problem happen faster.
Instead, Sofia recommends starting with a blank sheet of paper.
What’s working? What isn’t? Where are the friction points? What work is repetitive? Where is money or time leaking out of the business?
Only then should operators look at the systems and data they already have and decide where AI belongs.
For Sofia, the goal goes beyond operational efficiency. Property managers should also be asking which improvements can strengthen consistent revenue, owner relationships, bookings, and ultimately the long-term value of the business.
Decide How Much Autonomy the Task Deserves
Not every AI task should operate with the same amount of freedom.
Jennifer says one of the key questions her team asks is how risky a task is and how easy it would be to reverse a mistake.
If the work is repetitive, predictable, low risk, and easy to undo, AI can potentially take on more of it.
But if the task touches an operator’s brand or could meaningfully affect the business, there may need to be more visibility and a clear approval step.
Listing optimization is one example. Leo can analyze a portfolio and draft channel-specific property descriptions using the operator’s brand voice. Some customers want to review those updates before publishing, while others are comfortable allowing them to go live automatically.
For areas such as pricing, owner relationships, and guest service, Jennifer sees AI playing more of a supporting role: bringing information together, identifying patterns, and drafting recommendations, while the operator makes the final call.
Use AI to Strengthen Owner Conversations
Sofia believes some of AI’s biggest value will come from insights rather than task completion.
She points to Inhabit’s upcoming LEO insights and reporting capability as an example.
A property manager with hundreds or thousands of units may receive an owner call and need to quickly understand how that property is performing. Instead of digging through reports before responding, AI can help surface the relevant information and provide talking points immediately. That could help operators answer questions faster and have more informed conversations with owners.
Over time, Sofia sees opportunities for some of those insights to flow more directly into the owner experience, but the immediate value is giving property managers better information when they need it.
AI Is Changing the Product Team Too
AI isn’t only changing what vacation rental software can do. It’s changing how software gets built. Sofia explains that Inhabit’s product organization has shifted significantly over the previous 12 months.
Traditional product roles are becoming broader, with product owners using tools such as Cursor to help define, design, and even develop early versions of products.
That doesn’t eliminate engineering. A prototype may be created quickly, but turning it into a secure, scalable product that works across an entire ecosystem still requires engineering, integrations, testing, and infrastructure.
Sofia’s advice to leaders navigating that change is to stay flexible and curious. Experiment quickly, understand what the tools can do, and know when the wider team needs to step in.
Travelers Are Changing How They Search
Jennifer also sees AI changing the guest side of the business.
Travelers are increasingly using AI tools to plan trips, build itineraries, and find places to stay. Instead of clicking through filters, someone may simply ask for a two-bedroom property with enough space for a group of adults and children in a specific location for particular dates.
That shift makes answer engine optimization, or AEO, increasingly relevant for property managers.
For a deeper look at how AI-powered search is changing vacation rental marketing and what operators can do to stay visible, read our blog on how AI is shaping the future of short-term rentals.
The question is no longer only whether your website performs well in traditional search. It is also whether AI-powered tools can understand your properties well enough to recommend them when travelers describe the stay they want.
Ask What You Need, Not What AI Can Do
Jennifer’s advice for property managers is to be careful about AI hype.
A product having AI features doesn’t automatically mean those features will improve the business.
The better question isn’t, “What are you doing with AI?”
It’s: What do you need?
That question brings the conversation back to where Sofia started. Begin with the problem. Understand the business outcome. Look at the tools and data you already have. Then decide whether AI is actually the right way to solve it.
