Every comparable industry has a professional standard. Now STR does too.
Hotels have had the Certified Revenue Management Executive through HSMAI since 2004, airlines have had AGIFORS since 1961, and the cruise industry has CLIA's structured yield management credentialling.
Short-term rental is the only perishable-inventory industry in the world without an independent professional standard for revenue management. Operators are making pricing decisions that determine whether a business earns what it should, without a framework built for their context and without a recognised standard to develop against or demonstrate their expertise through.
ISTRM was established in April 2026 to close that gap. The CSRM is its founding credential.
21%
of STR operators have any formal revenue management training at all
92%
of those sourced it from hotel frameworks not built for STR
8%
have training built specifically for the STR environment
The credential
An independent credential with genuine weight.
The CSRM is assessed, not awarded. Every stage requires a written examination, with the same standard applied to every candidate regardless of background. You progress because you have demonstrated competence, not because you have completed a course.
It is issued by ISTRM, an independent professional society established to serve the STR industry and the professionals within it.
Examined at every stage, with written assessments that test applied thinking rather than recall
STR-native from module one, built for the specific commercial dynamics of the short-term rental market
Independently issued by ISTRM, an established professional society for the short-term rental industry
Globally applicable, with a framework built around principles that hold across every major STR market
Programme structure
Sixteen modules across five stages
The programme is fully online and self-paced, designed to be completed in four to eight weeks. Every module ends with a written assessment and you progress only when you have demonstrated the standard required.
16
Modules
5
Stages
4–8
Weeks
100%
Online
I
Part One
Unlearning
Identifying and dismantling the assumptions that create blind spots in STR revenue management
Module 1
The Unlearning Starts Here
Why pricing instincts from other industries create blind spots in STR
The specific assumptions most operators carry without realising it
How to identify what needs to change before anything else can improve
Module 2
The Loop Disguises Itself
How reactive pricing compounds silently over time
Why the results look acceptable until they suddenly do not
How to spot a revenue management loop before it becomes structural
Module 3
The Position You Take
What separates strategic pricing from reactive rate-setting
How to hold a commercial position under owner or market pressure
When to defend your position and when the data is telling you to move
II
Part Two
Reading the Market
Demand signals, booking curve interpretation and guest segmentation
Module 4
What Your Data Is Actually Telling You
What standard STR metrics show and what they consistently hide
How to construct a picture of portfolio health that surfaces problems early
The difference between data that describes and data that directs
Module 5
Booking Curves and Pacing Analysis
How to read booking pace against prior year, target and market
What different curve shapes mean for your rate architecture decisions
How to distinguish a genuine demand signal from noise
Module 6
Pacing Against a Plan
How to build a revenue plan that works as a live management tool
How to use pace deviation to trigger specific rate decisions at the right moment
Why most revenue plans fail to change operator behaviour and how to fix that
Module 7
The Weekly Read
What to look at in a weekly review and in what order
How to move from observation to a documented pricing decision in one session
The questions to ask of your data that most operators never think to ask
III
Part Three
Pricing as Strategy
Rate architecture, Net RevPAN and channel economics
Module 8
Guest Segmentation and Revenue Mix
How to identify the guest segments producing revenue in your portfolio
How mix shifts between segments affect overall performance
How to use segmentation data to inform rate architecture rather than just describe it
Module 9
Pricing by Segment and Mix Strategy
How to set rates that work across multiple guest segments simultaneously
How to manage the tension between high-value segments and base occupancy
How mix strategy connects directly to annual revenue targets
Module 10
Length of Stay Economics
Why length of stay is one of the most underused levers in STR revenue management
How minimum stay restrictions interact with demand patterns and orphan nights
How to build a length of stay strategy that improves both occupancy and net revenue
Module 11
Distribution Strategy and Channel Economics
How to evaluate true channel performance beyond headline occupancy and ADR
How to calculate net revenue by channel once all costs are accounted for
How to build a distribution strategy that maximises net RevPAN rather than gross bookings
IV
Part Four
Performance and Diagnosis
Portfolio audit methodology, forecasting and owner reporting
Module 12
Portfolio Diagnosis at Scale
How to rank properties by revenue opportunity across a portfolio
How to identify the specific causes of underperformance in each case
How to prioritise interventions by expected revenue impact
Module 13
Owner and Stakeholder Communication
How to translate revenue decisions into language owners actually understand
How to present data in a way that builds confidence rather than generating questions
How to maintain commercial alignment with owners through data-led communication
Module 14
Revenue Forecasting and Planning
How to construct a three-case revenue forecast from available data
How to use booking curve pace to interpret forward performance accurately
How to connect forecast output to specific rate architecture decisions
V
Part Five
Applied Decision Making
The annual revenue cycle and the live capstone assessment
Module 15
The Annual Revenue Cycle
How to structure the full twelve-month revenue management cycle
How to manage the transition between pre-season, in-season and post-season phases
How to make each year's rate architecture better informed than the last
Module 16
The Complete Revenue Strategist: Capstone
How to apply the complete CSRM framework to a real multi-property scenario
How to sequence diagnosis, forecasting, rate architecture and stakeholder communication
What passing the capstone assessment means for your professional standing
Who this is for
Serious about the discipline.
PM
Property Managers
You already practise revenue management. The CSRM gives you a documented framework that proves its commercial value, structures your decision-making and gives you the language to communicate it with confidence.
A pricing system owners understand and trust.
RM
Revenue Managers
Revenue management in STR is a distinct discipline and the CSRM is the first credential built specifically around it. Whatever your background, the CSRM gives you a recognised professional standard to develop against and demonstrate through.
A credential that reflects what you actually do.
OP
STR Operators
The CSRM gives you the framework to move from reactive pricing to deliberate revenue strategy. It is built for the scale, structure and commercial dynamics of the STR market, not adapted from another industry.
Professional revenue management rigour applied to your portfolio.
EP
Enterprise Teams
The CSRM gives your revenue function a shared professional standard and a common framework. It creates a consistent approach to pricing decisions across your team without requiring you to build a training programme from the ground up.
A shared professional standard across your revenue function.
VT
Vendors and Technology Providers
Your customers are operators and revenue managers. The CSRM gives your team the revenue management fluency to engage strategically, build stronger client relationships and be taken seriously as a commercial partner rather than a product provider.
A team that speaks the language of its customers.
CX
Account and CX Managers
Your clients ask revenue questions every day. The CSRM gives you the depth to lead those conversations with confidence, move beyond product support and become a genuine commercial resource for the operators you work with.
The credibility to lead commercial conversations.
Industry context
Every comparable industry has a professional standard, and now STR does too.
Hotels
HSMAI
CRME · Certified Revenue Management Executive
Established 2004 · Global
·Independent professional society
·Examined credential
·Globally recognised standard
Short-Term Rental
ISTRM
CSRM · Certified Short-Term Revenue Manager
Established April 2026 · Global
·Independent professional society
·Examined credential, assessed at every stage
·STR-native from module one
·Globally applicable framework
Airlines
AGIFORS
Operations Research & Revenue Management
Established 1961 · Global
·Independent professional society
·Global standard for 60+ years
·Industry-specific framework
Register your interest
Be among the first.
The CSRM programme is now open and we would love to hear from you. Register your interest below and we will be in touch with further information.
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Questions
Frequently asked
What is the CSRM?
The CSRM, or Certified Short-Term Revenue Manager, is the first independent, examined professional credential built specifically for revenue management in the short-term rental industry. It is awarded upon passing sixteen assessed modules across five structured stages, and is issued by ISTRM, the International Society of Short-Term Rental Management. The programme covers demand analysis, booking curve interpretation, pricing strategy, channel economics, portfolio diagnosis, forecasting and the full annual revenue cycle, all within an STR-native framework.
What is ISTRM?
ISTRM, the International Society of Short-Term Rental Management, is an independent professional society established in April 2026. It was founded by practitioners with backgrounds in enterprise STR revenue management to create the professional infrastructure this industry has lacked: a structured development path, a verified community, ongoing research and intelligence, and a recognised credential. The CSRM is its first and founding qualification, with further programmes and membership benefits in development.
How is the programme assessed?
Each of the sixteen modules ends with a written assessment in which you apply the concepts covered to a realistic STR scenario. You receive detailed written feedback on your performance and progress to the next module once you have met the required standard. The programme concludes with a capstone assessment in Module 16 that draws on the full framework across all five stages. Passing the capstone is the point at which the CSRM credential is awarded.
Who is the CSRM designed for?
The CSRM is designed for anyone working in or around revenue management in the short-term rental industry. That includes property managers, STR operators, revenue managers, enterprise portfolio teams, and the account managers and customer success professionals who support them. The programme does not assume a specific background and is structured to meet candidates where their existing knowledge sits, whether they are new to revenue management or experienced practitioners looking for a formal credential.
Is the CSRM relevant if I work for a technology company or STR platform?
Yes. Account managers, customer success teams and commercial staff at technology companies and STR platforms work with operators and revenue managers every day. The CSRM gives them the depth to engage with clients at a strategic level, to understand the commercial decisions their customers are making and to be genuinely useful in those conversations. A team with CSRM-qualified members is better positioned to build lasting client relationships and to be seen as a commercial partner rather than a product provider.
What happens after I register my interest?
Once you register, we will be in touch with further information about the programme, access details and next steps. The programme is fully online and self-paced, so you can begin working through the modules at a time that suits you. There are no cohort start dates and no fixed deadlines.
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