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Education and Development

Building the professionals
who drive this industry

Every discipline in short-term rental management has a commercial dimension. ISTRM's education programme starts where that commercial performance is determined, and builds outward from there.

Where we begin

Starting with the foundation

Revenue management is the commercial engine of every short-term rental business. It determines whether a property earns what it should or leaves money on the table every single night. It connects pricing to demand, channels to margins, calendars to revenue and owners to results.

Every other discipline in STR management, including property operations, guest experience, distribution and owner relations, feeds into or depends upon the commercial decisions that revenue management makes. It is not one discipline among many. It is the foundation.

ISTRM begins its education programme here, with the first independent, examined credential in STR revenue management. Further credentials across the full breadth of STR management disciplines will follow as the society grows.

Now open
Revenue Management
The CSRM, the first examined, independent, STR-native professional credential in the world.
Coming soon
Property Operations
A professional framework for the operational management of short-term rental properties at scale.
Coming soon
Owner Relations
The commercial and relational skills that define outstanding property management partnerships.
Coming soon
Distribution Strategy
Channel economics, OTA strategy and direct booking frameworks for STR operators and managers.
Why this matters

The discipline gap

The numbers behind why a professional standard for STR revenue management is overdue.

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 that was built specifically for the STR environment
20–30%
RevPAN gap between strategic and reactive portfolios
The CSRM 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
ISTRM CSRM CERTIFIED SHORT-TERM REVENUE MANAGER
Programme structure

Sixteen modules across five stages

Self-paced, fully online and assessed at every stage. Designed to be completed in four to eight weeks.

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
Preview
Module 1
The Unlearning Starts Here
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You will learn
  • 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
Register to access
Preview
Module 2
The Loop Disguises Itself
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You will learn
  • 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
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Preview
Module 3
The Position You Take
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You will learn
  • 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
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II
Part Two
Reading the Market
Demand signals, booking curve interpretation and guest segmentation
Preview
Module 4
What Your Data Is Actually Telling You
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You will learn
  • 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
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Preview
Module 5
Booking Curves and Pacing Analysis
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You will learn
  • 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
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Preview
Module 6
Pacing Against a Plan
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You will learn
  • 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
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Preview
Module 7
The Weekly Read
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You will learn
  • 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
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III
Part Three
Pricing as Strategy
Rate architecture, Net RevPAN and channel economics
Preview
Module 8
Guest Segmentation and Revenue Mix
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You will learn
  • 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
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Preview
Module 9
Pricing by Segment and Mix Strategy
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You will learn
  • 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
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Preview
Module 10
Length of Stay Economics
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You will learn
  • 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
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Preview
Module 11
Distribution Strategy and Channel Economics
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You will learn
  • 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
Register to access
IV
Part Four
Performance and Diagnosis
Portfolio audit methodology, forecasting and owner reporting
Preview
Module 12
Portfolio Diagnosis at Scale
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You will learn
  • 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
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Preview
Module 13
Owner and Stakeholder Communication
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You will learn
  • 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
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Preview
Module 14
Revenue Forecasting and Planning
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You will learn
  • 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
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V
Part Five
Applied Decision Making
The annual revenue cycle and the live capstone assessment
Preview
Module 15
The Annual Revenue Cycle
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You will learn
  • 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
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Preview
Module 16
The Complete Revenue Strategist: Capstone
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You will learn
  • 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
Register to access
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 2026 · Global
Independent professional society
Examined credential, assessed at every stage
STR-native from module one
Globally applicable framework
Airlines
AGIFORS
Operations Research and Revenue Management
Established 1961 · Global
Independent professional society
Global standard for 60+ years
Industry-specific framework
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 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.
Register your interest

Ready to get started?

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.

You are registered.
We will be in touch with further information shortly. Welcome to ISTRM.