“I’m extremely good at fixing things and identifying what’s wrong and how to solve the problem.”
These simple words describe the mindset of Kevin High, founder of Bookfull.
Kevin has applied this mindset in advertising, academia, boat motors, software, and nanotechnology, among other things. In his latest venture, he brings his solution-oriented mindset to the field of property management with innovative technological solutions. The name of the short-term rental game is reservations. The first response to an inquiry will most likely book the reservation, which means that homeowners or their property managers have to regularly check and update their home listings on multiple websites, such as Airbnb, HomeAway, and VRBO. And users struggle to keep pace with the websites and the software.
High began looking for a better software solution for his own property management company. Finding none that fit all of his company’s needs and discussing property management challenges with other managers, High decided to put his technology and business skills to work. Thus Bookfull was born: a property management system developed by property managers for property managers. The modular components of Bookfull are intuitive, thoughtful, and process-driven to meet the needs of individual property owners.
Born in Chicago and raised in Washington, D.C., Kevin learned about business by helping with several of his father’s companies. He began his own first company when he was 15 years old. While in college, High began an advertising agency. Selling this company and withdrawing from school, he headed for Wall Street to delve into the world of investment banking. Combining his passion for business with his avid interests in technology, he shifted to software development. After the tragedy of 9/11, High and his family took a three-year hiatus and sailed 15,000 miles throughout the Atlantic Ocean.
Known to High only as a destination on a nautical chart that called to him, High sailed into Charleston Harbor, dropped anchor, and came ashore. With the good fortune of being able to live anywhere in the world, Charleston with its historic charm became home. “I’m not from the South, but I got here as fast as I could.”
Always the city boy, High brought to reality his dream of having his business on the first floor of his own building with his living quarters upstairs. He designed a guest apartment to accommodate family and friends visiting the Holy City. Due to a lack of regular visitors, High opted to turn his guest apartment into a short-term rental. With this simple entrance into the realm of property management, High once again embarked on a new business venture. He purchased more properties and converted them into short term rentals. Soon friends were asking him to manage their rental properties as well. As with every pivot in his career trajectory, High did what he has always done: he learned about the short-term rental and property management industry inside and out, including basic supply requirement, housekeeping, smart technology, concierge options, owner account access, accounting, and reservation management.
“I try to change things. I try to make things better. I really like that challenge. I like figuring it out.”
