Looking for Feedback on My New Co‑Host Listing

[Jan16886]

Hello!

Iam a co‑host, and my listing has been active for about a month now. Even though the area is typically high‑demand, I haven’t been receiving many bookings.

I’ve reached out to Airbnb support a couple of times, but they weren’t able to identify any issues with the listing.

For those with more hosting experience:  Are there adjustments I should make to improve visibility or boost booking rates?

Any insight or advice would be really appreciated. Thank you!

I was even think of starting all over again and delete the listings, to start fresh. 

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1439738785628150584?source_impression_id=p3_1773124114_P3UlFU6X1jl0SLLO

[Listing photo added by OCM]

[Paula]

Hello @Jan16886, what a beautiful property! I’ve added a photo to help draw attention from the host community, I hope that’s okay with you 😊

I’m also tagging some experienced hosts here to see if they’d like to share any ideas with you: @Gordana70 @Elise43 @Cristina3972 @Anton7298 @Joe771 @Karen1 @Laëtitia-Stephy0 

Thank you, everyone.

[Elise43]

Hi! 

It’s really a very beautiful house – the thing that stands out to me immediately is that there’s not that much information in the listing description.

For the homes that I cohost, I include a lot of details. I break down the listing by space and I talk about the amenities in each one of those spaces. This involves detailing the kitchen appliances, the quality of beds and bedding, linens, and the details of the bathrooms. I try to create a narrative about this space so that potential Guests will fully imagine themselves in the space – once they’re imagining that, they’re more likely to book.

Clearly, the owners have put a lot of effort into this space, and I think that the details in the listing description need to reflect that level of attention. As a potential guest, that would make me more confident about booking the home.

I also always look for details about the surrounding community and the attractions. In our listings, we are selling the location as much as the space. So definitely include those kinds of details, and you could even include some photographs of local attractions at the end of the listing.

I didn’t see if each of the photos had captions, but that’s another thing that impresses guests and help helps in the research algorithm.

[Jan16886]

@Elise43 Thank you very much for your detailed response. I’ll review the properties you mentioned and work on improving the villa description. Most of the images have a description but I will add it to all of them. I started to write a travel guide for the surrounding and also prepare a booklet for nearby attraction which will be printed and will be aviable in physical form at the property. My wife and I are both architects, so we’re much more familiar with the building side than the business side — but we’re learning! 

[Elise43]

@Jan16886 It is a learning curve! I was a college English prof before Airbnb became my full-time job. So much of the success on that platform is in the details, so your professional life will only be a help— and you’ll excel at describing the building. Feel free to reach out with more questions. 

[Cristina3972]

Hello @Jan16886,

Congratulation for the stunning villa and wonderful pool. First thing that caught my attention was the lack of a personal feeling of place. Let me explain: think of cold and hot. Scrolling through your photos (I did it twice) I didn't get the welcoming feeling of such a stunning place. For instance, you can add a case of flowers on the table, you can set up the table for breakfast, you talk about : Start your morning right with the filter coffee maker. (Give the customer an imaginary vision of the morning coffee on the table). Barbecue the same. Add some pictures/paintings on the walls. Make your photos to stand out with additional elements, it's all about vision and feeling of your place. Even if you show typical food of your area on the table can help to attract more foreign visitors. An other thing is about your place: mention what amenities are around you, what visitors can do, places to visit near your villa, add more pictures about these tourist attractions too. 

In this way you sell both your accomodation but also your place. People needs visuals and also need information about your place. It's a beautiful villa, hope these tips will be of some help for you. Wishing you the very best of luck.-:))

[Katie1799]

Your place is stunning. I want to go stay there! The thing is, it's a three-bedroom place and not cheap, so it needs to appeal to families or people traveling in a group, not a person or couple wanting to work remotely. Also, "holidays" is a European term when used in this way. If you want to appeal to Americans, you'd use the term "vacation." Maybe there is a more universal term, like "getaway"?  

In terms of pricing, use a price optimizer. Airbnb has one, but there are better ones you can add, like the one offered on Guesty Lite. This will help you compete better on different dates. 

Also, with the war in the Middle East that has affected Turkey, that's surely dampening demand. And Americans are struggling generally so not traveling as much (not sure about the economy in Europe).

Another thing: Why are you touting coffee next to the icons? That's nearly universal, and your place has a lot more exciting differentiators. Our hot tub is a huge draw, and you have a sauna and mini-golf too.

Finally, things will pick up dramatically when you have more reviews and such accolades as "Guest Favorite" and "Super Host." Stay safe and best wishes from Washington!

[Jan16886]

Thank you @Katie1799 , the issue i have with the smart pricing is that it is very hard to use in our case since the price difference is very big during summer and winter season. Most of the revenue is created during the summer month June- September and i am afraid that the smart pricing tool will sell the villa for too little during this time. If there would be a feature which could turn of smart pricing for there month i would be more than happy. 

Maybe I am also misunderstanding the tool. 

I will work on the other suggestions for sure . Thx Katie 

[Katie1799]

Jan, 

If the pricing is indeed smart for your area, it already knows what the demand is during different seasons and even different days of the week and for special days. Demand pricing has made our business much more successful--lower rates on weekdays, higher rates on the weekends, and 80%+ occupancy. Best wishes!

[Kas1644]

Hi @Jan16886 

Patience is key.

It took me over almost a year before I received a client on this platform. 

Find out what the neighbourhood is charging. Consider reducing the price a bit.

Add a key aspect of your location. 

Advertise on social media. 

Tell friends. They can recommend you to people they know. 

Also consider advertising per bedroom with shared facilities. That will reduce the cost. So you  can have a bedroom with a guest rather than an empty house. 

Be optimistic.

It will work.

[Helen3]

As a cohost @Jan16886  you should know that you can't just delete a listing and set up a new one as Airbnb will see it as a duplicate listing and may result in you being banned from the platform - so I wouldn't advise you do this . 

[Kas1644]

You are competing with  the already established businesses. 

Offer specials for starters. 

It tookme almost a year to get my first client. Besides Strategy, Patience and Resilience is required for starters.