Please CRITIQUE my listing!

[Bob1156]

LISTING:  airbnb.com/h/eaglesnestsandpoint 

Last year, we had consistent rentals and have not changed the listing this year...
however, this year, we have no rentals so far!

Any suggestions?

Thank you!!!

[Steven1869]

Hey @Bob1156 , It's a sign that your should work on your listing here's a couple tips to better optimize it:

- you have 180  photos and most of them aren't your property, you should reserve it only for your property rooms and the local attractions and spots should only be at the guidebook in your profile this way the guest wouldn't feel lost, he is there just to see your property and nothing else

- title should have key amenities and any close by busy places, in a nutshell anything someone looking to book at Sandpoint would look for

-try choosing a different hero photo,and do a competitor research to see what best works on your market is it an outside view, bedroom, living etc and put different areas for the rest 4

- be more descriptive in your photo captions and complete all the captions

- put the photos in a good order; in your second bedroom in the room tour there's two bedrooms which confuses guests in the 3rd bedromm there's a couch and so on

- make sure to have all your photos landscape

[Shelley159]

Hi @Bob1156 

I searched for your listing using Sandpoint and Lake Pend Oreille as search terms. In both cases I couldn't find you in the first 10 pages for 6 guests. The market for larger houses seems to be quite competitive, and it looks like you're not ranking well at the moment. You can test some changes and see how they improve visibility, for example a more flexible cancellation policy, a shorter minimum stay and (if you want to) instant book. Also check your Insights page for Airbnb's suggestions specific to your listing. Here's Airbnb's general advice on how to rank well:

How search results work - Airbnb Help Center

[Alex]

Hi @Bob1156! 👋

Hope you had nice weekend and wishing you the best for this new week. Did you check the answers you got in your post? I'm sure they will help you in order to improve your listing. 🙂

Have a lovely day, 

Alex

[Julia5225]

Hey Bob, 

Maybe a little makeover would be good for the apartment, 

such as change of bedsheets colors or maybe the usage of more of a subtle colors in your furniture's choices. 

Good luck 

[Judith981]

My recommendations are based on how I see the rental market behaving even in my own area:

-refine your photos [180 photos is a lot, but even the ones of your kitchen area and drawers can look more appealing and organized to attract new guests] 

-You have great reviews but only 8 which made me wonder if you can get more stays of you reduced your 5 night minimum stay to perhaps 3 or 4 since often times I'm finding people aren't on as many week-long stays as they used to be. 

Hopefully this helps and of course it's a slow year everywhere. I know some hosts go to former guests and offer a return special offer and that helps fill up their gaps. 

[Jodie214]

Hi Bob, 

Looking at your listing I would suggest updating the photos. 180 photos is a lot, and I would only focus on photos of the property so people know where they are staying. Perhaps having a couple of the photos of surrounding area, such as the lake at the very end of photos. Also I would suggest uploading updated professional photos, some of the photos looked a little blurry.
Hope your bookings start improving! 

All the best, Jodie 😊

[Lorinzo0]

Try researching some of the top listing in your property category.  Often time's you can pull ideas from other listing. If your not using dynamic pricing I suggest looking into a product that helps you find the best price for your rental.  

[Sherry-M1]

Your home looks very spacious and great. The only thing I would add is some more pieces of furniture and maybe some art on the walls in the bedrooms. The furniture I would add is end tables beside the chairs and a table infront of the couch. In the bedrooms there aren’t any bedside tables to place one’s phone or a glass of water for a drink in the night. Or even a lamp to read at night without having all of the lights on in the bedroom. One other thing is there seems to be no place to sit at a table for dining so a kitchen table and chairs. Otherwise it looks really nice. Also you might add a picture of your outdoor dining space that you have mentioned in your listing. Good luck with your Airbnb, I’m sure guests are going to love it! 

[Justin2179]

Hey Bob! Your part of the world is one of my favorites. Your place looks spacious, cozy, and fully stocked. 

Your place might seem to "homey" to others. The furniture and decor could be updated to provide a vacation feel. This will help your place pop in the photos. 

Then I would hire a professional photographer who specializes in Airbnb and/or real estate photography. 

I would remove most of the local area photos. It feels overwhelming to go through that many photos.  Just use 2 or 3 of the best local photos.

You're doing great. Good luck!

[Jennifer5064]

Your listing looks great, the photos look good, and the reviews are good. When I did a search for the area you listing did not pop up on the first page. I would maybe adjust pricing and run a special to make your listing pop up higher. Changing wording and descriptions also helps to rank because it uses AI, use AI to help with descriptions. When I did that, my bookings increased for this year. Also, try a lower minimum number of nights required. hope it helps and have a great year.

[Lori145]

Hi Bob, this happens to me sometimes where I will have back-to-back reservations and then a dead spot.  I typically go on the portal and actively adjust my rate for a week or two (implement a promotion).  When you do a promotion of a certain amount, your listing will be more prominently featured.  That has always broken the "dead" zones.  I don't think it has anything to do with your listing.  

[Jonathan2725]

Hi Bob,

Your place looks very nice and well appointed. The first thing I would do is take the booking requirement done from 5 day minimum to 2 or even 1. We also added the insta book button. I had to do that at my own listing and started receiving bookings right away. 

I would look at other listings in the area that are booked and see how I can compete. Do I need to add amenities? Lower the price? I would also reorganize the photos and group them as I walked through the house, almost like a virtual tour. 

Best of luck!

[Kate-And-Mitch0]

Hi Bob!

I would focus on your listing photos first. Professional photos that showcase your space and accurately represent the space without being overwhelming (probably 1-5 per room and in order of the flow of the house). You could also do some updates to color scheme but photos are the fastest and easiest.

I would also tweak your description to share more about the space. You could even use Chat GPT to write something.

You might also look at your nightly minimums and pricing compared to competitors. I saw that at some point it is a 5 night minimum, which may make it hard for guests to book, especially if the price point is high compared to a competitor who has a two night minimum even for the same price.

Lastly, I would edit or delete your comment to the one 4 star listing if you can. The guest can leave the rating that they feel is appropriate and I think you could tweak your response to ask for feedback without calling out the guest for the poor review. It is the first review that pops up and people will likely read that upfront and may have a negative first impression of your hospitality when they look at the ratings! 

[John8647]

Hi @Bob1156 

I'm a bit new to all this hosting. However I've stayed in many locations and countries over may years.  Your property looks as large as others in your location and very similar one nearby. 

I have the view,  sometimes less is best.  I would say you've got the message about to many pictures.  Show pictures that are relevant to the potential guest only a few (2 to 3) of each area. Example pictures 19, 24, 25 ? not sure what the value is to the guest. Kitchen area looks cluttered and take out the picture of the open draw (value ?).  And the bathroom looks old. 

Present the size of the rooms, a quick fresh up in décor make the rooms look large and spacious, bright and fresh. No need to re colour / repaint the walls, change the linen, covers, shower curtain, sold bright colours,  this could be quicker and loss cost.  You have a balcony take one picture of the view that can been seen, this is value the guest.  

Price is one thing, however value to a guest wanting an enjoyable and comfortable place to stay is valued. 

wish you all the best and success.

cheers

John