Superhost status

[Paul10546]

We have several properties that range from a small 1 bed flat with no garden in a town with to a large country property with hot tub etc.  All properties dip in and out of superhost status but of course the large property gets the best reviews.  The smaller property drags the larger property down so I have removed the large property from Airbnb.  Why does Airbnb group properties together?  Guests want to know what an individual property is like, not what another property is like, when looking at superhost status.  No other letting agent does this.  

[Shelley159]

@Paul10546 I'm not 100% sure I understand, but you can perhaps clarify if I'm misinterpreting your post. When I click your profile, I don't see any listings. Are you a co-host or how are you involved with the listings?

I think the issue for you is that one of the properties that you're involved with, was dragging the host's overall rating to below 4.8, and then caused the host to not qualify for Superhost due to the minimum rating criteria not being met? (I assume all 3 the other Superhost criteria were met?)

Superhost is attached to the host and focusses mainly on how the host performs (across all properties). Guest Favourite is attached to the property and indicates how that specific property performs. It's unaffected by other properties managed by the same host, and it's generally stronger that Superhost (in the sense that there's a Guest Favourite filter, and a Guest Favourite badge replaces a Superhost badge where both are applicable). Guest Favourite rankings update every 24 hours, so unlike Superhost (which is assessed and awarded every quarter), Guest Favourite is a very fickle measure and listings constantly float in and out of Guest Favourite status.

So Airbnb does have separate recognition categories for hosts and for listings - in your case it sounds like the large property with the strong reviews would be a good Guest Favourite competitor.

[Karen114]

@Shelley159  Thanks for this!  I did not realize the difference between SH and Guest favorite, makes sense.  

[Paul10546]

Brilliant.  How do I address the issue of no garden, 1 bedroom, in a town?  Or the issue that 1/2 of the guests are from overseas?  The flat is booked most days all year, has often had super host status, is extremely popular and most reviews are 5* .  Other than removing it from Airbnb, which of course I am considering, we also use Booking.com, they do references differently and we are award winning property on Booking.com.  So no, impossible to improve this  property without removing it.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Paul10546 Why is there an issue? and particularly why is there an issue that 1/2 the guests are from overseas?

[Paul10546]

I was simply commenting that grouping together very different properties to give an overall score drags down the top location properties and enhances the less good location and cheaper to rent properties.  We do get a vast number of overseas bookings and on occasions they misunderstand the listing.  A common issue is confusing sleeps 5 with 5 bedrooms.  Another issue is a lot of guests come from countries that employ staff, so we get guests who are expecting daily maid service, like a hotel.  So, if you do not understand the listing on Airbnb, you do not understand what a holiday let is and you do not read or understand our exceptionally detailed welcome pack,  and you expect 5 bedrooms and daily maid service, you are going to leave a 1* review.  This is further complicated by overseas, and also UK bookings are often made by a person not part of the group that arrives, so they expect a private apartment in a luxury hotel.  This is not very common, but if you take a property that normally gets 5* reviews and every now and again, add a 1* review, then the property will hover around 4.2*.   Remove the odd completely misinformed review and you then average 4.9*.  But on the other hand, booked practically every day including off peak so in practice I don’t care anymore.  I used to but no point.

[Post merged by Community Manager to keep relevant  and similar discussions from the author in one place]

[Paul10546]

Yes, I am a longstanding host, even been an ambassador, frequently a superhost, 5 very popular high reference properties but my comment appeared on my guest profile.  No idea why.  My point is that the superhost ranking is properties grouped together.  So, exceptionally good properties drag up less good properties, and vice versa.  There is no way a 1 bedroom flat with no garden in an ordinary town will ever get the same number of stars as a large rustic property in a beautiful village with hot tub and 200yds from award winning

pub.  Both properties have had superhost status but there is no way location or facilities can ever be similar.  Not only that, 1/2 guests for the 1 bedroom flat are not English, they don’t have a clue where it is, and cannot read well enough to understand the listing.  A typical mistake is “sleeps 6” means 6 bedrooms.  So, I have removed the larger extremely high spec property, with years as a super host, from Airbnb.  The smaller properties dip in and out of superhost status, nothing in practice can be done about that.  If you think a 1 bed flat has 6 bedrooms and is near a tourist hot spot then you will not leave a good review.  We have had 9 blokes turn up 5 hrs early, walk out because the flat was too small, trash the place, urinate over the floors, Airbnb immediately paid us 100’s compensation but refused to remove the 1* review.  Ludicrous.  That drags down all properties.

[Post merged by Community Manager to keep relevant  and similar discussions from the author in one place]

[Shelley159]

As I mentioned in the original thread @Paul10546 , I disagree that one property drags down another property on Airbnb. 

A lower-performing property can prevent the host from achieving Superhost, I do agree with that.

But Superhost is about the host and Guest Favourite is about the property.

Properties are ranked according to Guest Favourite measures, and one property hosted by the same host, does not drag down the other:

Each of your listings will be treated individually when determining eligibility for the Guest Favorite badge.

https://www.airbnb.co.za/help/article/3496

I don't see a reason to remove a property from Airbnb to protect it from lower ratings at other properties. In fact, your host profile will appear less favorable to guests if you remove your best property. Just my opinion!

I also think that smaller, more modest properties frequently outperform larger properties in reviews - it just depends on the situation. In your case the larger property seems to be attracting a higher quality of guest.

[Paul10546]

Yes, but some guests search for super host properties.  Super host properties  have preferential promotion.  I know about all other points, my criticism is grouping properties together to allocate superhost status.  No point in being a superhost if it does not matter or makes no difference.  Airbnb are moving away from the superhost concept and are promoting preferred properties but with respect that is not good enough.

[Post merged by Community Manager to keep relevant  and similar discussions from the author in one place]

[Paul10546]

[Post merged by Community Manager to keep relevant  and similar discussions from the author in one place]

[Shelley159]

(Community managers, perhaps merge the posts so the conversation carries on in one thread)

In the Help article in my previous response it says that Superhost remains - Airbnb isn't moving away from it. It has simply added a recognition of individual properties, where previously there was only a recognition of hosts. 

While there's a filter for guests to search for Guest Favourite properties, guests cannot filter for listings managed by Superhosts.

If you mean that, out of the listings displayed on a page, you feel guests will specifically be inclined to book one that is hosted by a Superhost, keep in mind that listings run by Superhosts only display the Superhost badge if the property isn't also a Guest Favourite (when it comes to the badge and the filter, Guest Favourite trumps Superhost).

I understand that you're saying you don't want a host's Superhost status to be affected by all of the properties hosted, but if you separate the properties and assess them individually, you end up with the Guest Favourite measure (which already exists). Hope it makes sense 😀

[Bhumika]

Hi @Shelley159 , I had just noticed it and merged it ASAP 🌻 

Hi @Paul10546 , I’ve merged all your comments and posts into one thread so hosts can follow the conversation and continue sharing relevant advice. If you’d like to reply to any comment, click the Reply button to respond to the host. To make sure a host receives a notification, type @ before their username in your reply, and they’ll be notified.

Hope this helps!

[Paul10546]

Thanks.  All matter relating to host and especially guest wellbeing is of interest to me.  All properties are extremely popular, all

are mostly 5* and all are booked most of the year.  Interestingly, the one bed flat is booked all year.  Cheaper, close to the M6 in the middle of the UK.  But the 1 bed flat * runs at slightly below the other bigger more luxury but more expensive properties.

Only just joined, no idea how to post as a host.  It just defaulted to guest.  One good thing about Airbnb is that they are way better than Booking.com.  Not that this sets the bench mark very high.  

[Helen3]

Your rating shouldn't depend on the size of your property . Your SH is for you not individual properties . @Paul10546 

why do you think the smaller property is getting lower ratings. 

there are no properties attached to your profile . 

[Patricia2526]

Hi @Paul10546 

I have 5 active listings, and each listing is rated independently. If one listing receives a 4-star review, that rating applies only to that specific listing it doesn’t directly affect the ratings of the other listings.

What you might be referring to is your overall performance as a host. If you are the primary host across all your listings, then guest reviews collectively contribute to your overall host rating and metrics (such as your average rating and eligibility for programs like Superhost). So while each listing maintains its own rating, your performance as a host is still influenced by reviews across all the listings you manage.

[Paul10546]

Yes, but my point continues to be that a guest in a 1 bedroom flat with no garden will usually not give the same rating as a large luxury house in a picturesque village, especially as the 1 bed flat attracts overseas guests and people staying overnight commuting up the M6.  I agree it is the overall score but overall the location and facilities are different so a guest will leave a different overall score.  Different properties, different locations, different markets.