The disconnect when selling an Airbnb

[Laura2592]

We are selling our Airbnb. As many of you know, your bookings do not transfer in a sale. This makes an ABB a quasi  investment/commercial property with basically no income a new owner can rely on. Not only is the seller unable to value their property appropriately as say one would with a long term tenant whose lease transfers upon settlement, but the new owner is asked to start over from square one, negating all the effort and marketing/branding a previous owner may had done. 

I heard the argument that "its the host that counts" when a property sells: that your special host style doesn't transfer. Now I am in the midst of a transaction and I have to say I do not buy that argument at all. We are not even selling to another Airbnber, but the absurdity of that viewpoint is really clear. 

1. If its "the host" that can't be re-created upon the sale, why are we not rated solely on hosting? If we were, I would understand how a property can't transfer. The feedback system encompasses several other categories outside of a host's individual stamp on the space.
2. Our guests ROUTINELY comment on the property itself and the property is what transfers. Anyone could walk into our space and start doing what we do-- the property would still book. 
3. In our situation, we have people who are actually upset that the property is not continuing as an Airbnb. There are guests out there who want to stay at your space whether or not its you that hosts it. We never even meet guests, so why would they care?

Airbnb has made it impossible to retain an investment asset without breaking its terms of use. I don't understand why. Its in their best interest to attract new hosts and keep popular spaces on their books. It would not be difficult to codify some sort of terms of transfer of bookings. Its not like hosts are vetted or trained now-- perhaps it would be an opportunity for ABB to do both those things. And yet that opportunity is missed. 

[Robin4]

@Laura2592 

Laura, as usual you are 100% right, Guests don't book my property because of my great looks......(Yuck) they book because of the property photos and the suitability of the property for their requirements, and to a certain extent, my reviews.

I would love to think I could hang on here for another decade but Laura, I am a realist, I am 78 with a disabled wife and life poses more challenges for me now than it ever has in the past. I will regrettably have to sell this property in the foreseeable future so, I have had agents here to assess what it is worth!

I am fully aware that my Airbnb history is not transferable.....but my property is. The bricks and mortar in my back yard has put $140,000+ into my bank account over the past 5 years. I haven't had to chase it, it just keeps on materialising  in my account week after week.  My property is one that has broad appeal. I did a post about it on another website and it has had 1.5 million views and gained me 84,000 likes...

https://www.quora.com/Have-you-ever-had-previous-or-original-owners-of-the-house-that-you-live-in-co...

The real estate agents I have had through this place suggest that this is a great property for a retired couple who have a bob or two and would like to continue to earn a bit of money in their retirement. 

For that reason, be in VRBO, Holiday Lettings, Homeaway/Stayz, Booking.com.....or Airbnb, it has put another $100,000 onto the value of this property. 

I would be only to happy to guide a prospective purchaser through the Airbnb set-up procedure and after that it is up to them. The sky is the limit if you are prepared to put the effort in.......but I don't need to tell you that Laura, you know all about effort and reward! 

Cheers........Rob

[Laura2592]

@Robin4 during our recent sale we had interest from an investor who wanted us to stay on as hosts and they just collect the money lol. They had offered 25K above our asking price in cash for our eternally indentured servitude. We laughed at this. The reason given was that there was no way to actually transfer the bookings, and we were doing a great job at getting them, so why should the new investor start over? I see the point.

Airbnb could make their platform a real asset to hosts and investors who want to host. Instead they leave all of that money on the table. Like you I would be fine doing training or a hand over based on a set of specific rules that would help the new hosts to get acclimated. It would improve the quality of stays for guests and give hosts support they desperately need. So many people make huge mistakes early on that might be avoided with a decent handover program.