Are Hosts going to be invited to purchase stocks during the imminent Airbnb stock IPO?

[Judith11]

I'm interested in buying in during the IPO.

Is Airbnb Corporate interested in having hosts be investors?

[Tommy150]

I signed up for the program they sent out back when it first came out, never got an offer, from what I heard it's sold out. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

Same here, we applied, never heard back. We are 8 years as Superhosts...and we are puzzled

[Ann72]

@Kitty-and-Creek0  That is really puzzling, since the emails from Airbnb noted host seniority would be a factor:

• If more Hosts express an interest in participating than the program is able to accommodate, eligible Hosts may be invited to register by the Administrator based on tenure, as determined by the year they first hosted on Airbnb. Registration will be available on a first come, first served basis, by invitation from the Administrator.

I have 6 years and got through, and another host posting here had 10 years and got through.  When I read the above I wasn't sure my 6 years would do the trick.  Did you get every email from Airbnb, the one on 11/16 with the pre-registration link, the one on 12/1 saying Morgan Stanley would be in touch, then the one from Morgan Stanley?

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Ann72 

Yes, we got the letters, filled out the application, all that. We are surprised, puzzled...disappointed! A host who joined the same year I did got through. 

Curious - are you still actively traveling and hosting during Covid lockdown? We have been prohibited from actively hosting,  by local law, for Covid. Perhaps that might be the deciding factor? I'm serious about figuring this out, we had cash set aside to buy stock.

@Katie

@Tommy150 

[Ann72]

@Kitty-and-Creek0  I am actively hosting because I don't home-share.  Residents of certain states have been allowed to come to Maine since July 1st, some freely, some with testing and/or quarantine required.  As for traveling, only driving back and forth between Maine and New York.  I do hope you can figure this out, because your seniority would appear to be a major factor in getting through.  I see your tag didn't quite work for Katie, so here's another @Katie 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Ann72 

Thanks for the tag and the insight. I am a member of the local lodging association, the Chamber of Commerce, and am legal with the county...so I get all the rules and regs promptly. Essential workers hosting has had the OK since March, and a number of resort motels have gone that way. The local economy is about visitors coming here for the rural, scenic, wilderness offerings, so you can imagine how this region is really hurting. We'd all love to get back to welcoming visitors, but only safely, for them and us. If we've been excluded from the stock offering because we are complying with pandemic health regs, that would seem a trifle unfair. There must be another reason. Perhaps someone can shed some light on this for us. 

@Katie 

[Ann72]

I really doubt you've been excluded for that @Kitty-and-Creek0.  The emails also mentioned first-come-first-served so I suppose it's possible that's measured in nanoseconds with electronic correspondence and applications.

[Katie]

Thanks for the tag @Ann72. 

@Kitty-and-Creek0 I'm really sorry to hear you didn't get any of the directed shares. I'll see if I can chase this up with the team for you 🙂

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Katie

No system is perfect, and thank you, I would love to know what happened. I am so looking forward to being able to host again. There are so many wonderful people who really need what I offer here, they get so much benefit from staying here, and take that R&R back to their professional world. 

[Michelle53]

@Kitty-and-Creek0    The overall process went something like this :-

Step 1 :   Email 11/16:   request for eligible hosts to access link to provide contact details, indicating interest in participating.  4 days given to respond, up until 11/20.    Eligibility to complete Step 1 - US hosts, (all hosts, not just superhosts), with bookings in 2019 and 2020, up through 11/1/20. 

Step 2:   Email 12/1 : Email from Airbnb indicating that the administrator would be following up with an invitation to register with them for the program.   (not all hosts who completed Step 1 would receive this message - this is where tenure was a consideration).

Step 3:  Email 12/1: Invitation Email from Morgan Stanley with instructions for setting up a new account with them in order to participate.   This part was first come-first served, and required immediate response.   The application process required indicating personal information, number of shares interested in purchasing (no more than 275) and completing a W9 tax form. 

If you got through steps 1, 2 and 3 successfully, and in time, you would receive an email from Morgan Stanley indicating  the application process was completed, successfully, and the account was open. 

Email went out from Morgan Stanley on 12/2 indicating the program was closed for uncompleted applications due to reaching capacity. (it isn't really known at what point capacity was reached)

After that, it was a matter of waiting until the pricing was announced, around 7pm CT on 12/9, and then having just a few hours to complete the confirmation and purchase.  A reminder was sent from Morgan Stanley on 12/9, in the morning, reiterating the deadlines.  The maximum allocation available was 200 shares. 

Things to note:  two separate areas for login were  required to be set up (using the same credentials) - the "Directed Share Program" link with 10 steps to be completed, and the actual Morgan Stanley online account.      Emails could have gone to spam. It was required to really pay attention to email, with all the instructions. 

My personal editorial (not investment advice):  There are traders and there are investors. There were folks who bought in at the IPO price, and who sold pretty much right away, and took profit. 

The price went up dramatically after IPO, due to buying activity. The price has been falling over the days, due to profit taking.  At some point, the price will stabilise. If one is intent on being an investor rather than a trader, and one is of the opinion that the company has great prospects and a lot of growth ahead, one should try moving past the initial IPO, and look for other opportunities to buy in. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Michelle53 

Thank you for explaining your process with this. I am definitely an investor, and will watch carefully for a good time to buy. I bought UPS at their IPO, another stock to hold long term. Nothing goes to my spam box and stays, I check several times a day. There was a glitch somewhere.  I know another long time host who did not get there either, who is a professional small business advisor. No system is perfect. I am so looking forward to being able to host again. There are so many wonderful people who really need what I offer here, they get so much benefit from staying here, and take that R&R back to their professional world. 

@Katie 

[Judith11]

Is there any way to talk to anyone --other than each other?!?

I do love talking with other hosts.

But -- as an 11-year host -- I am astounded that it is so difficult to get through the layers and layers of so-called Customer Support to someone who can knowledgeably reply.

What can we do?

Cheers to you,

Judith

[Sarah977]

If you are trying to reach support to ask about buying in as a host, that would be a waste of your time. That ship has sailed- the shares offered to hosts were bought out and that opportunity is over.

@Judith11

[Judith11]

Thanks, Sarah -- in beautiful Sayulita!

I haven't been there for way too long, and it looks like it'll be even longer!

jc