The best things in life happen by chance

[Vinícius0]

It was the year 2014; amidst political protests shaking Brazil, the World Cup would finally begin.

 Although I am an ardent football fan, I never thought this event would have any impact on my life apart from some cool games and parties in my city.

Porto Alegre is a quiet city in the south of Brazil; although it has 1.5 million inhabitants, it can be considered quiet because of the countryside feel and the tranquillity that persists in many neighbourhoods. It is not a place where you see many foreigners and, therefore, this was an event that brought many expectations.

I was a simple law student and trainee in a legal firm at that time, I was still living with my parents, when I thought: "how can I make some money from all this?” The idea of hosting tourists was the first to come to mind.

Without ever having heard of any service of this kind - I always stayed in hostels when I travelled - I typed into Google something like "how to host people in your home". The site at the very top looked interesting - AIRBNB.

To the horror of my friends and relatives, I decided it would be a good idea to let strangers into my house and to sleep in the next room - and even in my own bed. And my parents, to my own surprise, agreed with the idea. 

Then came a group of two Uruguayan couples, travelling from Montevideo to Porto Alegre in an old Ford Ka, and then came Brazilians and Peruvians.

To my friends' amazement, none of the terrible predictions that my house would be ransacked, destroyed or that I would be stabbed at night came true. So why not continue hosting after the World Cup?

This was the wisest decision of my life; before long, I was watching my mother animatedly chatting to a Colombian about movies, to an Australian girl crying with a broken heart or to a family from Wales celebrating their eldest daughter's wedding - in the living room of my own home - become common and expected situations.

After 6 years and more than 400 bookings, there are dozens of good stories to tell and not a single problem to report. The truth is that bad news sells more, but most people are good and honest.

Airbnb's slogan is "belong anywhere". The most obvious idea is to think that it is about the guest belonging anywhere when they travel and are warmly welcomed by an unknown host. Obviously this is true, but I have no questions, every host feels belonging to the place from which that guest comes from.

In the following years I quit law, started advertising other properties of mine, became co-host for several people, became an Expert and now I am the Portuguese-language representative of Airbnb hosts on the Host Advisory Board. I think and live the Airbnb world from the moment I wake up until I go to sleep. It was the best thing that ever happened in my life and, believe it or not, it happened almost by chance.

I want all hosts to be able to get to know me and feel free to contact me whenever needed. I am no one special, but a simple host who is still living the normal day to day life of our trade, with all the problems and joys that it brings.

I'm a  huge supporter of the Airbnb brand - I understand and respect hosts who work with other platforms, but that's not my case - and I believe the company should be a partner and supporter of all hosts. Our business depends on the platform and theirs depends on there being hosts willing and happy to open their properties, but safe in the knowledge that they will have all the support they need.

The year 2020 was the most difficult year of our lives and, it seems, 2021 will not be easy either, but I am sure we will come out stronger than ever.

A hug to all the hosts, from this colleague who hopes to represent them well!

Vinicius De Franceschi

- Airbnb Superhost in Porto Alegre, Brazil 

- Airbnb Expert 

- Airbnb Host Advisory Board Member 

[Ann72]

@Elena87  I always love your intelligent and witty remarks - and today you taught me a new word in "parrhesia."

But @Vinícius0 didn't say he was averse to other platforms.  He simply said he didn't use them.

Hosts's experiences vary so widely that some don't use other platforms at all.  Some get all the bookings they want or need from Airbnb, and others just don't want to make the effort.  Some believe you dilute your marketing effectiveness by trying to be all things to all people, and others that you lose the ability to command high prices by showing up everywhere or appearing widely available.  I don't think anyone is more wrong or more right than anyone else, since everyone's property is different.  

[Ute42]

.

@Ann72   

Today You learned the new word „parrhesia“ from @Elena87   in Russia !!!

I also learned something new today from @Dale711    in France. I always thought that foxes eat mice but he said that foxes feed themselves from sour grapes. Did You know that?

[Dale711]

@Ute42 

Sie haben vollig Recht.

It's not impossible for a fox to eat grapes, though in large quantities they are toxic to canids, and it wouldn't be a good idea.

While foxes are omnivorous, they much prefer meat (including bugs), and would not particularly be tempted to eat grapes.

The phrase originated in Aesop's Fables, in a story called “The Fox and the Grapes.”

Aesop's Fables, or the Aesopica, is a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE.

In fact, I hear from my colleague “ Elle a affirmé qu'elle ne voulait pas du travail de toute façon, mais son amie s'appelait Sour Grape.“

 
Hope you enjoyed the stories.   

[Ann72]

@Ute42  I'm not a wildlife biologist so I don't know what foxes eat - but as a part-time Mainer I know that all the wild animals around me, from bears to coyotes to foxes to turkeys - eat blueberries.  I am familiar with the fable, though - didn't you have that cartoon with Sherman when you were a kid where you heard all the fables narrated by that great character actor Edward Everett Horton?  "Fractured Fairy Tales," that was it!  😁

[Vinícius0]

Indeed @Elena87 ! There are valid reason for all positions and I have just shown mine.

[Vinícius0]

Hi @Elena87 !

As I said, I respect and understand hosts who use other platforms. I just said that I, Vinicius, myself, don't use any. I've never said anything beyond that.

This is Airbnb Host Advisory Board, not a general Host Advisory Board. So, although we know people use other platforms (Airbnb knows also), this is obviously about Airbnb only. 

[Loni56]

Boa noite Vinicios eu também penso da mesma forma se estamos na plataforma do airbnb! não podemos misturar as coisas eu amo hospedar pelo airbnb 

gostaria ter mais hóspedes como

acredito que todos gostariam

estamos passando uma fase difícil

mais vai melhorar vamos ser perseverante nos nossos objetivos

grata Loni. 

[Vinícius0]

Olá @Loni56 !

É um momento difícil para todos nós, mas vai passar e vamos ser mais fortes do que nunca!

[Loni56]

Obrigada Vinicios eu creio que sim vai ser um tempo melhor para todos grande abraço

[Till-and-Jutta0]

@Vinícius0 gave us such a great insight to a Homesharer’s Airbnb story in Brazil – thank you so much.

I wonder if you could live and feel that Airbnb spirit also on other platforms and in other forums.

I know “never put all your eggs in one basket”, so in the past I tried similar providers, which worked, and worked not. The mayor issue for a live-in-host is the matching: If “wrong” guests find “wrong” hosts, nobody is happy. It took us a while to find the right profile and listing description, but now we get a 99% match with our guests – even during these hard times.

Before, guests often mistook us with a hotel, or had the "wrong" expectations, or just had been looking for a room and not for a host. As it happened with one distinct platform frequently (which today does not exist anymore), we decided to focus on Airbnb – which works excellent for us.

I think it will be one of Airbnb’s big tasks not to be “just-another-system”, but to show to potential guests the uniqueness of Airbnb-travelling. Which you can also feel at the new “Made possible by hosts” clips.

[Vinícius0]

Perfect, @Till-and-Jutta0 . I've never tried other platforms, but Airbnb is the only that doesn't look like a "look at these listings, choose one, pay, stay and leave" platform. And guests reflect this spirit on average. 

[Dale711]

@Till-and-Jutta0 

I’m very glad to know you are the group of Host Advisory Board Member.

I feel exactly like you “ focus on Airbnb”, cause when we drink water, we think about the source.

Definitely looking forward for HAB Spotlight of your hosting journey, I know for certain is fantastic and inspiring.

[Loni56]

Amei Dali sua colocação!!

[Regina114]

Oi Vinicius,  eu tambem tenho uma otima experiencia aqui nos Estados Unidos.

[Vinícius0]

Que coisa boa @Regina114 ! Nos acompanhe também na comunidade em português!