Would it be helpful to have a section of the forum for listing critques?

[Laura2592]

Just wondering if people think this would be helpful. I see a lot of threads on this, and maybe it would be good to have a spot dedicated to that? What do you think?

[Elizabeth1028]

@Laura2592  It’s hard to say Yes or No to that question as after just chatting with you on another forum I learned that your personal experiences are very different from mine and we host very differently. We both have great spaces but are also in different parts of the country so demand and price expectations are VERY different. 

Every host should be competitive in their area and host how they are comfortable in hosting. Like me in North Dakota I am a hosting mostly Hunters and National Park goers as I am around 4 National Parks and an annual Bike Rally. So I get Large groups of Hunting Parties and Family’s(which is why I have 3 air mattresses if needed). So again it’s a great idea YES … but it would be great if we had one for each State so the hosts that get on are not being critiqued bu someone that maybe has never been to your state and no the laws, the demand and competitive pricing in their area… does that make sense? I think you should totally start one for Maryland and I believe you would be great it, I myself may start one for North Dakota as you pose a great question and idea! wink wink

[Laura2592]

@Elizabeth1028  yes everyone's experience is different. But that is the point of these forums! If new hosts (or existing for that matter) could benefit from a fresh pair of eyes looking at their listing, it might be great to have a dedicated space for that. Just a thought as we see people here posting requests from South Africa, Malta, etc etc. There is no geographic boundary on having an appealing listing. 

[Elizabeth1028]

No I totally get what you want to do and think it’s a great idea but when using the word “critique” it’s gets hard across the board and world…

-example you critiqued my pricing(which is $65 a night Sunday-Thursday $75 a night Friday-Saturday and $15 for each additional guest after the first guest for breakfast…for the Summer), however I am competitive to all in my area including hotels and I book 1 nighters and last minute guests because it’s what works for me and my area and what guests are looking for in my area. Where I think your pricing is high but then again your in a highly populated area where the economy is as well higher then the economy where I live. But I would gladly still pay that nightly price (if allowed to book for less then a week) because of what I am getting compared to staying in a hotel.

-So if say we started a forum that strictly was for critiquing amenities provided (outside of pools and hot tubs) or how the space is set up and stuff like that then it would work world wide across the board. I am a Cattle Ranch Farm stay so there is no pool or hot tub cause our outside space is dedicated to the Cattle and Farm(make sense).  What you offer side the dwelling works and how you list it, photos, suggestions on decor and even my added feature of motion lights inside is a good critique as it saves on electricity  gives parents and kids a peace of mind when Finding the bathroom in the dark. So yes let’s do it I would love to co-host that with you as we come from different backgrounds and host differently…. But we should stay away from critiquing pricing other then suggestions of searching comparative prices in their area. Wink wink 

[Stephanie]

@Laura2592 

Love that you're thinking about it! At the moment, I am talking to new hosts here on the new to hosting board both in threads and via DM, asking if this is something they would be interested in doing - you can see the first of these here https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/New-to-Hosting/Critique-my-listing-Zipho-in-Johannesburg/m-p/147...

I've seen some happening organically too which is amazing! I can push them to the top of the board and/or put them in the side feature list on the board too. The problem with having a dedicated board for it is it may become cluttered with people offering co-hosting/cleaning, and other off-topic things. 

It's not a no, more a "hmm... let's think about it!"

Thanks

[Laura2592]

@Stephanie thanks! There are other forums for websites where I have online businesses dedicated to critiques for new items or shops, so I thought it might be helpful here. It really depends on what the community wants, though. And there definitely need to be some ground rules as some of the discussions can get angsty!