Airbnb, VRBO, Zillow and Other Channels

[Scott1598]

Hello,

I currently have my listing on Airbnb, VRBO and recently added Zillow and FurnishedFinder in an attempt to book longer stays during both low and high season.  We have yet to book anything in ZIllow or FF.  Our place is in Vail, CO so very popular in the winter and summer.  Other seasons have higher vacancy.  We use the place a lot in the summer and a few weeks in the winter and our strategy has been to  have a higher price (although it's priced right in the mid-point of comparable properties in the area) to focus on families or couples who want a small, but newer/nicer remodel and are willing to pay a bit more.  Our renovations were largely for us and our goal is not to have a super-high occupancy but rather offset some of our monthly costs so we can comfortably afford to have our own place while limiting renters who may not care for the place.

First, our listing on some of the platforms:

Airbnb:  https://airbnb.com/h/vail-b4

VRBO:  https://www.vrbo.com/2797826

Zillow:  https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2958-S-Frontage-Rd-W-UNIT-B4-Vail-CO-81657/13507559_zpid/

Questions:

1. I'm really surprised at how few bookings I'm getting from VRBO.  I put VRBO and Airbnb up at the same time and my first few reservations were VRBO.  Since then, everything has been Airbnb.  It seems plenty of places in my market are on both platforms so not sure if people are primarily searching Airbnb for mountain stays in Colorado.  I have a pricing engine (PriceLabs) that syncs prices between both platforms nightly.  I also synch caledars between the two platforms and everything has worked well with this approach.  Just very strange that I lost my PremierHost on VRBO after getting it immediately when getting started.  I called VRBO and they are not very helpful - they just said I needed to reduce the price to be more competitive with Airbnb.
2. If I'm trying to get longer bookings should I add a different channel?  So far very little on FF and I find Zillow a challenge because there is no calendar to synch and I'm really trying to get either a seasonal rental (most of ski season) or catch some months where I don't currently have bookings if someone is in town for work or looking to work remotely in the mountains for a while. My other challenge is pricing.  Right now I show $6,000 per month which is what I would rent it for now but people are writing for a month stay in Jan or Feb when prices are much higher.  Not sure how to do seasonal pricing without just listing it in the description.  When people write I'm offering heavy discounts depending on the month but still not finding much success.  I should add that my pricing engine allows me to adjust minimum stays which I have tiered - 90 days out it's a 5 night minimum, 60 out is 3 days and anything less is 2 days.  

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

1.  

[Joan2709]

Hi @Scott1598 

Love your place! I like it so much I want to see you get more bookings! You asked some important (detailed) questions, so this is kinda a lengthy, detailed response, so "hold on to your hat!" 😊.

You bring up some very important points for all Hosts. Try some of these suggestions for a few weeks. If you don’t see an increase in bookings, change it. Never let your listing get “stagnant.” Try to determine what your target guest is and cater to that in all your listings. Not sure long-term stays are going to be your target market. See more below regarding Furnished Finder and traveling nurses. 

I would make these changes to your listing on Airbnb, Vrbo & Furnished Finder. I don’t know much about Zillow. Market research shows guests make booking decisions based on your Title, Short Description (first 500-character description) and Photos. More on that below. Research also shows guests are booking shorter stays and making more last-minute bookings in 2023. Before making changes, I would make a backup copy of your listing on your computer. Take screen shots and save them. Copy and paste all your text in each section in your current listing in Word. This provides a good reference and allows you to simply copy and paste what you had back into the listing later should you wish to do this. We do this for our listings. I have deleted an entire House Manual once and had to re-create it from scratch! Arrgh! We also have a backup copy of all our Quick Replies and Scheduled Messages. This makes it a lot easier if you choose another platform to list on (I think you’re fine as is).

Airbnb and Vrbo

Most hosts find their listing does well on one platform, but not on all platforms; especially Vrbo and Airbnb. Several factors come into play. Large homes do better on Vrbo than Airbnb. Be aware that when syncing calendars, the property that does well will adversely affect your “searchability” on the other. This is because if you’re booked well on Airbnb, your calendar will naturally not show available on those dates on Vrbo and vice versa. You can always choose your preferred platform and price that very competitively. Make the other (less desirable platform to you) a bit higher priced. See how things go. Your target market guest will show you what they want by choosing one platform or the other; you can't have both 😊 (in most cases).

Furnished Finder

Traveling nurses are the most common users of Furnished Finder. Vail and Frisco both have hospitals. However, most traveling nurses have about a $2500 monthly housing stipend and your $6,000 monthly stay cost is way too expensive for them. Additionally, most traveling nurses are looking for a much smaller place (1bedroom, 1bathroom) or even a guest suite in a home. Your condo is actually too large and expensive for most traveling nurses. Traveling nurses sometimes work late (12hr shifts) 7pm-7am. They need to be able to sleep during the day. You mention I-70 Hwy noise and noise from adjacent condo units. This might prevent traveling nurses from booking. They also prefer a washer/dryer inside the listing (yours sounds like a shared laundry in the building). Furnished Finder's low annual listing subscription won’t break the bank, but not sure you will get much interest there. Might be worth keeping for a year, but if you don’t get any bookings, I would cancel it.

Zillow

I don’t know anything about listing on Zillow. Maybe some other hosts who use them can advise you on that.

Social Media

If you haven’t already added your listing to Social media, I would definitely consider this. Facebook and Instagram seem to be the most popular. Create a business page on both, post your photos and info and include your Airbnb and Vrbo links. Airbnb allows you to create a custom link. I would create one and use that on Social Media. Remember, Social Media is not “set and forget.” You have to update and keep your pages current. It’s work.

Create a Custom Link

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2575

Direct Booking Site

I would consider this a bit further down the road if your listing becomes more active. There are several to choose from. You may be able to attract more bookings this way, as you don't have the typical guest service fees. Be sure to sync your calendars correctly to prevent double bookings.

Title

You get 50 characters to grab attention. Remember, only 25-characters will show on a cell phone. Shorter is better. I would change your title. Your place is not really a “chalet.” Chalet infers “large home” and you have already had issues with guests complaining about how small the condo is. “Renovated” to me says “old; needs work.” Not everyone likes Boho decor. They already know you’re located in Vail. Add the free bus stops on your property in your description. Try:

“Creekside Mountain Getaway!”

or

“Creekside Mountain Retreat!”

 Description

You get 500 characters to convince a guest to book. No need to re-state it’s a 2 bedroom condo; the Airbnb sub-title already says that. Save your 500 characters for what is special about your listing. If you are trying to attract long term stays, add that to your last sentence. I would try:

“Our light-filled condo in West Vail is an ideal mountain getaway! All new

appliances, countertops, tile backsplash, shelving, extended island and most everything from cookware to utensils! Huge windows, exposed beams and high ceilings will bring warmth to your stay. Unwind with your morning coffee on the front deck. Relax on the benches by Gore Creek. The free bus stops on property for easy access to everything in Vail. Includes one parking spot. Long term stays may be available – contact Host.”

The Space

Every listing has its “warts” and you are honest and up front about them and that is appreciated by guests. I think you have a bit too much information/details about all your renovations and planned future renovations though. This sends the vibe the place is “old” and in need of a lot of work (to me anyway). Sadly, most guests would not even read it. I would highlight briefly all the positives and simply say:

“The unit has new countertops, appliances, tile backsplash, shelving, extended island and most everything from cookware to utensils.” 

That's all I would say about renovations. I would keep the safety info re the stairs and railing gaps in there. 

Photos

Great job on your photos! A few suggestions:

Captions

Put brief captions on every photo. This helps your guests understand what they are looking at. Many guests will not read your entire property description, but will  look at all your photos. Let your photos tell the story of the property in pictures. The Airbnb search rank algorithm gives you points for adding captions to your photos. Get every point you can get to move your listing up in search results. If guests don’t see your listing because it’s too far down in results; they can’t book it.

Cover Photo

This is probably the most important feature in your listing! I do like your current cover photo. However, market research shows exterior, twilight photos do really well. Also, any photo with water (pool, hot tub, lake, creek, river) also do well. The next 4 photos after the cover are almost as important! Here are some other options to try out:

You might try re-shooting the exterior photo below at twilight. Turn on all the lights inside. Wait until you see a soft glow from the lights, but the condo is still clearly visible. Take the shot. Make that your cover. Put your put creek as #2 (especially if you change Title as suggested to Creekside Mountain Retreat"), kitchen/living long shot #3, Loft stairs #4. 

Try this for 2-3 weeks. You can even change just one listing (Airbnb or Vrbo) and see if your bookings increase. If not, change it!

Parking Space Photo

One guest complained the parking spot was a bit tight. Probably good idea to add a photo of it to the listing.

Add Photo of Washing/Dryer in Building

Most guests want a washer and dryer inside the listing for longer term stays. Not having that inside your condo (in building, but not inside your listing) discourages long term stays. This might cause guests to move on to another listing with washer/dryer inside the unit for a long term stay. I would at least add a photo of where the washer/dryer is located inside the building. If the guest has to walk outside to access the laundry room in the winter, that is a “no go” for most guests.

Bedroom 1 Bedspread

Guest Safety – Property Info

I would edit the “Potential for Noise” Section as some guests have complained in reviews. You get 300 characters:

What you currently have:

What I suggest:

"Most of Vail runs parallel to I-70, so you may hear traffic noise depending on the time of day and which room you are in. If you leave windows open, we suggest using the small fans provided to minimize noise. We also provide a white noise machine. You may hear sounds from adjacent units."

Minimum Stay

I would change how you’re doing minimum stays. The longer your minimum stay, the less guests will be able to find your listing when searching by dates. If they can’t find it – they can’t book it. Save your 5night stays for peak seasons or holidays (ski season, Christmas, Thanksgiving etc.) Don’t put a blanket, 5-night stay 90days out. Current market research shows guests are booking shorter stays in 2023. You could maybe try 4night stays 4 months out to capture holiday bookings (guests tend to book those further out). Then change to 2-3 nights 30-90 days out. Try it out. If its not working; change it.

Cautions for Long Term Stays (28 days or more)

Long term stays can be an option for Hosts. However, I would thoroughly familiarize yourself with the long term stay policies on each platform before offering them. This will help you avoid some common (and costly) mistakes made by other hosts. Some hosts prefer not to offer long term stays, due to these issues. Airbnb policies below:

Getting Started with Monthly Stays

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2729

Tenant Rights

In most states, if a guest stay is more than 28 days, they are now legally considered a “tenant” by the state and not a guest. If they refuse to leave after their stay, you will have to go through court proceedings to get them evicted.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/805

Rental Agreement

Many hosts require guests to sign a separate rental agreement for long-term stays. You can include a statement they are not considered a “tenant”, but you might have trouble making that stick legally.

Cancellations

Cancellations for long term stays override your standard cancellation policy.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/475

Guest Reservation Alterations

Guests can alter a long-term stay reservation without Host approval in some circumstances.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1361

Payouts

Payouts for long term stays are different than short-term stays.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/285

Price Calculation Errors

Price errors occur more often with long-term stays. This requires the host to verify each one for accuracy (sometimes weekly or other discounts you have set are incorrectly applied to a long term stay).

Cleaning & Supplies

This is one of the biggest concerns for hosts who offer long term stays. Decide upfront what your policies will be for offering supplies. Many hosts offer 1wk supply of consumables (TP, Paper Towels, etc.) and then the guest is responsible after that. Clearly state what your policy is in your rental agreement. Many hosts require weekly cleaning (paid by the guest) at pre-arranged times in order to keep “eyes” on the property. Some hosts also build in extra cleaning days after check-out just in case there is an issue. Be sure to include all these policies in your house rules or rental agreement.

Whew!!! Thats alot of changes! 🙃 However, based on your previous posts, it's clear your care about your home and hosting and are willing to do the work to be successful. Try these suggestions out. 

Be sure to come back here and let us know how it goes! 

[Joan2709 · Accepted solution]

Hi again @Scott1598 

Bedroom #1 Bed Covering

Sorry…I got so long-winded the editing timed out!

Bedroom photos should be uncluttered and provide a calming, relaxed feel to guests. This might seem nit-picky, but its really not. The bed covering design (to me) in Bedroom #1 appears a bit “busy” and loud”. Decide if you want to convey “mountain rustic” or Boho. I would stick with mountain, rustic as some guests don’t like Boho décor. Most guests will like “mountain rustic”.  I’m NOT an interior designer, but I have assisted multiple hosts with their furnishings, design, décor and photos. Try changing the bed covering and see what happens. The bed covering in bedroom #2 is calming and relaxed. Aim for something similar in bedroom #1. 

Host Guidebook

I would add a Host Guidebook and include all your recommendations for local restaurants, activities and sightseeing for the area. Market research shows hosts with guidebooks have higher booking rates. We send our Host Guidebook to guests when they book using the plus (+) icon next to the messaging "platter".

[Scott1598]

@Joan2709 !  Thank you does not capture my appreciate for all of the time and energy you put into this response so maybe if I capitalize it?  THANK YOU!

I am digesting all of this incredible feedback and want to share thoughts on each item (and may have some more questions).  

I also realized I used "long term" when instead I should have said that I was looking for a channel or strategy that would help me fill the lowest part of my season (late April, May, June) with longer stays at an even further discounted rate.  I'll look into how to set that up in either Airbnb or PriceLabs to try to attract stays that are 7 day to a month or longer if possible.

Genuinely appreciate all of this incredible and insightful feedback!

[Joan2709]

Hi Again @Scott1598 

The way to encourage 5-7nite stays is to offer discounts for those stays. You can also use Airbnb's promotions so you get the

strikethrough on nightly price and other benefits. Read through the 2 Help Articles below in order to maximixe your promotions.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2982

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2719

You can also encourage guests to book an additional day before or after their stay by offering Discounts using Special Offers.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/35

Be careful with special offers. How you do them depends on if they haven't booked yet, or they are already booked and you are trying to fill "gaps" between reservations. Some hosts also restrict check-in/check-out days to prevent gaps. You can search the CC for other threads on that.

Since you are not looking to promote long-term stays (28days or longer). I would change the last sentence of your description to say something like:

"Discounts for longer stays - Contact Host"

[Scott1598]

Thank you again, @Joan2709 !

And thank you for putting so much effort into helping us get more bookings besides just reducing price.  My wife and I are having a serious discussion right now about our goals for the place - do we want more bookings or are we about where we want to be?  We use the place over a month each summer and 3-5 weeks each winter.  We put a lot more money into renovations and furnishings for our guests and for our family.  We are trying to find the right balance of having guests help us cover some of the carrying costs but are OK with running in the red since we use the place often and want to limit the wear and tear of a place that is almost always occupied.  

I agree with all of the description feedback and updated my listing accordingly.  We spoke to all of the renovation work since we put so much time and money into it but I certainly appreciate the guest prefers to just see through the images instead of hear about it.  

We do have a guest book that we share once a guest books but I have it done nicely in a shared Google Drive pdf so I can update once guidebook and link to it in Airbnb and VRBO; limiting my need to update it in multiple places.  We do the same with a House Guide we send shortly before the guest arrives.

Social Media, updates twilight photos, and additional photos are great recommendations and I will work on those during our next visit.  

Just wanted to respond with some comments and thank you so much again!  I'll continue to digest all of this great content which has me searching forums and the web for more info on special offers and more and will likely come back with additional thoughts.

Thanks again!

[Scott1598]

Oh, and one more question came to mind regarding number of guests.  We have two bedrooms, each with a queen bed so comfortably sleep 4 people.  We then have a pull out couch with a queen bed so include one more person in my listing to total 5 guests in case it's a family of five.  

With that queen bed pulled out the living room becomes non-existent so has to be put away each day.  I wonder if that is not too much of a hassle for guests and I should continue to keep my guest number to 5 people or if I should reduce it to 4.  I wonder if that would limit us in a material way in search results or if 4 is really the magic number.  

It would be awesome if there were a way to understand how many people most guests are trying to accomodate in Vail.  Like, it's probably a higher percentage of 2 guests, 4 guests and then it goes up to 6 and 8.  Said differently, I bet if I went from 5 guests to 4 guests it would not negatively affect how often we come up in search results.

I say this since I think the "smallness" of our place would feel less small if there were no more than four guests.  We have 5 or 6 all the time when we are there but it's very close friends and family so we don't mind being close.

Thanks!

[Joan2709]

Yes...I'm thinking like you. I would reduce your guests to 4 maximum, so that will help reduce negative comments regarding the size of the Condo. I don't think it will hurt you in search results. You can always mention in Other Things to Note the sleeper sofa is available if needed. 

Also, you always want to provide enough dining chairs/stools and living room seating to accomodate the number of guests. I noticed you have 4 stools at the counter and seating in living room would be non-existent if the sleeper sofa is used. 

[Jenny]

Hi @Scott1598 

Just popping on to say hello, and to say how gorgeous your chalet is!

Big thanks to @Joan2709 for such helpful, detailed replies.  You're a star!

Jenny