Hosting

[Catherine3598]

Hi my name is Catherine I have been listed as a host for almost a year now, but still had no bookings. Is this normal , shall I still hang in there ? 

Kind regards 

[Sarina46]

If you post a link to your listing that will help people give you feedback; without seeing it there is no way to answer your question! People are pretty generous with their time giving feedback here, and yes, no booking in a year is very unusual. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sarina46 you can find the listing by clicking on @Catherine3598 's picture and going into her Airbnb profile. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Catherine3598 No it is not usual so something must be wrong.

A few ideas

1) Put up a profile picture as guests like to see who they are dealing with

2) Search for similar properties and see if your price is competitive or if they 'sell' themselves better than you

3) check you are set up correctly. At present your listing offers 2 rooms with up to 4 people for £38/night. Is this what you want? Is each room available for £19 or do you only want to book both rooms together?

[Catherine3598]

Hi all , thanks for all the information. I do have a profile picture on my listing , don't understand why it's not showing. I might have to start all over with my listing. Hopefully it will work then. 

Thank you and kind regards 

Catherine 

[Clara116]

I know you wanted to thank others for their great suggestions and help but you have only sent your message to @Mike-And-Jane0 ....to respond to people here on the CC community center you just put reply and then @and a drop down list shows and it has names of those commenting and part of the discussion. People like to be included when they make an effort...and I'm sure you didn't know how to thank everyone. It's all like hosting and making a listing that is working and perfect, reading, learning and growing. Happy hosting. 

Best regards, 

Clara 

[Karen114]

@Catherine3598  Looks like a beautiful location!  I think you need more pics and better pics. Your pics are mostyly in portrait mode and should be in landscape.  I understand it's rooms to rent.  I only see one bedroom.  

Your descritpion needs some fluffing up.  It doesn't really say much.  I would get more photos of the surrounding area and attractions and speak about those attractions and things to do in your description.

Keep in mind that guests are visiting your location not to stay in your space, but to see and do things in your location. 

[Catherine3598]

Thank you Karen , will take your advice, I just took the pictures with my phone. I will get a professional photographer to do the photos for me and start all over again.

Many thanks and kind regards 

Catherine 

[Karen114]

@Catherine3598  this is what Chat GPT spit out when I put your area in asking for a descrption about things to do and see.

Welcome to our short-term rental located in Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa. Our rental offers two spacious rooms with private baths, perfect for a comfortable and relaxing stay.

Jeffrey's Bay is a renowned destination for its beautiful beaches, making it a paradise for surfers and beach lovers. Guests can enjoy activities such as surfing, swimming, and sunbathing at the famous Supertubes and Dolphin Beach. For nature enthusiasts, a visit to the Seekoei River Nature Reserve offers opportunities for bird watching, hiking, and picnicking.

In addition to its natural beauty, Jeffrey's Bay also boasts a vibrant arts and culture scene, with local art galleries, craft markets, and live music events. Visitors can immerse themselves in the town's laid-back atmosphere and explore its unique shops and restaurants.

Our rental is conveniently located near these attractions, making it the perfect home base for your Jeffrey's Bay adventure. Whether you're seeking relaxation on the beach or looking to explore the town's offerings, our rental provides the ideal accommodation for your stay. We look forward to welcoming you to Jeffrey's Bay!

[Clara116]

@Catherine3598  Well, without information on who the host is You....I would imagine no one will book. You should start over I'd say. Post your photo, info about you. So guests know who they are staying with! 

After that, I would suggest you study up on Hosting Resources all available on Airbnb Hosting Resources so you understand....Photos are critical and what you offer your guests. Look at other listing for so much information - Your photos need to be shot by a pro or at least all in Landscape mode. You want to invest (not expensive at all) in Smoke alarms and CO detectors - also, you want to  describe much more about the area, the distances and under each photo write about what's in the picture. Guests will not want to be guessing anything. Make it really clear, what they are booking, and why book with you instead of someone else. Your place looks like it could be great and you have missed much business, I'd guess because, you didn't even post your own photo - you need about 20 pics of what the guests are to expect.

Try to find other hosts in your area. Join a Host community group in your area on FB  and other hosts will help you out also, I'm pretty sure. 

Read and watch as many videos as you can so you understand hosting, listings, and all about being an Airbnb host. It is all learnable.

Best wishes, Happy; Hosting,

Clara

[Dee32]

 @Catherine3598

You have set your bookings to only accept people that have 3 airbnb stays. Meaning you are excluding a huge percentage of people from booking. At least 40-50% of my bookings come from people with less than 3 reviews, many 1st time airbnb users. I've been a host for 8 years and have only 1 trip as a guest, so I was unable even see a price or book. This could be another reason your not getting booked in addition to what others have said,your profile isn't filled out for example. I'd definitely want to know who I'm sharing a house with.

"Right now, only experienced guests can book this place.This Host is only accepting guests with 3 or more trips on Airbnb for their first reservation. It’ll be open to all guests soon."

[Kia272]

@Catherine3598 Your profile says you've only been hosting for 3 months, so that's as long as your listing should have been up/live. 

You show two rooms in the listing but only show one bedroom. 

Your description is non-existent. You need to describe your home and also describe to guests how they get to use your home, which areas they have access to, quiet hours, parking, etc. 

You should also add a profile pic that shows your face. 

I would consider your listing incomplete, so I'm not surprised that it hasn't been booked. 

[Rebecca]

Hi @Catherine3598 👋

You've got some really great support here from fellow Hosts. Have you had the opportunity to read through them and evaluate your listing? 😊

Looking forward to hearing from you 😊

[Heidi859]

Hi @Catherine3598 ,

Your place looks beautiful but I agree with what others have said. You only have 8 photos, which it looks like you took with an iPhone. And your description is 2 sentences. 

Hire a photographer to photograph your space, as well as nearby amenities such as the beach, downtown area that’s walking distance, nearby park etc. also, take all the shampoo/body wash out of the shower when you photo it. You need better pool pictures, and better room pictures. Is that TV in the bedroom or the living room? What does the living room look like? What does the bathroom look like? 

Add a longer description. I like the one someone posted from chat gpt.

lastly, I didn’t see your prices but having a higher price will attract higher quality guests. I found when I raised my prices I got MORE bookings. It’s just human psychology, if something is priced too low, people wonder if it is safe, or if the beds are clean etc, so they don’t book, they go with with a more expensive listing because they think it must be better since it cost more. Just a thought. 

[Catherine3598]

Hi Heidi, thanks so much for your input , I will certainly use all that information, since I am going to do a new listing

Thanks once again and kind regards 

Catherine