New Host, questions about other platforms.

[Nicholas1097]

Hi all,

We listed our home just under 5 weeks ago on AirBnb, and have been really pleased as to how popular it has been. We have had over £16k worth of bookings, so really happy in this time.

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/1536222982904351409?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=4fd59b1e-4...

Also had our first review, 5 stars obviously. We have more guests staying the weekend and it gets really busy over the Christmas and new year break., bookings as far advanced as October 2026.

I have also listed on 2 other popular platforms, but have had no, bookings, not even tire kickers, is this typical? or with such activity on AirBnb should i expect some activity on the other two as well?

Thanks in advance.

Nick.

[Namrah1]

Hi Nick,

That’s amazing — huge congrats! Getting over £16k in bookings in under five weeks is a big win, and a 5-star first review is the perfect start. Your listing is clearly doing really well.

From my experience co-hosting for about five years, Airbnb almost always brings in the most visibility and bookings, especially when a property is newly listed. VRBO and Booking.com usually take longer to gain momentum, and it’s totally normal to see little to no activity on those platforms in the beginning.

With how strong things are already going on Airbnb — and bookings coming in all the way into 2026 — you’re definitely on the right path. The other platforms should start picking up over time, but Airbnb will likely continue being your main driver.

Wishing you lots of great guests and continued success on your hosting journey.

[Selome0]

Hi Nick,

Congrats on your success on Airbnb — that’s an amazing start!

It’s actually quite common for new listings on other platforms to take longer to gain traction, even if you’re doing very well on Airbnb. Each platform has its own search algorithms, user base, and exposure levels, so bookings may start slowly at first.

A few tips to help boost activity on other platforms:

1:Optimize your listing: Use high-quality photos, detailed descriptions, and highlight unique features just like on Airbnb.

2:Competitive pricing: Make sure your rates match the other platform’s audience expectations.

Promotions or discounts: Early discounts can encourage initial bookings and reviews.

3::Sync calendars: Ensure availability is accurate across all platforms to avoid conflicts.

Patience and consistency: Other platforms often need time to recognize your listing and rank it well.

*

Best regards,
*Selome

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[Wendy-May0]

Nick, that is phenomenal performance for a new listing. Congratulations on the 5-star review and the incredible booking value! Bookings into 2026 confirms you have a highly desirable property.

The short answer is yes, this lack of activity on other platforms is typical, especially when starting out.

The difference usually comes down to three main reasons:

1. The Airbnb "New Host Boost"

Airbnb has the largest audience and often gives new listings a temporary visibility boost to help them get initial reviews. You benefited hugely from this. The other platforms rarely offer this aggressive initial boost, so building search ranking there takes time.

2. Pricing and Fee Discrepancy

If you used a channel manager to link your calendars, double-check the final price on the other platforms. Different sites have different fee structures. If your £100 nightly rate looks like £115 on a competitor due to higher guest fees, you will lose those price-sensitive "tire kickers."

3. Content Completeness

Make sure the photos, descriptions, and amenities are 100% complete and high quality on those other sites. They often pull only basic data during initial setup, making the listing look unfinished.

The fact that you have zero inquiries suggests you should immediately check two things on those other platforms:

1. Are your dates fully loaded? (Showing availability into 2026).

2. What is the final price shown to the guest? (Ensure it is competitive with Airbnb).

You have proven the market wants your home. Feel free to message me the names of the other two platforms, and I can give you more specific advice on their common setup pitfalls.

[Bhumika]

Thank you so much @Wendy-May0 @Selome0 @Namrah1 for sharing ideas with @Nicholas1097 ! I will tag @Nicholas1097 , so the host can view and respond to your comments. 

I also wanted to share a quick tip that : If you'd like to tag members in your comments, for them to get a notification of your message — simply press on @ in your keyboard, and the name of the person you are trying to reach should pop up 😊 This will ensure they get notified that you left a comment to their response!

[Namrah1]

@Bhumika  Thank you!

[Joan2709]

@Nicholas1097 

Keep in mind that if your calendar is full you will not have available dates on other platforms, therefore reducing your visibility and ultimately bookings.

Most Hosts find they do well on one platform, but not others for this reason. Always good to be listed on other platforms, but you can't have equal success on all of them.

[Nicholas1097 · Accepted solution]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies. I have linked calendars on iCal, across Airbnb, booking.com and Vrbo.

got our first enquiry from Vrbo today so hopefully the others will start to yield now too. Let’s wait and see.

[Joan2709]

@Nicholas1097 

Keep in mind that the calendar sync between Airbnb an other platforms can take up to 3hours. This is problematic if you are using Instant Book, as you could get a double booking. Additionally, sometimes the sync link fails. Never did figure out who was at fault in our case, but did lead to a double booking that had to be cancelled.

I suggest you don't use Instant Book, or only use Instant Book on one platform and keep the others as request to book. You can manually force a sync after each booking in the Airbnb Calendar and on Vrbo to avoid the 3hour delay. 

Calendar Sync

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/99