Question About Airbnb Hosting and Channel Management

[Maria24642]

Hello everyone,

I’m just starting out as an Airbnb host and have a question I’d like some insight on. While researching areas for potential investment, I’ve noticed that in some locations where I expected high demand, many properties listed on Airbnb and other platforms show zero book.

I’m curious to know if these platforms are interconnected, and whether hosts who use channel management tools can control or coordinate book across different platforms. Any guidance or experiences you could share would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

[Wendy-May0]

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Hello Maria, and welcome to hosting! That is a very perceptive question, you're right to ask about interconnection because that's the key to managing demand safely.

You are spot on to observe listings with zero bookings, even in popular areas. This usually means those hosts are using their channel manager to drive almost all their bookings from a higher-performing site (like Booking.com or Vrbo), and the manager is instantly blocking the dates everywhere else. The bookings are definitely happening, just not on the site you are looking at.

The fundamental choice for managing those calendars comes down to speed and reliability:

1. iCal Sync: This is the free, simple way. You just copy a calendar link (iCal) from one platform and paste it into the other. It works okay, but it's slow. Updates can take 15 to 30 minutes, which creates a slight risk of double booking during busy times.

2. Dedicated Software (PMS): If you list on more than two sites, or if you want zero risk, investing in a tool like Smoobu or Hostaway is much safer. They use direct connections for instant updates and let you control your prices and messaging all from one central spot. This is what the pros use.

you can feel free to ask me any questions about setting up the basic iCal sync or which of those channel management tools might be best for your needs right now, however, are you planning to list on two platforms right away, or starting with just one?

[Joan2709]

@Maria24642 

How well a listing does is many times based on your availability (dates open on the calendar). If your listing has bookings on one platform, they naturally will be blocked on another. For example, if you have an Airbnb booking on 12/13-17, those dates will naturally not be available on other platforms you are listed on (Vrbo, Booking.com). For this reason, Hosts generally find that one platform will do better than others. This is because the more you are booked on one platform, the less availability on the others. Guests searching on other platforms will not see your property because you are already booked on those dates. 

Channel Manager

A channel manager (Property Management Software - PMS) connects your property to multiple booking sites—like Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and others—so that your calendar, rates, and availability update instantly everywhere. It doesn't drive bookings, but helps you manage them across platforms.

What it does:

Prevents double bookings by syncing your calendar across all platforms

Updates pricing automatically (often works with dynamic pricing tools like PriceLabs)

Centralizes reservations so you can see everything in one dashboard

Automates messages and tasks (depending on the software)

Saves time managing multiple listings

Seasonality

Many locations are very seasonal. In North America, the summer months (June/July/August) is when most listings are busiest. Winter months (except) holidays are generally slow with few bookings. Some locations are fortunate to have year round appeal. When evaluating competition in a specific market, you should look at both high season and low season and see how busy the top 50 listings are. You can also use AirDNA to evaluate a market for you.