Wanting more bookings

[Julie7132]

I have been hosting for some time, however, normally just over the Christmas period, but this year I want to increase the number of stays we have in our home. I am open to any ideas that will help boost my listing, work with someone who can help with pricing and listing look and feel.

Thanks Julie

[Pia624]

Hi Julie,
Nice to meet you 😊 Since you’ve mainly hosted during peak holiday demand, growing year-round bookings usually comes down to two big things: pricing strategy and listing positioning.

A dynamic pricing approach (instead of holiday-style rates) can really improve visibility, and refreshing your photos/title/description to highlight year-round appeal (weekend getaway, remote work, family stays, etc.) can attract a broader audience.

Best,
Pia

[Priyanka102]

I am doing this, and it really helped me switch to dynamic pricing and actually check competitor rates weekly. I realised I was priced too high during shoulder months and too rigid with minimum stays. I also refreshed my cover photo and rewrote the title to focus on the main benefit this improved clicks. Dropping minimum nights mid-week helped fill gap nights too. I did just small pricing and presentation tweaks  but it definitely been working for me.

[Frances3408]

@Julie7132 .Hi Julie. Welcome! You have an absolutely beautiful home and in a fantastic location so those dont really need work imo. But changing photos helps refresh the listing and you could add more detail.

As you have co hosts I am assuming they can be geared up for more bookings? You will always get more bookings by playing around with price, but I'd start by reviewing the min nights. 10 night min mid January is pretty high; 5 nights makes more sense but again you will probably miss out on those who just want to stay 3 or 4. Would you consider weekend only stays in Autumn/Spring? If you leave enough booking lead time between (say min 5 nights notice) your cleaning crew will thank you: make sure you have enough spare linen. Dont forget you can offer discounts for slightly longer stays eg 3.4.5.6 nights. 

Use Professional Tools in Calendar to create multiple Season dates, each with their own rules to create that flexibility I sense you will need if you still wish to use the property yourself. If you havent looked at this in a while there have been many changes to the booking platform.

I also assume you are aware there is 180 night booking cap in Greater Sydney so you wont be able to be booked year round, so make the most of the popular times: Summer and Sydney events, especially around Harbour like NYE and Australia Day long weekend but also Autumn events like Vivid .

Is your pool heated? If not, mention this and what might happen in Autumn/Winter/Spring access, cleaning etc to set expectations. 

Lastly, log into Community Center regularly and read what other hosts and guests are posting. It can be quite educational 🙂