should i use smart pricing?

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Jean92
Level 1
Washington, DC

should i use smart pricing?

Should i use smart pricing? Is anyone using it? what do you thingk about it?

Top Answer

We use it and love it.  It has increased our booking price on average of 7% and we're booked 92% of the time. While I used to agonize over the price and if I would get a booking, now I let smart pricing do it for me.  I do watch for the weekends I know Smart Pricing might not catch an event or special occassion in town (especially those dates further out than the 4 month max).  Plus, they are willing to lower the weekend price earlier than I would - so December weekend prices are starting to go down already but I'm not ready to list lower just yet - so I override the prices when I think I can still get a premium even if Smart Pricing does not.  I do this for holiday weekends too, when I don't "really" want a guest but I'm not blocking the date either - like Thanksgiving.  I artifically inflate the price in case there is someone willing to pay, but if not, I'm not upset that I didn't book. 

My minimum is set at $43.  Smart Pricing's closest "low" has been and is for $51 on a Wednesday in December.  However, I have seen the opposite - prices rising into the $100s for high-traffic weekends.  To me, that's a recipe for disaster as anyone booking my guest room for over $100 is probably going to have an expectation that is not realistic.  That being said, we are already booked for those high-traffic days almost a year in advance (at $100/night - our max).  Maybe Smart Pricing would have been a Smarter option. 

Of course, we also like Instant Book as well and find the kind of guest who uses this feature is 1 of 2 types - (1) lazy and doesn't read the listing at all and then cancels immediately when you start pointing out that there is only one bed or dogs cost extra or we aren't located inside the Blue Devils stadium [read - annoying whether they use IB or not!] or (2) fantastic, high-quality, experienced guests.  Luckily for us, the VAST majority are in the latter category.  

With both IB and SP on, we find Airbnb to be a pretty agreeable system.  

YMMV

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99 Replies 99

Set your upper limits to a more reasonable figure.

Annette33
Level 10
Prescott, AZ

I don't like it and don't use it. But it depends on how many bookings you want to have: the better the price/value ratio is the more bookings you will get, naturally. I just want a few  bookings a month, and I always get them rather easily, so I am independent of the suggested pricing.

Some places have their pricing all over the place and it changes a lot from day to day -  as a guest I don't like that!

Like on one of my last Airbnb stays as a guest, I noticed that the guest the day before I came payed $78. for an Airbnb lodging (on a Thursday) but I paid $120.00 on Friday.  So I don't do that to my guests, I keep the price steady. Just my personal preference...

Annette

Thanks @Annette33 some good insight there. Definetly a pricing style I will consider.

Is there a way to override smart pricing on special holidays and event weeks but keep the smart pricing for the remainder of the calendar dates?  In otherwords, to have them simultaneously without me having to keep shifting back and forth...I can't seem to find this option.  New to Airbnb and my place is in Palm Springs where there are plenty of "high season" type weeks...

 

Thanks!

Barry54
Level 3
Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom

Just go into your calendar and set a specific price for those days. Smart pricing can stay switched on but it just won't affect those dates.

 

I've just turned smart pricing off completely as it just seems to try to price my place at a level that I believe isn't viable and we have no trouble getting enough bookings at the prices we've set anyway.

Dixie7
Level 10
Dunsborough, Australia

I'm not sure that's true Barry. I have had SP on and, even though I had my price set at a particular amount on my calendar, SP overrode that and I've now got a 7 night booking at 15% lower than the price I had in my calendar. I've OFFED SP after that and I'm keeping my pricing set at the listed price. I think it's better to be up-front with potential guests so they know the price that's listed is the price they pay. 

If it actually worked why would you need to over ride it ? Sadly it doesn't - so the answe is to just switch it off and go manual or pay a 3rd party...

Go to your calendar. Click on a beginning date on your calendar and then on an ending date when the little calendar pops up. Click on the little blue x next to the smart pricing check mark. You can turn it off for just those dates. Smart pricing will stay on for all other dates.

Kelly0
Level 3
Washington, DC

Hi all,

 

I'm a SuperHost and I've been doing this for quite a few years but this Smart Pricing still confuses me a bit.  In my instance, my "Smart Price minimum price" is $159/night. But my standard price is $191/night.

 

Great.

 

But if someone just happens to go to my listing (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/409582) without entering dates, then the price shows $159/night, which is my minimum, not my standard price.

 

Why does this happen? I'd much rather my $191/night shows up and then when they enter their dates, it shows the accurate price.

 

Here's how this is problematic: I got an inquiry for Sept. 2018 (wow!) just this morning. The lady is now requesting $159/night because "that's what I saw on screen". However, if she enters in her dates in Sept. 2018, it shows my standard price of $191. Naturally, she feels I'm trying to deceive her: show her a lower price, sell her on something more expensive. I'm definitely not trying to deceive her nor am I trying to bait her with a lower price.

 

Is this how this Smart Pricing is really supposed to work?

 

Thanks,

 

 

Kelly V.

I don't use Smart pricing or Instant Book for this reason. I've had 5 men from Brazil who were able to book for $17/night each! thanks to Smart Pricing!  My minimum is $49/night.  I really need enough control to make it worth my time. Cleaning sheets, towels, baths, kitchen and floors after 5 men is worth more than $17/night pp. 

 

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

@Kelly0

 

She put in incomplete information she ot incorrect pricing, quite common in the travel industry to have variable pricing, she should try that on with an Airline.

 

Remember you can not cure stupid.

David

Hi David,

 

Actually, I think it's an Airbnb database error. If you click on my listing (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/409582/), the price shows $159. $159 is my "Smart Pricing Minimum Price"; *it is not my base price*.

 

I just got a response back from Airbnb and they wrote, "...we only show the base rate on the listing page, because guest may very well be paying the base rate, we won't that until they select their dates".

 

Thus, in this weird instance, my base rate was not showing but instead my "Smart  Pricing Minimum Price". I left Airbnb know that it seems to be a glitch.

 

Thanks,

 

 

Kelly

Dixie7
Level 10
Dunsborough, Australia

That is precisely the reason I've turned SP OFF. It's confusing for guests.

Liga2
Level 5
Riga, Latvia

Lately I have been using Airbnb Smart Pricing and I have to say honestly it`s not perfect but it`s ok! Last few months I`m extremely busy with my work and Smart Pricing has been great help for me!

My place is still pretty new and I hope that Airbnb Smart Pricing would attract more booking even for lover prices. It`s working most of the time I have been 100% booked and all the guest have been wonderful 🙂 Only many of the guests had been using Airbnb first time and do not know exactly how everything works and many of them haven`t left left reviews but that`s ok.

I wish all great Airbnb hosts many wonderful guests in future and good luck with Smart Pricing 🙂

I've been using smart pricing as the season changes.  For three months, pretty much set the prices that worked for me and avoided high prices (due demand) because I figured it better to have good reviews and customer satisfaction - not the highest prices I could get. I've now switched to Smart Pricing but I keep watch on it. After all it is an algor... and its aim is a bit askew of reality. I adjust two weeks ahead to suit me, not Smart Pricing.  But Smart Pricing seens to be effective as well as new features like 3 day discounts.  I think my message is it benefits to stay involved if it suits your other needs and obligations.