Is the Market Down in Your area?

Zappa0
Level 10
Key West, FL

Is the Market Down in Your area?

Been hosting for 5 years. We are coming up on busy season (winter here on the island is our busy season.)

 

Looking at Airbnb trends from previous years shows the Market Waaaay down. Fewer people looking, more listings on the website etc...

 

Wondering if it is just my area or is this a larger issue?  

7 Replies 7
Danielle476
Level 10
Toronto, Canada

This has been identified by MANY users over in the hosting forums.  It seems to have started in November and is carrying over into December.  Hosts have had varying responses when they've called CS - from glitches in the system (for which the fix was to update your listing's details and/or title), to seasonal tourism, to higher rates of hosts in the area and more competition...there doesn't seem to be one logical explanation.  Bear in mind that AirBNB is preparing their IPO, so my guess is it has something to do with that.  In any case no, it's not just you!  It's been a frustrating couple of months here as well.  Best of luck!

Rowena29
Level 10
Australia

Hi Zappa0.

I'm all the way over in Australia adn thinking something must be wrong.  I'm normally pretty consistently booked and for summer holidays peak season I  have zip, apart from a single booking that was made 3 months ago ( from xmas - new year).  Judging my the little light bulbs that tell you people have looked at your listing I haven't even had any people checking it out.  I do know that in my area (a beachside holiday location, usually EXTREMELY popular at this time of year) that hotels and resort bookings are also way down.  I think quite a lot of them are blaming airbnb for stealing their customers, but I know most hosts are experiencing  the same.  I agree with Danielle - I don't think it's any one single thing but is sure as hell frustrating.

Zappa0
Level 10
Key West, FL

Well interestingly it says that the market has significantly more listings. Airbnb on the island is closely regulated and in fact they have shut down numerous istings. We have an airbnb regulation task force here. 

 

Yet airbnb says that there is about 34% more listings. All I can attribute that to is the Hotel Tonight partnership.

 

Jason843
Level 3
Massachusetts, United States

I believe there are better options than Airbnb out there.  Guests and Hosts are using other sites to book.  My home is on multiple sites now because Airbnb quality and host support continues to decline.

Zappa0
Level 10
Key West, FL

@Jason843  @Rowena29  @Danielle476 

 

Now I am peak busy season with empty calendars. I am hoping for last-minute bookings, so I take a look at what's available on Airbnb for tonight and tomorrow. About 75% of the listings in my area for last minute are hotels (I'm assuming from the partnership with hotel tonight). 

 

Allowing Hotel Tonight to come in has buried host listings, thus diluting their platform, which was something unique. Instead they could have adjusted how they handle last minute bookings to make it easier for hosts to accept them (no pending payments, no 24-hour holds, no split payments, cut the response time from 24 hours to 6 hours) etc.. Instead they sold out what they stand for, and what made them stand apart to begin with.

 

Since I haven't seen any improvement since first posting this (outside of major holidays), after much debate, I'm selling all my listings in April.

 

Time for something new....

 

 

 

Airbnb had a good run, but they ruined it. 

Michelle53
Level 10
Chicago, IL

The market is down 30% in my area, according to the Airbnb trends on my calendar. 

 

I don't face competition from Hotels Tonight at my location (not Downtown). One of the main reasons I started Airbnb is exactly because there are no hotels in my area. 

 

There are, now, a lot of Airbnbs though. 

Angelina33
Level 2
Winnipeg, CA

I have experienced a big drop in our booking the last couple of months now too. My January had only one sad little one night booking. It’s getting to the point where I can’t afford to do this anymore. I offer a a large higher end suite and I just can’t bring my prices low enough to cover my mortgage and other fees associated with running such a large home in the most trendy part of our city. I’m really saddened at the prospect of shutting this down. I absolutely have loved running my AirBnB. But I think the lack of regulations in my area (Manitoba Canada) and the over saturated market has killed it over here. I’m not sure what this hotel tonight thing is, but I’ll look into that as well.