Guests' motivations to stay at my place?

Guests' motivations to stay at my place?

Hello community,

I'm new to AirBNB, offering my 2BR apartment in one of residential suburbs of Sydney (Bankstown).

This suburb is not very "glamorous" - it's not so close to the sea, and not so close to where Sydney attractions are located.

So I wonder if anyone have some ideas on this:

 - Why would people choose to come and stay such an apartment? I doubt that they come for a holiday. Would it be a business trip? Study? Something else?

 - How long would most of them want to stay? 

 - What is the composition of the group? Would it be a family? Or perhaps a  group of friends? Colleagues?

 

 I'm trying to figure out the best way of offering it in terms of price, facilities and length of stay, and if I understand guest's motivation and thinking, it would help me in planning.

Thanks for helping!

7 Replies 7

@Igor393   There are plenty of very successful listings in locations far less central than yours, so I wouldn't count out the tourist market altogether.  Families or groups with cars will appreciate the spaciousness and the availability of secure parking. Business travelers might be needing proximity to a location in a nearby suburb rather than the CBD. In the short term you may get families visiting relatives or attending a function such as a wedding in your area. And tourists in town for a long stay may be happy to forgo some convenience in exchange for a quieter neighborhood and a lower price compared to listings in the most popular districts.

 

These are just guesses, though - the important thing is that you provide detailed descriptions and pictures that give people enough info to decide whether your listing suits their needs. Your listing does a good job of describing the apartment itself, with nice clear photos (though I don't see one of the hot tub, which might be a draw to some visitors). I'd recommend adding more descriptive details about your location - including travel times by car and public transit into central Sydney and other key attractions, but also a couple sentences and outdoor photos depicting your corner of Bankstown and any unique features nearby. Be upfront about the fact that it's a residential suburb, since you probably want to discourage people expecting to be either in the middle of a nightlife district, next to the beach, or having koalas in the backyard.

Thank you Andrew, very good insight and really useful advise on improving my listing!

Bryan10
Level 10
Feltham, United Kingdom

It's good to think about why your guests would stay at your place, and what your USP might be. You're already thinking along the right lines.  Some might choose your place because it's not central within Sydney (ie, you get more space in the suburbs), and you're also close to Bankstown airport, which I gather is for trainee pilots and helicopter trips - surely there's a market for people  needing to stay nearby? 

 

Hope you're OK in the bushfires this month. Our feelings go out to you guys. 

Yes it might pay off to think what this whole area can offer... Thank you Bryan, very helpful advise! Not sure what USP means though...

@Igor393  "Unique Selling Point" 

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Igor393  Look at your nearest neighbours' listings & read their reviews, this can give an idea of what sort of guests choose the suburbs. And cross reference what the hosts wrote about the guests - some hosts write the reason for the stay, (I do), as do some guests!

Very good idea, Helen, thank you very much!