Nashville Hosts

[Jeannie66]

Hey fellow Nashvillians, 

My bookings are significantly down, as well as pricing, from last year and years before.  I have, against my previous success without it, had to drop my price and go with smart pricing. I am in E Nashville and very close to downtown. My location and space are nice, I feel too nice for the money. What's up? Is anyone else feeling like their prices are plummeting and bookings are dropping off? I used to be booked at least 22 days per month at this time. Who uses smart pricing and if you do do you feel that it just causes you to sink your price? Any thoughts? Much appreciated. 

[Sue714]

Keep an eye on the Smart prices and discounts that can be applied to your listing and be prepared to host at a very low price!  Yes, bookings are down but I believe it's due to all the "newbies" renting out their spaces. In my area I've noticed at least 5 new places in the last month. 

[Jeannie66]

Thanks Sue. I don't usually pay attention to the listings around me, but I guess I had better start. I think my pricing is down by 30-40% from what it should be. 

[Lynette57]

@Jeannie66If you lower your price you seem to attract a lower quality of guest and sustain higher amounts of damage and disregard for your lovely listing , making the whole exercise leave you out of pocket and a bad taste in ones mouth, Better to keep your price up and only accept guests that match your requirements.

Cheers

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Jeannie66 

when the prospective guest search for a place to stay he will see the list of many properties in the area. He will scroll down and decide in a second which one he will click on.

Your goal is to make him click at your listing. So the first picture is very important. Your main picture is showing your  2 dogs. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, I have one... but you are not renting them, you rent the apartment in your house, so pick the best photo of your house/ terrace and put it on the first place in your gallery.

I would advise hiring a professional photographer to come one (sunny) day and take a few nice pictures for you.

 one example from https://go.truplace.com/blog/2018/03/13/5-reasons-professional-property-photography-is-better-than-a...

[Jeannie66]

I wondered about the dogs recently also. I have had the cover photo for a long time. I kept it because I have had nearly each person that has stayed tell me in their booking  that they booked  because of my dogs. I recently called Airbnb to discuss the lack of bookings and price and asked that question. They said I have a higher than avg click through. They wanted me to lower my price, which I did.  They didn't recommend changing because of the stats. Also, I have had a professional photographer 2 times. I have gradually remodeled and phased out the photos. They also didn't think my photos were a problem. They felt the market is the problem. That's why I'm asking if others are experiencing the same issues. I want to know if their input is true and that it is a widespread issue in Nashville. Is everyone experiencing lower pricing and less bookings?

[Laylee0]

@Jeannie66 @I agree with @Sue714 it will probably be due to the market becoming completely over-saturated now. It’s very competitive and when researching places close by me they offer en-suite for a similar price which means I’d have to lower my pricing again and then attract the kind of guests that make me unhappy living in my house, like I used to. So if you want to attract better quality guests and don’t mind fewer bookings don’t go too low. I also agree with @Branka-and-Silvia0 , I’m waiting until my current guests leave and then adding more photos as I notice other listings nearby with about 5 photos just of the bed. I realised that for a prospective customer looking at 5 photos of the same thing makes it stick in your mind and probably more likely to choose it? Is it something to do with familiarity breeds success? And the dogs probably attract people to your booking (a few guests have said my dog was the reason they picked my place over others), but I think a good photo of the room as the main photo is more important, as I notice when I do research that I’m more likely to click on a place, while scrolling through tons of listings, that has a great main photo (well lit, well made bed with throw cushions and towels arranged nicely, etc). Ultimately I recommend doing some research in your area to see what the competition are doing and adjusting your listing accordingly. Good luck!

[Mitch-And-Donna0]

I'm in East Nashville as well and we've noticed a significant drop in demand this summer. I've been hearing people talk about over-saturation for four years now and even had people suggest we not join Airbnb because of it. Really glad I didn't listen to that. The market fluctuates. I can't explain it. I also can't explain why our Spring earnings were 30% higher than last year. If I make less money, that's still a whole lot more than making no money. You have to respond to the market (no matter how high or low) and adjust your expectations accordingly.

[Jennifer2223]

Hello all,

Sorry to reply with a request, but we are searching for a missing person.  My cousin JC from Philadelphia should have booked and arrived at an Airbnb in downtown Broadway on Saturday November 2nd.   He has been missing since that date and last seen at kid rock's bar at 221 Broadway.   He is reported as missing person in Philadelphia and Nashville police are alerted as well.  He is 45 yo with black hair and green eyes.  I am not sure if I am allowed to post pic here, but if anyone has any information, my family would greatly appreciate it.  thanks and God Bless

[Jennifer2223]

or his check in may have been for sunday 11/03 but its possible he did not show