PUZZLED by my half pricing and given similar listings

[Paul-and-Sherry0]

1. Thank you all the people in this caring community. I have something quite puzzles me, which is important about running this Airbnb business that I want this community’s help.

   My listing price is about HALF the price as neighbor’s listing, so low that I don’t make more money than renting to long-term rental.

   A little about my listing: 3 bed room entire house in South Philadelphia, I am a Superhost right now.

   So I analyzed my price with a dozens of others in nearby, including 1, 2 bed rooms house, I found my listing price is 25% to 100% lower than average. The nearby listings searched by different criteria that generated from Airbnb search function. I made an Excel spreadsheet for that.

   You may say I am the person who set the price. That’s true. However, Airbnb always gives me suggestion that to increase my chance to book, I should lower my price. Airbnb always sent to me notes that, for example, “5 people recently visited your listing site, but ended up booking with others $15 lower”. But I am already huge lower, and not getting booked as neighbor’s.  Take the closest listing as an example to explain, I am also attaching screen shots with this example.

   This listing is 0.2 miles distance from mine. His is 2 bedroom, no TV, no microwave, no TV; Mine is 3 bedroom, has smart TV and microwave, we both started July 2017. I am also superhost, but he is not. My listing is behind his in search results, most distinguishing is his price is doubled compared with mine and get booked better than mine. It really perplexes me.  I really need somebody help me on this.

   My Similar Listing is a PUZZLE to me too. My listing now goes with studios, before went with luggage, camps, and private rooms. In short, my listing goes with lower pricing listings. I am wondering is that because my price is low, so being grouped with those lower price listings? Will Airbnb group similar listings with how many bedrooms, and in the same neighborhood, and can accommodate how many guests? I would like to have somebody in the community give me a clue.
2. nearest listing as an example
3. My listing
   

[Cormac0]

@Paul & Sherry

Both you and I need to change platform as the only business Airbnb can generate for me is below cost selling, and the not so smart pricing algorithm only goes in one direction "DOWN"

I have super host status, universally good reviews and a 5star status for a 55m2 two-bedroom apartment full kitchen and large living room and Airbnb made more money then I did on my last two sets of guests.

For all but the select few who are making bundles of cash, Airbnb is very exploitive.

My opinion will change of course as will yours, when Airbnb start getting us fees and occupancy levels worthy of our property.

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer's Club Krakow III

[Joseph72]

never use the auto pricing.  terrible idea. 

I set it high.   less action. more money when it does happen. 

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Paul-and-Sherry0 - https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/39/what-factors-determine-how-my-listing-appears-in-search-resul...

[Paul154]

I too am very concerned by their statement to you.

“5 people recently visited your listing site, but ended up booking with others $15 lower”.

This is an obvious power play on Airbnb's part.  We don't  know the details.

We don't know if the other bookings were equivalent. 

WE DON"T EVEN KNOW IF IT IS TRUE!

Airbnb is a big black box. They will not allow us to see inside.  I would not believe what they tell me.

I wish I could, but Airbnb has their own bias and that bias may not be in favor of the host.

[Rene-and-Zac0]

@Paul-and-Sherry0 I don’t really know your area, so I can’t judge what’s a ‘value’ in your area but if you Want some suggestions, I’ll chime in here. 

1. Work on your listing title. It doesn’t flow as it is currently formatted. 

2. Update your profile pic to a brighter clearer image. Consider a family portrait. 

3. The ‘elephant in the room’- it’s your decor. The furniture is clean and serves the purpose of ‘you sit’ but it doesn’t lend to the dream. You can command much higher rates when your decor is first class. If you want to attract big money like others, you’ll have to invest in your listings furniture. After reading through your listing, I can see a blizzard of information written out in textbook format. Look at condensing your text into bullet points. Furniture does not have to be ‘new’. Most of the furniture in my listing is from Thrifting and Craig’s list. Good luck!

’You know it’s hard out here for a Host’

[Matthew285]

@Paul-and-Sherry0, hello! I looked for your listing and compared it to the other listing you included as a sample.

I saw some differences from what you describe.

1. The prices I saw are not very different. Yours: $78, his $98. Certainly his is not double yours currently.

2. I don't see his listing as being booked more than yours. In fact, your calendar seems completely unavailable every single day in January, February, and all of March up to the 24th. His calendar is almost completely open in January.

3. As to comparing the listings: they both seem like very fine places to stay. If I were pressed to name a difference, in the photos your townhouse looks like a very clean and lovely home; the furniture and appliances are from a few decades ago.

The other listing gives the impression of being more modern, with decor, furniture, and appliances that are very current. (He mentions a recent renovation and all new furniture / appliances).

4. Your reviews / ratings are markedly better; his ratings are less than 5-star in 4 of the 6 sub categories, and less that 5-star overall. Your ratings are 5-star for everything but Location.

This is a very slow time of year for most travel. Even for San Francisco (which does not suffer from extreme winter weather) listings have to discount heavily to try to fill your Calendar in December.

I'm not sure you are doing anything wrong at all, and I'm not sure this other listing is doing much better than yours.

The biggest thing I would recommend is to try to provide a more modern and up-to-date look. Visual appeal can count for a lot in this business.

As to doing research, have you tried looking at AirDNA, or the free demos at Wheelhouse and Beyond Pricing?

These resources will give you more information in less time than scrolling around the AirBnB map.

All 3 resources let you do a basic analysis of your specific property, and Wheelhouse and Beyond Pricing let you enter your actual AirBnB listing to see their suggested pricing for free.

[Paul-and-Sherry0]

Hello, thanks for participating in commenting. I want to add a little details about the double pricing. Usually before holiday or weekends shows the big difference, leading to double or half prices. For example, the Thanksgiving holiday just past, the period before Thanksgiving, my price is half and not booked, the other neighbor's doubled price, but still booked. His is in front when searching and always has higher price similar listings, no wonder. My statement of half pricing triggered from there.  

My listing house has the necessary function, that is what guests need and some told me so:  plenty dinning space, plenty lounge space and plenty sleeping space. I have all new beds, new mattresses, smart TV, Blue-Ray DVD, mircrowave, new futon, (by the way I think furniture is distinguished by wood type and workmanship , not newer is better)  I am not looking for new furnitures, not along to say I can't afford. The comparing listing doesn't have even TV and mircowave, which is bacis function. Anyway, this world is never fair and clear that you can see it through, it is the nature of the world. I am going to be muddleheaded like many until my end of the day.

[Matthew285]

@Paul-and-Sherry0, no one is saying your listing doesn't have everything a guest needs.

We also aren't arguing with you when you point out that the other listing doesn't have a TV and a microwave and yours does.

And no one is saying it is fair that the other one gets booked sometimes when yours does not.

I don't think anyone is saying you have to *anything* you don't want to; it is your property, and the only person who gets to decide what happens to it is you.

But if all you want to do is point out that your listing is better and say you won't change anything, what were you wanting from us?

[Paul-and-Sherry0]

I don't say my listing is better, what I am saying is half price is still a puzzle to me when my 3 bed room vs. 2 bed room.

[Matthew285]

@Paul-and-Sherry0, you just said "The comparing listing doesn't have even TV and mircowave, which is bacis function" and "my 3 bed room vs. 2 bed room".

I know you never said the words "my listing is better", but I'm not sure how else to interpret what you wrote.

And since you say "My listing house has the necessary function" and "I am not looking for new furnitures", which (sorry), I interpret to mean you aren't interested in changing anything...

I would ask again, what did you want from us?

[Paul-and-Sherry0]

Take care. Thanks.

[Matthew285]

@Paul-and-Sherry0, I'm sorry for being so rough. I think I am just frustrated.

I like your listing better; it is the one I would prefer to book.

I really don't know why the other one is chosen the way it is.

I am puzzled by the same thing you are.

Please accept my apologies.

[Paul-and-Sherry0]

That's OK. You were trying to help. Everything happened has a reason, just we don't know, some people know. We have to live with it, until the end of day.

[Jamie-and-Gustavo0]

Hi, 

Act like a guest:

Check out other listings in your 2-3 mile radius and see what pops out at you visually regardless of the number of rooms, both in positive and negative ways ("oo, I'd like to rent here!" vs "eh, not feeling welcome"). Is it the additional features you don;t have checked, like child-friendly, or recommendations of nearby eateries, a thing that guests comment on in the competition's reviews? 

If you haven't already, test out not just the price you see per night, but the price for a given time periods, such as a weekend, an 8 day stay, or a 6 week stay during the dates you have available. You didm't mention your availability vs the competition. 

Maybe ask a friend to walk though your listing and a listing of their choosing nearby with a similar availability dates, and discuss what they find challenging about your posting or placement of information.