Suddenly no bookings 2024

[Michele511]

I have 7 years of 5 star ratings in Santa Monica, California. Suddenly I had hardly anything in December ‘23, only one booking in January, one booking in March, then nothing at all. I’ve always been fully booked. I dont’ understand.

Is anyone else having this problem?

I would appreciate any insights!

[John5097]

@Michele511 

I looked over your listing and could offer a few possible suggestions but as I don't host there I"m not as familiar with the yearly trends location or other factors. 

Your listing is at the very first spot on top of the first page when I searched for 4 days in January. I don't know what it has been in the past.

You can go to your menu bar at the top and find Insights. There you can see the page views, how many guest view yours per day and the conversion rate, of what percentage booked.  You can go back a year and see what the trend is. 

There are two new tools to compare your listing to similar ones in your area. You can see toggle the options for ones books and not booked, that is also under the daily views as I recall. I don't really need this as I tend to monitor other similar listings.  

You can also change the booking window from anywhere 3 months to a yaar. As mentioned mine is mostly booked 6 months out but of course it wouldn't be if great didn't have the option to book. I did look at yours and the booking window appears to be less than 3 months. That is your choice though, as you may have your own reasons to not allow booking further than a few months out.

Not blaming you or other host as each needs to choose their own settings.  I monitor my booking views. As I said it can be tricky, and trying to set rates and predict the demand is very subjective.

Your photos look very good but for example another listing also on the top page in your area shows the outside of the listing and seems to have more bookings and are well booked into the spring. I don't know if that would help but anyway Yours does seem to be very honest and forthcoming and 4.98 is amazing.  That's why I was thinking you could make some adjustments and improvements to get more bookings, but also wouldn't want to make mistakes.

For example I was planning to go up in my rates but don't think this was a good time. Other host with simmilar listings can charge higher rates that I can. I just accept that and do the best I can with the skills I have.

It may just be basic supply and demand. There may be a lot of new listings in your area and have to make adjustments. There are tons in my area.  


 

 

[Michele511]

@John5097  Thank you for taking the time to look at my listing! It should be set for 6 months out.

I have noticed that when there is an app update some settings change. More importantly, I’ve experienced text reverting back to old versions on app updates. I try to monitor but don’t catch everything. 

Thanks again, John! 

[John5097]

@Michele511 Glad you found something of use! I've had settings change on me as well, such as the heat and AC being unchecked. 

I hope your bookings pick up. If not would consider more adjustments or improvements. 

[Jessica134]

Yep every update Airbnb does kills business!

[Jessica134]

You are booked because you fixed your algorithm. Once you get booked, the system thinks, "Oh, guest like this one" Let push him to the front." Some of us can't even get the bookings to boost the listing and have dropped prices and completed all other requests.

[Michele511]

If I fixed the algorithm, I have no idea how! But I’ll take it!

[Clare568]

@John5097 I have been a super host for over 5 years with a 4.98 rating. My listing is put together professionally including excellent pictures. I have hundreds of reviews and I've never had this problem. Similar to other hosts, there is this company named Evolve that now has taken over several listings in my area and dropped the pricing by 75% of what I charge. Even when I tried to compete and matched the pricing, unfortunately because not only are they cheaper but also much larger than my Listing, I am still left without bucking. So I would have to go even lower which in turn would not be even worth it for me to allow guests to stay. So, no, I do not think is the fault of individual hosts

[Michele511]

@Clare568  I have professional photos as well. In fact, they were taken as part of the AirbnbPlus program, which sadly they ended. It’s doesn’t make sense at all. I’ll have to see what this “Evolve” company is. But Airbnb can’t do anything about competing companies.  

[John5097]

@Clare568 

You may want to contact customer support as your profile has a 4.93 not a 4.98. 

Kindly reread my first post where I stated rates are discounted now in my area like they were during covid.  

There are settings host can adjust but it's necessary to understand their own location and booking trends which is tricky as it's always changing. Some host may just want to keep their rates the same and not offer discounts during slow times and use the off time for their break, renovations, maintenance, etc. Some may slash rates because they have to make mortgage payments. 

I think too many host on line think they are some kind of influencers and their opinion no matter how convoluted will have more impact than making some basic adjustments to their listing. 

I'm not blaming other host.  
 

[Jessica134]

Its not the host or listings. I actually did better when my listings were less appealing. I'm Not saying they are great, but it's really bizarre that I did better before improvements.

[Pafo0]

I have been a super host on Airbnb for over 6 years now. I currently have my home listed on it but this year I noticed a drop in bookings that I could not explain. I then had a look at the map and noticed that about halve of the listings in my city are controlled by an external operator that is not even located in the region. 

The listings controlled by this company are kept at a very low price (being a company vs actual hosts this is easily done) so thy are basically controlling the market though the platform at the expenses of real hosts.

Is this what Airbnb has become? 

This is a betrayal of the airbnb original mission as there is no host here but basically other companies tacking advantage of the platform.

As a dedicated super host, I had put money, time and passion in welcoming travellers in my home, now I regret trusting this company. 

I have invested money in refurbishing my home to make it a profitable listing but now I will have to decide if it's time to leave this platform or not as now this  is not what I had signed up for when I joined it. 

[Pafo0]

we need to held airbnb accountable of the fact that they need to kick out travel operators and companies who are manipulating the areas prices by tacking over hundreds of listings and selling them for halve of the price. 

[Michele511]

@Pafo0 My hope is that they will see this thread and participate in the conversation. I have tried calling to find out how to do that, but, It just goes in circles. If you have any ideas how to get them to see this and participate, please share that!

[Clare568]

The exact same thing happened to me in Washington DC suburban area. I had to drop my price by 75% just to get a couple of bookings last month.  But even that did not help on the long run. I have no bookings in 2024. 

The external company Evolve has hundreds of listings and it is not fair to the individual listings like we are. I am beyond disappointed with airbnb for allowing that and feel just as betrayed as you do. Airbnb is supposed to be a platform to help individual hosts to make additional funds. Not just another avenue for corporate America to rip everybody off. And that is exactly what is currently happening. I have been a super host for almost 5 years and I am now forced to switch to long-term because I can no longer keep up with the expenses.

[Michele511]

@Clare568, what is Evolve? What do they do exactly? And how would they be helping the corporate end of Airbnb? I would think that what helps us also helps Airbnb. Am

i missing something?