Critique my listing

Linda4363
Level 2
Johannesburg, South Africa

Critique my listing

Hi Experienced hosts😊

 

My husband and I recently listed an apartment and we have had one great booking so far but not many more inquiries. Would really appreciate any help in what we can do to make this place more attractive.

 

Thanks so much!

 

The link is below :

airbnb.co.za/h/hidey

 

Regards

Linda

6 Replies 6
Paula
Community Manager
Community Manager
Port Moody, Canada

Hello @Linda4363it's great to see your "Critique my listing" thread 😊

 

I'm reaching out to some of our seasoned Hosts to see if they would be interested in sharing their valuable feedback on your listing:    @Bettye6@Lorina14@Patricia2526@Julie5882 and @Jermain40 

 

All the best,

-----

 

Please follow the Community Guidelines // Por favor consulta las Normas de la comunidad

Jermain40
Level 4
St. Louis, MO

Hi @Linda4363 , your place looks very nice and welcoming.

Here's my two cents on your listing: Your opening headline was very strange to see restaurant and inverter?...It was confusing to me. Probably for others as well. I was imagining this place was above or next door to a restaurant which would be a no go for me. Some people may decide not to look in more detail altogether.

 

I would just keep the headline only about your place. List the other perks in the more detailed description.

 

Always compare your listing to others nearby that have at least 30 reviews. See what their doing well, prices, description, photos, etc. Personally I'm not sure what the market is like In South Africa. Best of luck on your new rental!

 

Bettye6
Level 10
McHenry, IL

Hi @Linda4363 ,

Your place is beautiful!

I would personally add some pictures on your walls. I feel it warms the space up.

 

Have a picture of the front of the apartment that I use as a cover photo and my guests have commented many times they like when hosts do that they can more easily find my place as they can look at the picture (not have to "find" it and know immediately that it is the correct place they are walking into. 

A picture of the second bathroom.

I realized quickly of the debate of more or less pictures from us hosts. I feel like pictures should tell a potential guests all about what you offer like they were standing in the apartment. I am for more pictures to help the potential guests all about your place visually. 

possibly extra photos could include great places to go in your city, etc. 

 

Is the pool a few steps away or would a guest need to walk a bit to get to them?

 

The BIGGEST concern is that you have no smoke or carbon-monoxide detectors. I will not stay at a place that does not have these 2 very important safety features.  They are extremely cheap to buy for that security. 

 

I did not compare your pricing but you can do that off your calendar to compare similar listings if you have not done that already. If your priced too high against your competition might be a reason for low bookings though I personally think that people are not traveling as much.

 

Hope these few tips help. 

Kind regards,

Bettye6

Lorina14
Level 10
Bellevue, WA

Hi @Linda4363!

 

Thanks for the tag @Paula!

 

Welcome to the community boards! You have a nice space and here are some suggestions for you:

 

1) Consider putting a picture of a nature scene on the TV and retake the pic of the living room. It is much nicer to see something than a black screen.

 

2) I feel you would need to put a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector in your unit to attract more guests. I personally would not want to stay in a place without these items (unless it was out in the woods).

 

3) Why don’t you provide essentials? Its commonplace to provide hand soap, dish soap, a couple of laundry detergent packs (I personally provide a container of detergent and dryer sheets, stain remover, softener, and a natural oxyclean alternative as it’s not that expensive to provide a bulk amt). I am also concerned why you don’t provide towels. Is this common in your area? A hotel or lodging place usually does not say bring your own towels.

 

4) The walls look very bare, white and empty. I would choose some neutral pieces of art (some people prefer this) or some nice accents of color or nature pics to brighten up the space. A colorful pillow on a couch can help too. 

5) Flowers on the kitchen counter would be a nice touch. The shot of the kitchen looks strange as if the ceiling is really low but it might be because you might have done a wide angle pic of the kitchen. Some places show better not on a wide angle lens.

 

6) I would redo the name of your listing - make it appealing, descriptive but not too long. It was a little confusing about the restaurant in the title, is it on the premises, are you over it? You could just say in your description that there is a convenient restaurant in the building that serves delicious food to your door! 

7) Consider adding distance and time to the local attractions, parks, beaches, grocery stores, nearby cities in your description of your neighborhood. You mention two places nearby but I am sure you could add more to your listing. 

😎Please check other listings in the area to see how you compare in pricing, pictures, write up, cleaning fees, amenities to do some market research. See what makes you unique and different from the other listings and showcase that (the pools that you have!).

 

9) You can attract more guests by offering a special promotion (~20% really appeals to people). Just be aware that promotions stack with weekly and monthly discounts. Instant booking also helps with views and better booking rates. Allowing dynamic pricing is also helpful to help your listing although some hosts feel airdna or Pricelabs work better for pricing similar units in your area and if there are any events in your area causing more demand and a higher nightly rate for your listing. 

Allow special promotions just to get people to experience your space and to help get some good reviews for your listings. Putting a snack bowl, flowers, a handwritten welcome card (welcoming them, letting them know to reach out with any questions and to please leave a review after their stay) helps add a personal touch to the space.


10) Please fill out your profile more as many guests like to read about the host they will be staying with. I didn’t see much when I clicked on your profile.

 

With an increasing selection of Airbnb listings to choose from in any area you will need to have beautiful pics, a descriptive write up, a unique experience and/or a warm hospitality to keep a constant flow of happy guests coming your way. 

Happy hosting!  💫

 

 

 

 

 

Julie5882
Level 3
Tiverton, RI

Hi @Linda4363!

 

I agree totally with the feedback already offered by @Lorina14@Bettye6, and @Jermain40. They’ve got some great suggestions!

 

Best of luck!

Julie

Julie S. Jenkins
Linda4363
Level 2
Johannesburg, South Africa

Thank you so much for the advice. Much appreciated! I will definitely use all the advice 😊