would welcome assistance with marketing our townhome in Pensacola, Florida.

[Sherian1]

Good day Everyone,

We purchased a two-bedroom townhome in Pensacola a few minutes from beautiful downtown and the beaches.  Our intension is to rent out the property through Airbnb and other short term rental programs.  We have not had very good response to our listing.  Our place is completely furnished and ready for tenants.  We also listed with Furnished Finders which specializes in short term rentals for medical professionals.  Maybe, the reason we are not booking our place is because of seasonal trends?  Please take a look at our listing and provide feedback if possible.  Thank you in advance!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sherian1 please can you supply a link to your listing. We can't see it via your profile until the CC is updated

[Sudsrung0]

@Sherian1 

I read many post everyday similar to your both here and FB, has the supply outstripped the demand?

Read this article,, https://on.mktw.net/3TNBP7b

[Yai89]

First off thank you for taking the time to read this as I am beginning my journey in the Airbnb world. My name Is Yai and I own a small business in SWFL, so i am familiar with customer service along with other skill sets that may be beneficial. I would be happy to help you with your social media platform. 

Here is some of many tasks I would be able to accomplish if given the opportunity:

-Adjust the listing calendar

-Travel to the property bi-monthly to check in on how it is being maintained

-update social media

-assist guests with check in/out

-coordinate cleanings 

-Replenish necessities 

-Respond to inquires

- Handle guests de-escalations

-Update description and photos of listings

-Review guests' feedback and respond accordingly

- Respond to any other questions guests may have

[Helen3]

Hello @Yai89 

You cannot expect hosts to use your services when you have no experience as a host. You won't have the knowledge or experience as a host to help manage guest inquiries, handle difficult guest situations etc. To do this you need to have a thorough knowledge of how each STR platform works including their T&Cs.

Get some experience hosting in your own home and then you can develop a co-hosting business. 

[Yai89]

Hi,

although I may not have experience as a host I do have experience with guests services and offering the best customer service to make my guests feel welcomed and accommodate them with what they need. I appreciate the feedback, but will definitely keep learning more about cohosting and if someone takes a chance on me I will guarantee nothing but the best customer service for their travelers. 

have a great day! ☀️

[Sheila646]

Hi, @Sherian1 ! I looked at your listing and Wow! It looks like such a comfortable place in a neat location. There were two things when I was looking at it that would have caused me to click on another property.  Keep in mind this is subjective and not everyone shops Airbnbs the way I do.

First, the cover photo and first five photos were stunning, and if I had already decided to go to Pensicola what I would want to know is why I want to stay at your property in particular. Unless that's the view from your balcony, I would put those at the end of the photo list. (If it is the view from your deck, make sure people know that.) I would pick the best of the property photos that tell make potential guests want to click for more. While I don't put much stock in Airbnb viewing statistics-- precisely because my property is really interesting but doesn't fit everyone's needs or budget-- it might be worth taking a look to just see how many views it is getting. 

The second thing I noticed is that the rooms are very stark. I personally like to go to places that have some personality or interest me in some way. A few years ago I booked a getaway in the desert at an off-grid home, because I loved the unique southwestern style of the architecture and decor. Last summer I paid extra for the little, log dairy barn in the middle of nowhere while I was driving across the plains, because I liked the cute little design details they showed in the photos.

My own rental is a log cabin, so we went with a "1920s cowboy meets the modern era" decor. The cabin was stuck in the 80s when we bought it. Besides adding antiques and artwork we ended up changing the light fixtures and remodeling both bathrooms to give them more personality. We sleep eight also, so we ended up adding a lot of family friendly features and market the rental as being fun and cozy. (You can take a look at our pictures here: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/613743952413006740 and imagine the bathrooms how we found them with plain, beige walls and discount store fixtures. Just a few changes made the bathrooms go from boring to special.)

If you can imagine the guests who would want to stay in a property like yours and then imagine the experience they want to have and then create the decor that tells them about the experience they will have there, I think you'll have more marketable photographs. Paint some accent walls, add some rugs and artwork, add in a collapsible wagon for shopping or carrying beach supplies, etc.  Are they young with kids? Is it the extended family on vacation? Is it a couple of single nurses who want to explore the town or lie on the beach in their off hours? You may have to pick one vision or maybe these disparate groups have some things in common. The key thing is to make it stand out from the rest. 

That's my two cents. Good luck!

[Sybe]

@Sheila646 This is amazingly detailed and some really good tips, thanks for sharing them! 😃

[Sheila646]

Thank you! 😄

[Gillian166]

@Sherian1 

You might be trying to squeeze too many people in. Sleeps 8 but you can only seat 4 at that table. and none of the beds have side tables. I'd reconsider that whole arrangement, it's a 2 bedroom townhome, with only 1 full bathroom and you want 8 people in there? can the hot water system handle that? I'd cut it back to sleeps 5, have a generous king bed in the master, and a single + bunk combo in the other room. actually you could still sleep 6, but you'll have to upgrade the dining table too. the outdoor veranda has seating for 2 people and the lounge room seats 5, although it certainly looks spacious!  

Your first 5 photos aren't of your listing at all, and i assume aren't even your photos to use. (If you want to use other photographer's work go to Unsplash and find free pics there that are allowed to be used for commercial gain)  Your other photos need some improvement, if you are going to be serious you should consider a professional shoot at some point, but in the meantime you could fix the skewed angles in all of them so they look cohesive. 

Your pricing looks very, very reasonable, but your cleaning fee isn't, and given the overwhelming complaints  from guests on all social media sites, I'd consider increasing your nightly rate and decreasing that cleaning fee.  $135/night becomes $445. yikes! that will make it hard to have short mini stays. have a look at your competition and see how you fit in with them, and try to drop that fee because guests are shopping around and will actively choose someone with a more reasonable cleaning fee. I have dropped my fee for short stays, and I include that in my listing as a benefit, plus zero checkout chores. 

I had a quick look at the listings in your area and you are on the pricier side, whilst being further out (is that good or bad?) and in comparison your photos look amateur and your styling is not modern. excellent advice from @Sheila646  

[Rick4795]

Hi! @Sherian1 , I'd love to assist you with your property in Pensacola. I am a superhost and currently manage other vacation rentals. Here is my contact info:

Thanks,

Rick White

Black River Rental Management, LLC

**[E-mail address removed due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines]