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Maximizing Your Short-Term Rental Success with Keey

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In the fast-paced world of short-term rentals, maximizing your success as a host requires strategic planning and expert guidance. With Keey as your trusted Airbnb management partner, you can unlock the full potential of your short-term rental property. From enhancing the guest experience to optimizing your rental income, Keey provides the tools and expertise to help you thrive in the competitive vacation rental market.

Understanding the Short-Term Rental Landscape

The growing demand for short-term rentals and the benefits of partnering with Keey
Advantages of professional property management and the potential for higher rental income

Elevating the Guest Experience

Proven strategies to enhance guest satisfaction, from seamless check-ins to personalized recommendations
Importance of exceptional customer service and creating a memorable stay for your guests

Maximizing Rental Income

Effective pricing strategies, dynamic pricing, and optimizing occupancy rates for increased profitability
Role of market trends, data-driven insights, and Keey’s OccuMax pricing algorithm

Streamlining Operations for Efficiency

Tips and best practices for efficient property management, including housekeeping, maintenance, and communication
Benefits of leveraging Keey’s technology and operational support

Harnessing the Power of Property Marketing

Unveiling marketing strategies to boost your property’s visibility and attract more guests
Importance of compelling listing descriptions, stunning visuals, and effective promotion

Continuous Improvement and Adaptation

Staying updated with industry trends, emerging technologies, and guest preferences
Adapting and evolving to maintain a competitive edge

With Keey by your side, you can unlock the full potential of your short-term rental property. Prioritize guest satisfaction, optimize rental income, and streamline operations to maximize your success as a host. Trust in Keey’s expertise, comprehensive support, and advanced technology to navigate the ever-evolving world of short-term rentals.

What Do Your Guests Want? Airbnb Pros and Cons

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Airbnb is a vast open world of hotels and rental spaces. Their influence is so widely spanned that it reaches around the entire planet. You could get an Airbnb for a weekend or even a week get-away just about everywhere! 

With Airbnb also comes benefits and negatives since nothing in the world is perfect. At the end of the day, even a snowflake has flaws.  

These are the pros and cons that guests look out for, so make sure to adapt your Airbnb to appeal to as many visitors as possible. 

The Pros 

Airbnb comes with quite a hefty number of pros and cons. The pros can be very attractive to anyone thinking of using Airbnb services and any hosts seeking improvement. 

1. Unique Locations 

It’s no trick! Every Airbnb is unique with its own story to tell. Whether that is the town itself having stories or the house.  

For example, there is an Airbnb out there that lies inside an old castle.  

They can also be unique by the surroundings, or even just the decoration that is used. No two Airbnb is the same and hopefully never will be. 

You can make your own Airbnb unique by focusing on a certain theme alongside trinkets and other items to occupy the empty spaces.  

Read Now: Interior Design in 2022: The Best Style for your Airbnb 

2. Homely Feel 

The majority of Airbnb rentals are located within semi-detached or detached homes. These give you a homely feel that even though you may be thousands of miles away from home, there is a hint of belonging but still a refreshing taste of the scenery. 

This contrasts with hotels as they don’t provide this feeling as much.  

The feeling of being at home can make you feel calm and relaxed. It is a powerful emotion that can cure homesickness. So, making your guest feel relaxed will make them emotionally happier and may even result in reoccurring guests! 

Airbnb Pros and Cons

 

3. Wide Range of Venues 

Airbnb’s are usually situated quite close to a lot of entertainment venues which costs less money on travelling via taxi or car to get to your destination. This is a huge pro as you need entertainment venues to be able to keep happy.  

You can also sometimes use Airbnb to host parties. Sadly, however, due to the still ongoing pandemic, Airbnb banned the use of using Airbnb services to host parties and celebrations. This will be kept on the pros though as it may get lifted at some point.  

Read Now: The Best Places to Buy a Property For Airbnb 

4. Culture Appreciation 

Imagine yourself on holiday at an Airbnb in a foreign country, how would someone’s house look? It wouldn’t look the same as yours at all. 

The place you stay in will not be exactly like your home but it will be so much different inside. Especially somewhere like Egypt where houses are immensely different to USA or UK. This provides a sort of cultural appreciation. 

You won’t see this sort of thing in a modern hotel in Egypt. Staying in someone’s home who decorated it according to their beliefs, and culture provides you with such a huge boost of immersion, and appreciation for the finer things while there. Even more so if you are on holiday to get a breath of fresh air and learn about the culture.  

You don’t need to culturally appropriate everything but providing a sense of local culture to your guests in decoration form can intrigue and interest them further. 

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First-hand experience in a different culture allows you to appreciate it more!

 

The Cons 

Of course, although many positives come with Airbnb, there are negative aspects too. 

1. Booking is Harder 

Booking an Airbnb is a lot harder than booking a casual hotel. You require an account, and then you must contact the host. You will then read a guide on health and safety and sign a bunch of contracts.  

Whereas a hotel usually has fewer steps to take to book a room.  

This unfortunately can’t be improved upon by the individual host, as it is up to the Airbnb company themselves.  

2. There is a Host 

Now, some people may not see this as a bad thing which is why it can be a pro and a con. But depending on the host, it may be difficult if they are extremely strict and hard to work with.  

It can also be that the host is very friendly and gives great advice to help on your holiday.  

Think of it as having to constantly talk to a hotel manager whenever you need something. It can become quite intimidating if you have an issue especially if the host isn’t particularly friendly. 

As a host, it is up to you to ensure safety, and respect your guests in the same fashion as how you would want to be in that situation. 

Read Now: How to Better Your Communication with Airbnb Guests 

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Communication is key for an Airbnb, so you would communicate with your host a lot! 

3. The Cheapness Has a Catch

Airbnb is often considered a cheaper option, and usually costs less than a hotel room. However, this can sometimes be because you are only renting one room in a three-bedroom house, where you must share the other facilities with whoever else is stopping there. 

So, although you might be paying less, you are also giving up your privacy.   

This may not be a problem to most people but some will see this as a huge turning away point. 

This is also one of the harder ones to fix as a host since it’s not entirely your fault there is one bathroom to share amongst several people. But by telling them beforehand on the Airbnb profile then at least they are informed. 

Also, your guests can choose if they want an entire rental space to themselves, or if they are willing to share communal areas with other travellers. 

4. It’s Mainly for Tourists and Visitors 

If you are a business traveller then you probably won’t benefit as much from going to an Airbnb as they are mainly oriented towards tourists and visitors.  

This means there is often no room for a workspace, or the internet may not be as perfect as you need it. 

It also may mean there aren’t a lot of places to use your equipment either.  

This can be fixed easily by creating a space like that for all kinds of travellers that isn’t too expensive but is there if needed. Maximising your number of guests overall can be important, especially for the slower months.  

Read Now: How to Make Your Airbnb More Appropriate for Business Travel 

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The search for a business-oriented Airbnb can be very difficult! 

Conclusion 

So, those were just some of the pros and cons that your tenants will be looking at when they book an Airbnb. Most of these can be improved upon, but some are due to Airbnb’s systems themselves. Hopefully, this will help you to improve your rental space to appeal to as many guests as possible.  

There are many more articles we have on all things Airbnb at Keey! If you have any questions feel free to contact us here today! 

How to Manage Multiple Rentals – Long-Term Lettings

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Investing in real estate is a great way to grow your wealth and create financial security for your future. But when you begin to grow your investments, it can easily become stressful. Managing multiple properties is a difficult task, as each comes with its own challenges and issues.  

Don’t let this discourage you though – there are lots of ways to ease the pressure of owning multiple rentals. You can reduce the day-to-day stress and the amount of time you spend focusing on your rentals, whilst still benefiting from the multiple streams of income they provide. So, what’s the best way to achieve this? 

Get Organised  

When it comes to managing multiple rentals, organisation is key. Each property comes with lots of individual paperwork and legal forms. If you don’t organise them, it’s easy to get information about different properties mixed up, which can cause issues in the future.  

Use a filing system that works for you and be consistent with it, whether it’s online or physical. This will make it easier to find any information you need quickly, and can stop you from feeling overwhelmed.  

Don’t be afraid to organise regular visits to your properties. This can help you ensure they are still at a high standard, and any issues they have can be dealt with immediately. If your tenants expect you at regular intervals, you can build a better relationship with them. They will feel more comfortable asking for help regarding the property, which will help you keep track of maintenance.  

Read Now: How to Carry Out a Thorough Rental Property Inspection 

Use a Rental Management Company  

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the workload of managing a rental, which only increases when you have more than one. It can be beneficial to contact a professional rental management company, who can ease the pressure and cover the complicated parts of owning rentals.  

Whilst it can sometimes be pricey, they understand the intricacies of legal issues and complicated systems which you may struggle with. It can be easy to make mistakes with tenancy laws, which can eventually lead to fines. 

 

Rental management companies can provide aid in many different aspects of property owning, including: 

  • Screening tenants 
  • Property inspections 
  • Maintenance requests 
  • Filling vacancies 
  • Legal issues 
  • Security deposits.

Choosing to self-manage all of your properties can be very time-consuming – tenants often want immediate service for problems that you may not be able to provide.  

If it’s short-term rentals you’re trying to juggle, using a rental management company like Keey can remove all of the heavy lifting for you! 

Read Now: Important Renting Rules for Landlords and Tenants to Follow  

Screen Your Tenants  

If you want to minimise hassle down the road, it is important that you have tenants that are trustworthy and responsible. By screening your tenants meticulously, you remove significant risks. You are less likely to have issues with rent not being paid, or with the property being mistreated, if you have paid attention to the type of people renting your property. 

Having multiple rentals becomes a lot easier to manage when you don’t have to constantly fix problems that your tenants are causing. This removes anxiety and creates a level of trust between you and your renters. If you trust them, they will find it easier to trust you.  

Property managers can help you find tenants that are best suited to you and your rentals, so you don’t have to worry about the screening process. If you like your renters, it becomes easier to form good relationships with them too. This makes fixing any issues a lot easier, as they won’t feel worried whenever they reach out to you.  

Utilise Technology  

Technology is a great way to manage details, and simplify the process of maintaining multiple rental properties. You can use it to make lots of aspects of property rental easier, including: 

  • Checking applicant history 
  • Handling rent 
  • Receiving requests from tenants  
  • Signing documents. 

Lots of rental management companies provide specialised software, data and systems that can help to simplify the processes even more. This can remove a lot of pressure, as you are less reliant on having to understand the intricacies of property management.  

The presence of Covid makes people feel tenser about in-person interactions. By utilising technology wherever possible, you remove the stress of face-to-face interaction and create a more comfortable situation for your renters.  

Read Now: 5 Things You Should Know About Long-Term Letting  

In Summary 

Investing in multiple rental properties can be a good way of making extra income, and it doesn’t have to be difficult. Property management companies can help to ease the pressures of owning properties, and create a sense of balance. 

Having strong relationships with your tenants makes the process much easier, and soon you will be seeing all of the benefits of managing multiple rental properties! 

If you want to learn more about how to manage your rental properties, contact the team at Keey today. We can help to find the methods that work best for you and your goals.  

Finding the Best Rental Listing Site for Your Property

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Finding the best rental listing website is key to get the best tenant for your property, quickly. Choosing well can make a big difference in: 

  • The amount of time you have to spend showing your rental properties  
  • The quality of tenant you’re able to attract 
  • The number of interests in your property. 

But the number of platforms designed to connect landlords and tenants has increased dramatically in recent years. It can feel overwhelming to try to determine which site is best for your rental listings.  

To help make things easier, we have reviewed and come up with a number of the best websites for advertising your rental properties, along with the basics of what they offer so you can find the perfect site for your marketing strategy.  

Read Now: Top 12 Reasons Why Your Property Isn’t Selling 

  1. OpenRent 

OpenRent is currently the UK’s largest online letting agent and for good reason. They have made online listing accessible to essentially everyone.  

When you create your first lettings advert on OpenRent, they will review and publish it to the property listings on Rightmove, Zoopla, Primelocation and all major property portals. 

OpenRent offer a 5-day free trial. After those 5 days, prices start from £29 for 3 months (which is still reasonable). 

Many people who have used OpenRent have found a tenant within that first 5 days – and more than a handful who claimed it was within 24hours. 

Might as well give it a go! 

  1. Airbnb 

Airbnb is a great option if short-term lets are your business model. The site is easy to function and once you have created your account, Airbnb gives you a walkthrough of how to build your listing.   

Essentially, all you need to do is… add great photos and decide how much you want to charge your guests.  

Airbnb is very flexible. You have full control of your property listing. You can personalise a listing to suit your needs and set promotions for your rentals. The site will even set rental prices for you, based on market averages. Sounds pretty easy right? 

It’s free to create a listing on Airbnb, however, they will charge a service fee of 3% when someone books your property.  

Read Now: 10 Tips to Get More Airbnb Bookings 

  1. Rightmove 

Rightmove attracts more than 120 million people each month. It’s huge! A lot of people check out Rightmove when they want to rent or buy a property. 

However, Rightmove doesn’t allow you advertise properties directly. You’ll need to use a letting agent or third-party, which depending who you go with, can be costly.  

However, there are some online companies that offer fixed price advertising deals – see our section on OpenRent.  

  1. Zoopla 

After Rightmove, Zoopla is the second-largest property site in the UK. However, compared to Rightmove’s 120 million visits, Zoopla only sees 40 thousand a month.  

Like Rightmove, Zoopla doesn’t deal with landlords directly, so you will need a letting agent or third-party. 

The good news is most online letting agents include Zoopla in the lists of websites they use. If you opt for OpenRent you can have access to both Rightmove and Zoopla.  

  1. Primelocation 

Primelocation has become the leading online destination for property consumers in the UK. It is owned by Zoopla. Like Zoopla and Rightmove, landlords can’t list properties directly on Primelocation, you will need a letting agent or third-party.

However, as part of the Zoopla brand, Primelocation does generate a fair amount of traffic so it’s a great option. 

  1.  SpareRoom 

Don’t be fooled by the name – you can advertise entire properties on the SpareRoom website, although it is mainly aimed towards people looking for someone to rent a spare room. 

It’s a great option as the site gets around 2 million visits a month and it’s also free to use. From a marketing standpoint, because the site is free to use, it makes sense to list your property on there. Especially if you have a low budget. After all, what have you got to lose? 

  1. Accommodation for Students 

Accommodation for Students is the UK’s number 1 Student Accommodation Property Portal. If you have student rental properties then this is the site for you.  

As a landlord you can advertise directly to students and cover all the UK university towns and cities. Creating an account takes minutes. 

The good news is you won’t need a third-party to advertise your listing. You can advertise a full property from just £20 +VAT. 

Read Now: Should I Rent My Property to Students? 

  1. On The Market 

According to On The Market themselves, it is “the most uncluttered and easy to use property portal”. Their site is growing. On The Market published figures showing that online traffic is increasing and listing generate more leads than Rightmove and Zoopla.  

On The Market uses letting agents and third-parties to advertise on their website. If you want to cover your bases, consider looking for a letting-agent or third-party to advertise on this portal.  

  1. Facebook Marketplace 

Social media can be an excellent marketing channel for landlords. Most tenants use social media, so you can’t afford to ignore the likes of Facebook Marketplace when it comes to letting your properties.  

The downside is that listings can soon drop down the page after posting on busy pages, so after the first day don’t expect a lot of attention.  

The secret of success on Facebook Marketplace is to get as many people to share your post as possible so it reaches the maximum number of people. Encourage friends and families to share your listing.  

A Final Word 

With so many sites to choose from, landlords have endless opportunities to find new tenants. You will need a letting agent to post on many of the larger sites, but if you would rather go it alone or your budget is low, try one of the free sites. In fact, why not try ALL the free sites? You really have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

We here at Keey have a range of management options that will help your rental properties flourish and grow your company. Get in touch with one of our experts today!  

Top Tips: How to Promote Your Airbnb

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Once you’ve listed your Airbnb property, the next key step is promotion. If you set up shop and then do nothing, you might be missing out on visitors who would snap up a stay at your property in an instant!  

Promoting your Airbnb on social media can alert potential customers to your property and even get you featured on compilation pages, bringing a lot of web traffic to your listing. 

This guide will provide you with tips on how to promote your Airbnb, and before you know it, you’ll have visitors in no time! 

Using Social Media 

Social media is the perfect way for you to promote your Airbnb, as these sites experience non-stop traffic every second of every day. There are countless different social media sites to choose from, but these three are a good place to start: 

Instagram

With an estimated 1.41 billion users, Instagram is the ideal social media site for you to share photos of your Airbnb to potential guests. You never know how impactful photography of home and lifestyle can be – the right photo could lead to someone knocking on your door. 

As with any other social media website, you’ll be needing the right hashtags to get things going. Be sure to use “#airbnb”, as Airbnb’s own official Instagram often shares their favourite posts. 

Read Now: How to Market Your Property on Instagram! 

Facebook 

Facebook has an estimated 2.91 billion users every month, and as with all social networking platforms, those numbers show no signs of decreasing. 

Facebook has a whole plethora of ways for you to customise your content, so make sure you create a separate page – not a profile – for your specific rental to make it stand out. Just as with Instagram, make sure you add high quality photos and even videos to showcase what your rental has to offer. Think – what does your place have that other Airbnb’s don’t? 

A Facebook business page offers a section that displays reviews from visitors, an extremely helpful feature as customers trust reviews as much as reccomendations from friends. Using Facebook for businesss also gives you the chance to place paid ads. 

Read Now: 5 Important Steps to Promote Your Airbnb on Social Media 

TikTok 

Created in 2016, TikTok has approximately 1 billion users and is currently one of the most-used apps. Consisting of short videos (with their length varying anywhere from 15 to 60 seconds), you can share everything that your rental has to offer in a small span of time.  

TikTok curates its videos to the interests of its users, which is the ideal chance for you to promote yourself to an audience who are considerably persuadable. 

Emphasise Your Location 

When promoting your Airbnb, a key thing to emphasise is its location. What’s nearby – a great park? A particular tourist attraction? A famous landmark? How long is the walking distance to reach them? You should highlight these features to attract potential guests who might be on the fence. 

Also consider other attractive features of your rental’s location… is your rental in peaceful countryside? Just far enough outside a busy town or city to get a great night’s sleep? Draw on the bright side of your rental’s location to paint a great picture of a stay at your property.  

Promote with Help From Local Businesses 

Sometimes, promoting your property online isn’t the be-all and end-all. There’s nothing wrong with the old-fashioned referral by word of mouth; if anything, the recommendation carries more weight than a review on the internet.  

Say, for example, there’s a popular local café or corner shop near your property. While you can recommend them to your guests, you can also request that the owners of the establishment recommend your services in return. If they have countless visitors day-in and day-out, and they help promote you, you may find yourself receiving many requests for guests to stay at your Airbnb! 

Read Now: How You Can Elevate Your Airbnb with a Guidebook 

This was just a small handful of ways for you to promote your Airbnb rental. If you’d like more advice on boosting bookings, contact us at Keey today. 

Making the Best Use of Photos in Your Airbnb Listing

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When making a listing on Airbnb, providing great photos is one of the most crucial steps in creating interest in your rental. You could have a unique space for a good price, but if the pictures don’t do it justice, you aren’t going to get the customers you expect.  

It isn’t just the pictures themselves that are important – it’s the order in which you present them. There’s no point in having great pictures after twenty blurry ones because by then you have lost the interest of the customer. 

Good use of photographs on your Airbnb listing can boost your probability of being booked by 16%, so if you’ve put the effort into taking great images, you want to make sure they are seen. How you select and order your photos is almost as important as the quality of the photo itself. So how do you ensure you are organising your pictures in the best way possible?  

By optimising the features Airbnb provides, you can present the best version of your property. Using the gallery, and paying special attention to your first few images, you can emphasise the highlights of your listing, in a way that everyone can see! 

Focus on Your First Photo

The first photo you use is your make or break: it is how people decide if they are interested in your rental. Your lead photo should include your USP to help you stand out from the crowd. Your USP is your unique selling point – the thing that is going to get the interest of potential guests.  

Figure out what it is about your rental that makes it stand out from the rest and find a way to show its best quality in a photograph. 

Whether you have a spacious master bedroom, a cosy garden, or a stunning view, make sure your first photo is an attention grabber. Consider the kind of renters you expect to have and adjust your lead photo to suit them. If you have a villa right next to the beach, guests are probably going to be more interested in the view than the antique wood burner in the kitchen.  

Your lead photo is your magnet – it is what you use to draw in potential guests. Don’t underestimate the importance of a great photo!  

Create a Tour 

After your lead photo, there are four more images that appear at the top of your listing in a grid. Use these photos to create a tour of your rental – start with the most important room (usually the master bedroom) and follow with each main area in your rental.  

You want to make the potential guests feel like they are walking through the property. Your listing can feel disjointed if you begin in the bathroom, and then move to a photo of the front door. Think about how you would show your property to a guest in person, and replicate that experience with your photos.  

The images should follow a natural progression, highlighting the best bits of your space. If your first five pics are enticing, people are more likely to click into your galleries or look further into renting your space.  

Don’t repeat locations in these first five images – if you use three pictures of the same bedroom, it creates the idea that it is the only good thing you have to offer. Show the guest everything you have in store.  

Use the Gallery  

The gallery is a great way to organise your images and make it easier for the potential renter to look through what you’re listing. Organise your gallery by room or area, to make it clear what is available in each part of your rental. Start with the most important or impressive space, and work through each of the main parts of your rental. 

The cover photo for each folder in your gallery should be the best picture of that area. You want them to be interested enough to click into the gallery, so your cover images need to entice them. Once they are in the folder, you can include images of smaller details, but always lead with the best: you don’t want them to lose interest.  

Don’t worry if you want to include images that don’t fit into any of your specific folders – that’s what the ‘additional photos’ section is for! Use it to show your quirks, pictures of the surrounding location, and anything you think could interest a customer.  

To Sum Up… 

If you’re putting in the work to get great photos of your Airbnb, make sure you’re using them the best way possible! Make your listing stand out by putting your best foot forward – now is the time to show off.  

Related Articles

For further advice on making the most of your Airbnb listing, contact our specialists at Keey today.  

How to Become an Airbnb Superhost

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A superhost is the status awarded to Airbnb hosts who provide a great service to their guests and go above and beyond in every aspect of their hosting responsibilities.  Airbnb awards these profiles with an identifying badge so that potential guests can recognise their status as a Superhost.  

Why Should You Become a Superhost on Airbnb? 

With the Superhost status your listing will have better searchability and it’ll be more attractive to potential guests, which will lead to a higher number of bookings and greater profit from your property.  

The Superhost programme is Airbnb’s way of recognising the best in hospitality and rewarding you for the hard work it takes to be a high-quality host. 

Below are the benefits that come with the Superhost status:  

  1. Superhost badge –All Superhosts’ profiles are given a badge that allows potential guests to easily identify their status. This separates your listing from regular hosts and provides reassurance that your Airbnb comes with great service. This badge can really help your property stand out on Airbnb. 
  1. More views – Airbnb doesn’t endorse or sponsor Superhosts, so while they can’t guarantee you’ll get more views with a Superhost badge, guests trust that Superhosts are the best of the best. Those looking for a place to stay will often seek them out using the Superhost search filter. Having a Superhost badge could be the deciding factor between your listing and another. 
  1. More money – As guests trust the level of service related to the Superhost badge, they’re more likely to book with those who have one. A greater number of bookings means an increase in your total earnings.  
  1. Exclusive rewards – Once you maintain your Superhost status for a year, Airbnb will gift you with credit to spend on an Airbnb trip. And when you refer a new Host to sign up, you’ll receive an extra 20% on top of the usual referral bonus. 

Read Now: Why Monitoring Other Airbnb Hosts is Important 

How to Qualify As a Superhost 

To qualify as a Superhost you must meet the following criteria, which Airbnb monitor every 3 months to make sure you can keep your status: 

  1. 4.8+ overall rating – Superhosts must have a 4.8 or higher average overall review rating from their guests in the past year. 
  1. 10+ stays – Superhosts must have completed at least 10 stays in the past year or 100 nights over at least 3 completed stays as this ensures they’re an experienced host. 
  1. Less than 1% cancellation rate – Superhosts must have a low cancellation rate as rare cancellations creates peace of mind for guests. 
  1. 90% response rate – Superhosts must respond to 90% of messages within 24 hours so guest can trust in your responsiveness.  

Read Now: How to Impress Your Airbnb Guests 

Tips to Achieve the Necessary Superhost Criteria 

  1. Be a great communicator – Make sure to answer guest emails in under 24 hours but to make the best impression you should reply within the hour. Be clear, specific and welcoming in your communication so that guests are satisfied. 
  1. Give a warm welcome – It’s a great idea to meet your guests in person and offer local tips for activities and eating out. But if you’re not able to do so, make sure check-in runs smoothly and provide signs so your guests know where to go. Provide a welcome pack and complimentary food for when your guests arrive. If you have the time you could also purchase fresh flowers and display them. 
  1. Go above and beyond – Don’t just focus on the specific criteria for becoming a Superhost, go above and beyond for each of your guests and really personalise their stay. One example of this is providing paid-for passes to an event or attraction that you think your guests may enjoy. This will wow your guests and guarantee 5-star reviews.  

Read Now: 4 Features That Elevate Your Airbnb Experience 

Once you achieve Superhost status it’s important to focus on maintaining it, don’t relax your hosting efforts as Airbnb will review your listings every 3 months! 

Related Articles

For further advice on how to upgrade to Airbnb superhost status contact our specialists at Keey today. 

Why Monitoring Other Airbnb Hosts is Important

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Airbnb is one of the most popular platforms for landlords and guests; in fact there are over 4 million hosts signed up with 150 million total users as of 2021. Therefore, it is essential for any successful host on Airbnb to be mindful of the competition. 

We’ve highlighted a few key points on how to stand out on and off the platform and ultimately boost your sales. 

Check Market pricing 

Within a highly saturated and dynamic market the price is likely to fluctuate throughout the year. This can be seasonal, or as a result of new competition entering the market. Demand can easily rise and fall throughout the year, so in order to maximise bookings and profits, Airbnb hosts need to understand their market.  

A great place to start is by understanding all of the seasonal events and holidays within your area, as these can be peak visitor times. In doing so, you will gain a better understanding of your local area and what is coming up.  

It’s also a good idea to take into account upcoming events for alterations to your interior design.  This is a great way to help you stand out from your competition.  

Next, you can turn your attention to the pricing strategies of your competition. Everyone will go through slow seasons, but they may not always be at the same times. If your competitors start lowering their prices, you need to pay attention as it may drastically reduce your bookings for that time period. This can be achieved through regular monitoring of the Airbnb venues in your area.  

High Quality Photographs 

While spending time to check through the pricing of your competition, it can be beneficial to look into the style of photographs they are using. Understanding how high-quality photographs can attract guests is crucial for a successful host.  

If you are able to spot what makes your competitors successful then you can use the information to help your listing stand out more. Airbnb recommends that you show off your unique amenities, to make people remember your listing. With the vast amount of competition out there it can be easy to blend into the crowd, so highlight features that will make you stand out. 

Did you know that Airbnb offers a service to help connect you with local photographers for a professional look to your listing? 

Strong Reviews 

The reviews left on an Airbnb listing can make or break a customer’s decision to stay at an accommodation. Even after the hard work and attention to detail within your pricing and photography, multiple poor reviews can turn people away. This is why it is so crucial to care for and to impress your Airbnb guests.  

However, you are not the only host facing this issue – all of your competitors will have the same problem. Looking at how other hosts manage guests can provide great insight into what you need to do to provide a good service.  

More importantly, the reviews will also highlight what customers do not like about particular listings. This could be poor customer service, lack of cleanliness or a lack of furnishings. Spending time to understand exactly what the customer wants will prove to be beneficial for your listing, with more positive reviews making your property look far more attractive. 

Social Media Presence 

The majority of your market will use social media in some form. For example, in the UK 71.64% of the population uses social media. This is why it is so important to utilise social media and its marketing potential.   

Searching for your competitors on social media sites helps you to identify their marketing tactics, but it can also help you spot gaps within the market. If no one else is using a social media platform, use it first! There is a massive audience there waiting to see your content. Instagram and TikTok are two of the best platforms to boost customer awareness of your Airbnb.  

Within the different social media platforms, trends rise and fall dramatically, especially within the fastest growing platform TikTok. Airbnb themselves have even used the TikTok algorithm to predict the trends for 2022. 

To sum up… 

So, with everything considered, a strong focus on how your competitors operate will allow you to adapt and improve upon your own rental strategy. High quality photos, great reviews and a strong social media presence will give your listing the highest success possible.  

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If you want even more tips on how to increase your bookings, feel free to contact our specialists at Keey today. 

Strategies for a Successful Airbnb in the Slow Season

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It’s essential for every Airbnb host to have a strong pricing strategy for the slow season. These crucial months can decide whether you’re able to stay open to take advantage of the peak season!  

With the high demand in the peak months anyone can have a fully booked calendar – it’s how hosts manage the slower months that separates the professionals from the amateurs.  

Your off-season could run from November to March depending on your area. There are a variety of strategies you can implement that will increase the flexibility of your listing. As a result, this will increase the amount of future potential guests interested in your Airbnb.  

It’s important to note that by having a more flexible listing, you increase the risk that comes with your Airbnb. Make sure to evaluate both the benefits and pitfalls before you implement these strategies! 

You don’t have to follow all of the strategies listed below. If you just choose a few that align with your Airbnb rental you’ll still be in a better position than your competition. 

Read Now: 10 Tips to get more Airbnb Bookings 

Lower the Price 

This is the most obvious strategy for Airbnb’s during the slow season, but you’d be surprised how many skip this step or do it incorrectly. A lot of hosts only lower their prices to what they’d like to receive from their rental, but this runs the risk of an empty property and an even bigger loss.  

So, to calculate the true minimum price of your Airbnb you need to add up your fixed costs, your variable costs and the price of your time. 

Your fixed costs are expenses that occur regardless of guests, for example rent or mortgage, and your variable costs are expenses paid when guests are in your property like gas and electricity.  In addition to these costs, consider how much you’d price your time for managing the Airbnb.  

You can then calculate your true minimum price – this will create more profit than having your rental empty. It’s important not to be put off by how much lower this number will be from your peak season price as what’s most important is to not be cutting a loss during the slow season.  

Increase Your Percentage Discounts  

Increasing your percentage discounts on your weekly and monthly bookings is a great way to encourage long term guests.  

Long term bookings are perfect for the slow season as it takes the weight off your shoulders knowing your Airbnb will be occupied for an extended period of time.  

Generally, a week-long booking will receive a 10% discount and a month will receive 20%, so during the slow season you should consider doubling these numbers to attract potential guests from your competition.  

Or you can research the actual discounts of your competition by filtering the search for your area, price range, and the number of beds to see how much similar rentals are offering and then increase your own discounts by 5% more than them. 

Remove the Extra Person Charge  

Extra person charges are a pricing strategy that is best reserved for the peak season, during the low season it’s best not to include anything that could deter any potential guests.  

There is actually limited extra work or wear and tear from any extra guests, most hosts charge the extra fee simply because it’s an available option. 

However, to make sure your guests aren’t exceeding the maximum occupancy of your rental, you can still include a fee for any guests over the maximum. This is especially effective for discouraging guests from bringing more people than your rental allows for Airbnb’s with self-check ins. 

Lower Minimum Nights to One 

If you haven’t already you should lower your minimum night’s stay to one, as there is a surprising amount of Airbnb’s which don’t allow this. You’ll then be opening yourself up to a greater pool of potential guests.  

The slow season is a great time to trial this and see how your booking numbers benefit. And if means having guests over an empty rental, it’ll be worth the extra cleaning costs. 

Add ‘Discount’ to Your Listing Title 

Changing your listing title is a great strategy for the slow season as it’s that little bit extra that can be the difference between getting a booking and losing a potential guest.  

Your potential guests have already narrowed down their search to find your Airbnb. Seeing the 10% discount listed in the title will entice them to at least click through to your listing to see what your property has to offer. 

Once the guests are on your listing, make sure to write out the details of the discount you’re offering. Make sure that your guests know exactly what deal they’ll be getting if they book with you.   

This is a very effective strategy that so many hosts fail to implement during the slow season, and it’s so simple and easy to apply to your listing. 

Read Now: Ways to Boost SEO on Short-Term Rental Booking Platforms 

To sum up… 

Having a pricing strategy for the slow season is crucial. The strategy which works best for you will depend on your area, competition and the needs of your guests. With trial and error, you can find the most effective methods to keep guests flowing through and keep your Airbnb from sitting empty.  

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If you think you could benefit from some help with maximising bookings of your short-term rental, feel free to contact us at Keey today.  

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