New listing not instant book bottom of list

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I just added a couple of listings today. I decided to experiment with locking off bedrooms in my whole house listing for smaller groups/couples and lowering the price. The default is now instant book, I did not want instant because I wanted to be able to hold out for a booking for the entire house for more money. So I made the listings and turned off instant book. I went to search for my listings and they were dead last in the search. I went through and mated the calendars, blocked off weekends and put back on instant book and BOOOM I was near the top of the search. I am planning on selectively unblocking the weekend days on the cheaper listings on Friday mornings if the entire house is not booked for the weekend and see if I can increase my bookings. The way it is set up my full price 3 bedroom 5 bed 2 bath cabin is available all the time, the two new listings one for the queen bedroom and the other for the two twin bedroom are available Sunday-Thursday and I will tweak on Friday mornings. I also cut the cleaning fee for those listings as the 3rd bedroom with its own bathroom would be locked off. So only one bedroom one bath on the cheaper listings, guest save $100 over all 3 bedrooms and both baths, I have a quicker turn over. Now to see if this actually works out…

Lesson of the day for me was if you are not on instant book you are dead to Airbnb

RR

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I’m afraid that this seems to be a fact of life. Or rather, a fact of being an Airbnb host. It’s all part of Airbnb’s desire to make booking as easy as possible for potential guests.

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You are running a hotel not a home… that is where they want us to be!

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Well since I opened up the new listings for 1 bedroom 1 bath I booked an overnighter last night, they self checked in last night at 10:33 (cameras) and left at 8:16
So this morning I decided to lower tonights rate by $6 just to get ABB to notice me, I also changed the setting for same day bookings cutoff at 12:00 to cut off at 6:00
While I was cleaning, which was a breeze other than the seemingly endless long black hairs in the tub I got a booking for tonight for 1 person. So my 250 a night 3 bed 2 bath would have been empty this weekend instead I was booked both nights and cleared 325 for the weekend. Yes two turnovers but two cleaning fees and less work so far then doing the whole house. I will keep doing this:)

RR

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Thanks for reporting back.

Just keep in mind that it’s not over until the review posts. Not to be negative but some people report things like getting dinged on value or people complaining because there are locked rooms in the house. Mind you I don’t think you will have that problem but you know what they say about counting chickens. You may also find that while the money is nice sitting around waiting for guests to leave and then spending time cleaning can get old quickly. However, if it is good reviews, they are gold because then you rack up the reviews faster.

There are many stories on this forum of tweaking the listing and bingo…a booking.

I’m quite convinced that the busier you are the busier you can be, if you want.

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Thx K9
I would hope that since my listing headline is “Whole house queen bedroom” And the first sentence in the description is "Queen bedroom, entire house other bedrooms locked off to allow lower pricing. " that people would get it. But you are right is is not over until the fat lady sings (reviews me). Although she was not fat, just shed a LOT of hair! I also just started leaving out fresh chicken eggs with a note about laid that day by chickens with names, these guest left me a very nice thank you note. Hopefully they do not see that as a review… lol.

I am still new, just a few months in and I am happy with the 4-6 nights a month so far and I know it will increase as I go along. I am building a second unit on the property, plans are in the county now and will be renting that out by the Fall. I live a block away and this house is 100% income/investment property and so far so good.

RR

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Ok. Yeah that extra $325 for two cleanings isn’t bad. I typically have 20 one night bookings and 3-4 multi night bookings a month so I was thinking along those lines. It also takes me all week to make $325. So that’s comparing apples to…eggs.

It sounds like you’ve come up with a winning strategy.

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