Hi, This is the first time I’ll host an Airbnb and have been reading and getting overwhelmed about what are the main softwares to get it started. I only have one property (3 bedroom, 2 baths).
I read about Wheelhouse for Pricing Strategy, Hostify, Guestly, OwnerRez, Lodgify and the more I search, the more tools I get suggested.
I’d love to hear from experienced hosts what tools do you use currently and wish have used when starting?
I’d love to get system and automation help to run my business, but at the same time I’d like to start making money before making the investment.
Any and all insights is greatly appreciated!
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I’ve never used any software for my listing. Some hosts do use some of it, but why do you think it’s necessary when you just have one listing?
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Thank you for your reply. My main concerns are how to set up pricing strategy and how to make my property prominent on the search. For everything else I think I can manage on my own, but these 2 points I’m not so sure.
May I ask 1) how do you go about setting the price and 2) how do you make sure your property comes up on the first pages of search?
Thank you!
You can’t really “make sure” your property comes up on the first pages of search. Don’t you think everyone wants to be on the first pages? Obviously that’s not possible, especially if you are in a heavily saturated area.
Have a good photo gallery, showing all the rooms and outdoor spaces, not too few and not too many. Stay away from those slick wide angle shots that make rooms look 3 times bigger than they actually are- they may attract attention, but you’ll get poor reviews if guests feel they’ve been misled.
You also need to be aware that when you first list, you are only given the 500 word opening description to fill out. There are also other settings that aren’t available to edit at that time. So you list with what is available, then as soon as it goes live, which takes a day or two, snooze the listing, and go back and complete all the information fields and settings you want, and then unsnooze. (I have no idea why Airbnb does this now- it makes no sense and it didn’t used to work that way. You used to be able to have it all written up before you listed.)
There are a lot of factors which go into Airbnb’s search algorithm, and it’s impossible to know exactly what factors will be in play at any given time.
When you first list, Airbnb gives you a boost in search for the first month or so. So make sure you are familiar with the platform, Airbnb policies, their TOS, can find your way around your hosting pages and everything else before you list, so you can take advantage of that search boost without wasting it floundering around trying to figure things out.
Other hosts will have to address your pricing strategy questions- I have no pricing strategy. I know what it costs me to host, I know how much I need to charge to make it worthwhile and while there are thousands of Airbnbs in my town, I offer somethimg a bit unique, so I don’t concern myself with what others are charging.
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I have 5 listings and use no channel managers. This is my job and i like to keep tight control.
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We have a single property (3 bed/3 bath villa), and I suggest you do not use software right away.
You don’t need a channel manager (such as OwnerRez) unless you advertise on multiple sites. Even then, you can sync the calendars instead of using a channel manager. The channel managers can automate messages, but I suggest you figure out what communications you need and can standardize before you worry about that.
Pricing tools are most useful for properties and locations that have a lot of similar competition nearby. Even if that applies to you, I wouldn’t start there.
You should first focus on great pictures , a great (and SHORT) writeup, and making your guests happy so you get five-star glowing reviews.
Good luck!
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Just like Muddy, I too have never used a software program and this is my 6th summer hosting. I only have one listing. I always felt that those programs were most likely geared to property managers.
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We don’t use software and I’ve looked at quite a few but as a single property owner I can’t see an advantage in using any of them, however, I can see that they would be more useful if you were hosting several places. I know this is probably a bit of a simplistic approach but when we started I looked at other (reasonably) comparable local listings and made ours the cheapest. After a few bookings, guests started to say that we were too cheap for our offer and that we could easily charge more! We kept it at that low price until we had twenty or so 5* reviews and since then have increased the price incrementally up to our present rate. I think it’s great that guests still remark on our good value and so I’m not averse to pursuing this strategy.
I occasionally check out different pricing strategies and also our stats. For example, Airbnb show that we’re £23 cheaper than the average comparable offer in our area and have a 33% higher occupancy too but we’ve never been fully booked in any one month and so it would seem pricing isn’t everything - mind you, we are in a very quiet and under-visited part of the UK and it would seem nearly every other property round here is either Air or vrbo.
Anyway, I would say that although we don’t engage in any sort of dynamic pricing I’d still really want to be hands-on rather than delegate to software. As a suggestion, you could always mess about with Air’s smart pricing just to see how that software adjusts the price/occupancy metric but I’m sure there’s value to had in managing it yourself until you’re more familiar with your local market, seasonal cycles etc.
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I have a duplex w/2 listings and don’t use pricing software. I want to know trends in my area, so pay for a subscription to AirDNA. If it’s still free, AllTheRooms is okay for a snapshot of your area.
There are so many people out there who are completely ready to sell you something to get your business up and going. AirBnB has added new host tools that’ll give you insight and browsing listings in your area will help too. Just try it on your own for a while.
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I have never used a channel manager. When I first started hosting, I did a spread sheet of all Air listings in my area. This helped to see what other hosts had to offer & their prices. Back then, you were able to see availability for a cpl of months out, but that has changed.
I will say that my area has become over saturated in the past year or 2, but I’ve kept my pricing the same. I count on my 5* rating w/ rave reviews to keep the reservations coming in.
Good luck!
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@juseraphim Just curious- you say you’ve been reading and getting overwhelmed with all the software options. If you’ve been reading articles and books put out by these so-called “Airbnb experts”, who put out free stuff but also have books and videos you have to pay for, you are much better off asking questions of other hosts here than listening to these guys, who really just want to try to sell you something.
Also they are much more geared towards property managers with dozens or hundreds of listings, not a host with one place to look after.
And while many hosts use scheduled, generic messages to convey things like check-in instructions to guests, and they certainly can be useful time-savers and have their place, sending guests nothing but pre-programmed messages leads guests to think of it as a faceless, property-manager type listing, which can lead to less respectful behavior.
It’s important to create some personal connection with guests so they get the impression this is a place that you care about and are actively engaged with.
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Price ye thy listing as thy common sense prevail,
For does the flower that blooms compete with its neighbor or does it not just bloom?
Seek not in thy youth the breeding of barren metal but the flowers of bookings and reviews.
Yet in a score of months make straight your path to Price Labs.
To reach the views of the mountain top, climb hard
By tweaking thy pithy words step after step that they align with the truth of thy offering.
Make your pictures as would the shepherd who points the path home, nor more than fifty, inside and out, true in color, light and form.
Then after you smile upon your labors come here and show us thy fruit that we might give you not rest but more toil to hoist you to the mountain top you seek.
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be warned, when you use a channel manager you will also have to pay ALL the comm to ABB (13-17%), add that to your channel manager fees, and see how things look.
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That’s not true for properties in the US and a few other exceptions.
You can also use part of the channel manager’s tools without being required to pay the fees (“Simplified Pricing”). (Edited to clarify - without paying AirBnB the fees from your revenue.) That’s what I do - use the channel manager’s (OwnerRez) calendar sync and automatic messages and tracking. I just can’t set prices or manage the listing description through the channel manager.
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Never thought about it that way. Thank you so much for your insight. And I agree, I’ve been getting much more value from this community than this blogs out there.
Thanks a lot!
Welcome ! I only use the Airbnb app for my bookings.
I did invest in a Netflix account with 3 users. One for the main house and one for the Airbnb cottage.
Do spend some time writing a good listing , add some great photos of the airbnb and the area and do a guide book online and leave a hard copy in the bnb so you can promote local amazing businesses.
Keep in mind Airbnb advises low prices when you start out and their app doesn’t know when it’s summer in the southern hemisphere.
Have fun!
Not the least bit interested in AI copy. I can describe my property much better than some computer bot can. And if you just came here to promote some website you are involved with, advertising isn’t allowed here.
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