Hello! Has anyone’s AirBnB gained attention through your marketing or word-of-mouth reputation to the point that folks are contacting your personal email to try and book your room?
I learned recently that the community center in my neighborhood hosts retreats for college students from other cities, but doesn’t provide housing and recommends on their website that students book housing through AirBnB. I’m the closest AirBnB host, practically across the street from the community center, so I saw this as a marketing opportunity since I am a new host and my bookings have been a bit slow this January. I emailed the retreat coordinator to give her the link to my listing. I guess she passed my personal email along to students because I’ve gotten a handful of emails asking about rates, asking if I can hold the room until they can get the money together to book the room. I think some of these students were hoping to pay me weekly but they haven’t come right out and asked that yet. I keep referring them back to the AirBnB site. The retreat coordinator herself asked me to send her a list of all the AirBnBs in my neighborhood with availability during the retreat. I redirected to her back to the AirBnB site, as I would like to be paid if I am asked to be coordinating housing for a retreat!
I don’t think there is any ill intent here. I think this is just a case of students not having a lot of money and everyone being brand new to AirBnB. The retreat starts at the end of the month, which seems last minute to find housing.
I was wondering if something similar experience with guests getting your personal contact information and attempting to communicate off site. I had read an article with tips on marketing your AirBnB so I thought I’d try to draw some attention to what I uniquely offer, but I hadn’t realized that a downfall would be that it would give potential guests and visitors the means to contact me off site and ask questions that would be better suited for a travel agent.