As an Airbnb host, you know how crucial it is to stay up to date with the latest updates and changes on the platform. Recently, Airbnb rolled out its newest update for Hosts. In this blog post, we'll dive into the details of what this update entails, how it benefits Hosts, and everything else you need to know.
Updates Aimed at Helping Guests
The major updates in this winter release are aimed at helping guests “understand exactly what to expect before they book.” They included 4 main updates to Airbnb’s platform:
- Guest Favorites – A collection of the 2 million most-loved homes on Airbnb based on ratings, reviews, and reliability. About two thirds of these listings are from Superhosts, and will be differentiated with a “Guest Favorite” badge visible both on the Search Results page and the listing page.
- Revamped ratings & reviews – A redesigned ratings page, with new features to help guests understand the quality of every home. Guests can now sort reviews and reviews will contain more details about the reviewer and their trip.
- Arrival guide preview – A quick display for hosts to view their arrival guide and see how their directions, check-in details, house manual, and checkout instructions will appear to guests.
- Listings tab – A set of new tools for hosts to manage their listing and showcase the details guests care about most. Airbnb says that listings with more details get 20% more bookings, but many listings currently are missing the details that guest care about. These new tools are aimed at making managing a listing easier for a host, and include a redesigned listing editor, AI-powered photo tour, and a new integration for compatible smart locks.
💡Host Takeaway: While it’s no surprise that these updates are mainly for the guests’ benefit, it’s important to be aware and know the new ways that guests interact with your listing. To help your listing stand out, start using these new tools and features, and get to know the new listing tab features.
Airbnb Offers Comp Sets “Lite”
Airbnb will now offer hosts the ability to compare prices to similar listings. They can view average nightly pricing in the calendar.
Comp sets are a valuable resource for hosts. This can help hosts see where they stand in the market, and therefore, make changes to their pricing strategy as needed.
💡Host Takeaway: While this is a great offering for hosts to have within the Airbnb platform, it’s important to remember that this data is only about other Airbnb listings, and does not include listings on other platforms, like Vrbo. While Airbnb is a popular booking channel, not all guests in your market book on Airbnb. It’s important to have access to the full competitive landscape in your market. Airbnb’s comp sets also only provide a few metrics, so it can be difficult to get the full picture of your competitors. For access to complete competitor data beyond just Airbnb listings, check out Comp Sets in Beyond.
In Beyond, users can now create, edit, and manage their own competitive listings all from one view. You will be able to see nearby properties' average daily rates, occupancy, base prices, and health scores, and can choose which properties to include in your Comp Set.
More Updates
Pricing Visibility
Another noticeable change in this update is the way guests and hosts will see service fees. Earlier this year, Airbnb included an option for guests to view the total cost of their stay, including fees, on the initial search page. Now in this Winter release, Airbnb is taking this a step further and changing the way both guests and hosts handle fees. The prices that hosts now set will include service fees. Airbnb has highlighted affordability as a differentiator for the platform, so these new tools are designed to help hosts competitively price their listings. Using a revenue management system like Beyond helps ensure hosts maximize both price and occupancy.
New earnings dashboard
Airbnb completely redesigned the dashboard to give hosts a clear view of their earnings, including a detailed breakdown of past and future payments, customizable reports, settings, filters, and search.
New options for Co–Host payouts
Hosts have two new ways to share payouts with Co-Hosts: share the cleaning fee or share the cleaning fee plus a percentage of the booking amount.
New Co-Host messaging
Hosts and their Co-Hosts can now communicate in the app with new Inbox features to help them discuss and coordinate upcoming reservations.
💡Host Takeaway: These changes can help hosts to optimize their listing and provide a better experience for their guests. As an Airbnb host, this update should encourage you to stay active on the platform and continue to improve your listing's performance. You never know how these small updates can affect the success of your listing.
Airbnb's latest update for hosts offers essential changes that can make a big difference. From the introduction of comp sets to the change in the way guests see fees, these updates give hosts access to valuable data that they can use to improve their listing and attract more guests. As an Airbnb host, it's important to stay informed and stay ahead of the game. So, make sure to take advantage of these updates and use them to optimize your listing as much as possible. Happy hosting!
