Hey friends,
Ever wanted to get into the property industry, but the thought of those BIG deposits or securing yourself finance has put you off?
Well, it’s not as difficult as you may have once thought…
You see, Airbnb is now utilised in all but 4 countries across the globe and it’s one of the most successful property booking platforms currently in existence.
If you have a property or even just a spare room that you don’t use, listing it on Airbnb could prove highly profitable and could open up new horizons.
However, being an Airbnb host isn’t as glamorous or as simple as many people seem to realise…
So here’s a look at FIVE of the biggest Airbnb mistakes to consider (and avoid) if you want to become a successful host.
#1. Under-pricing – One of the most common mistakes that people make when listing on Airbnb isn’t actually over-pricing their properties/rooms at all, it’s actually under-pricing them.
People are so driven by getting those all-important bookings that they sell themselves short and list their space for far less than it’s actually worth.
Sure, we know that low prices will attract customers, but you still need to be earning what you deserve to be earning, right?
If you have a spare room with an en-suite bathroom for example, you should not be charging the same amount for that room as people charge for a room without an en-suite.
Do your research and find out how much, realistically, you could and should be charging!
#2. Mis-leading your customers – Of course you want to advertise your property in the best light possible, and while you can use certain words and phrases that perhaps, downplay the negatives of your property, you should never lie or mislead your customers.
If you’re advertising a small room, you could perhaps use words like ‘compact’ or ‘snug’ to describe it. If you describe it as ‘spacious’ however, this isn’t true and you’re misleading the customer.
Focus on the positives by all means, but don’t lie or bend the truth to make your property sound better than it actually is. All this will do is tick off your customers, result in you dealing with complaints, and you receiving a whole bunch of negative reviews.
#3. Using bad pictures – There is literally no excuse for bad pictures in the 21st century! We now have smart phones with 4K Ultra HD capabilities, not to mention the fact that even the most basic digital cameras are still extremely sharp.
Before you list your Airbnb property, you must ensure that you have good quality images that portray your property in the best light possible.
While you will be keen to get your Airbnb property listed as quickly, it’s recommended that you take your time with the images and ideally hire an expert to snap some pics for you. If you snap the pics yourself and upload them right away, there’s a strong chance they won’t be as nice as you may have hoped.
Snapping awesome pictures is important enough, but it’s also crucial that you edit them properly, to really make them stand out for the right reasons.
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#4. Being a bad host – Everybody chooses to run their Airbnb property in their own unique way, and that’s perfectly fine. If you want to make a success of your Airbnb venture however, you need to ensure that you work on your hosting skills.
Greet guests and be warm and friendly with them. Introduce yourself, ask them their name, and perhaps make a little small talk. Some hosts are cold, distance, and downright rude in all honesty. Needless to say, it’s rare they ever receive the same guests again in the future.
It is however, possible to be too nice. Some guests will be tired after travelling and will just want to get to their property/room and relax. They won’t want to be bombarded by a million questions or to be forced into making conversation with somebody they’ve never met before. Some hosts are simply too friendly and too full on and will be knocking on their guest’s doors every few hours with snacks, cups of tea, maps, guides, and so on.
Once you’ve greeted your guests, leave them alone and perhaps tell them to contact you if they need anything, rather than things being the other way around.
#5. Not responding to emails and enquiries – Some people run an Airbnb property to earn a living, while others do it on the side as a way of making extra money… and both can work great!
Those that do it on the side often also work another job, and so they’re obviously tired after a long day. Sometimes they therefore decide not to check their emails until the next day, or until they can be bothered and this often results in them losing out on a potential booking.
If you send an email enquiring about booking a property, ideally, you’ll want to hear back as soon as possible. If you don’t, you’ll look elsewhere. In situations like this, it’s always best that you put yourself in the shoes of the customer.
So there you have it [First Name]… FIVE of the biggest Airbnb mistakes to consider (and avoid) if you’re thinking about becoming an Airbnb host.
Whether you’re planning to rent out a room, your entire property or you’re running an Airbnb business full-time, do the small stuff really well and the profits should take care of themselves.
To Your Success
PS. Remember to check out How Airbnb Paid Aaron & Nicole Over $323,000 In Their First 12 Months Using Other People’s Properties… and how you can too!
It’s free, LIVE and lasts around 2-hours. You can check it out here