Tips for making your Airbnb stand out

What makes your Airbnb listing stand out
Having an Airbnb listing used to set you apart from other short-term rentals and accommodations by default. When the platform only had several dozen properties per territory, you didn’t have to do much to find guests. You just put up a listing and people would grab it up. But then Airbnb became totally saturated, meaning hosts had to actually work hard to make their listings stand out amidst the noise.

When it comes to standing out, there are really two primary ways you can make your property highly sought-after. The first strategy is to be a low-price leader. In other words, if all of the comparable properties in your niche are renting for $200 per night, you come in and charge $150 per night. Naturally, this makes your property more attractive. But here’s the thing with competing on price: There’s always another host who is willing to price their listing a few dollars cheaper. This is nothing more than a race to the bottom, which will kill your profitability.

The second way to stand out is to have your listing compete on the “offer.” The “offer” includes everything they get, such as the property itself, amenities, location, etc. The great thing about competing on the offer is that price becomes a non-issue (to an extent). You can actually charge a premium and still have higher demand than competitor listings.

You can choose how you want to make your listing stand out, but our advice is to compete on the offer. It’s a much better (and more profitable) long-term strategy.

Powerful ways to make your property stand out
Having your property stand out on the offer requires strategy and creativity. Every property is going to be unique, but here are some ideas:

Create outdoor living spaces
Outdoor living is huge right now – particularly when it comes to summer and warm-weather destinations. But even fall destinations and mountain cabins benefit from having fire pits, hot tubs, and heated pools. You can’t go wrong here!

Add an outdoor kitchen
Having any outdoor living space will get guests excited. But if you really want to get people dreaming big, try designing an outdoor kitchen. Equip the space with a grill, countertops, and seating to offer guests a unique dining experience in the open air.

A lot of properties have some sort of outdoor living. But if you have an outdoor kitchen that’s complete with a bar, appliances, and seating, it takes things to the next level. Very few properties on Airbnb have this.

Incorporate smart technology
Incorporate smart technology into your Airbnb to offer a modern and convenient experience. Try installing smart locks, thermostats, and lighting systems that guests can easily control. You might even provide smart speakers or virtual assistants for added convenience, which appeals to tech-savvy travelers.

Smart tech satisfies a lot of needs for guests. For one, it’s highly convenient and makes it easy for people to customize their experience at your property. Secondly, there’s a certain “luxurious” vibe that’s created when a property has up-to-date technology. However, if you’re going to go down this route, you’ll also have to make sure any safety concerns are proactively dealt with so that guests feel at ease.

Take amazing property listing photos
Always think about your property in terms of how you can showcase it with Airbnb listing photos. While you always want to be true to your property and accurately reflect it, there are ways to elevate the overall appearance.

One way to do this is by creating unique interior focal points. For example, a lofted area in a bedroom, or an accent wall in the living room can give your property a level of memorability that most properties don’t have.

Adding it all up
There’s no single formula or blueprint for creating a highly-compelling listing that makes your property stand out from the thousands of other Airbnb listings in your area. However, if you follow some of the tips highlighted in this article, you’ll have a pretty good start.

Give them a try and you’ll enjoy the results!

The article Tips for making your Airbnb stand out first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.