So…to Airbnb or not to Airbnb?
There are so many options to look at and weigh up when deciding how to market your holiday home/ property online today. So as per the ‘NFE’ way we thought we would be upfront about it and give you the low down. Here’s our take on the market as it is right now.
Staycationers have many options to book their holidays online whether abroad or in the UK. What’s important for you as an owner is deciding what fits your property and your needs.
Is it cheaper to use Airbnb?
Airbnb is great for millennials and gen z who are after smaller places, are happy to take more risks when booking and will book without any interaction in person or a check as to whether the house is real or not. If you are happy to accept all bookings (to be best promoted on their website you have to have instant book available) and have the time and ‘hospitality mentality’ to deal with all the guest communications pre stay then it’s a great option where you pay less for the privilege but you are ONLY on one platform.
There are also another host of platforms…booking.com, VRBO, Tripadvisor….all these are basically the same as Airbnb as in they provide you a platform – one only unless you personally sign up to them all separately and manage them all which to be honest is a bit of a pain.
All these platforms charge approx 18% commission plus VAT for you to do all the work.
Here at NFE we do all the work for you. We photograph, video and write your property page. We add your property to multiple platforms (at least 3) to get you the best reach to potential guests. We speak to every lead guest, take their bookings if they prefer to do it over the phone with one of our local New Forest team and we are here on hand to help you with the set up, rules and regulations and also for emergencies too!
And all for just a few percent more commission – we don’t think that is bad value, but it’s up to you…
Pricing is complicated, so how does it work?
Airbnb’s suggested pricing system is a more basic version of the one that New Forest Escapes uses. It uses dynamic pricing based on demand (historical and actual), location, regional travel trends, UK travel trends, day of the week check-in and out, stay length etc. BUT, and it is a big BUT, over the last few years pricing has become a lot more sensitive and we are tweaking the pricing daily (manually) to get bookings, fill gaps and make the most revenue for our Hosts. The automated systems are not quite the same and don’t really know one house from another, so if you want the right pricing for your property it is worth hiring the experts who know the area.
If I use Airbnb I’ll be full all the time…
It is REALLY easy to put in the wrong prices and be full all the time. Being full all the time basically means you’re pricing too low… Be careful that you’re not working for free and subsidising your guests holidays for them!
With the new influx of holiday properties to the market you will also find that AirBnB/other platforms can be a crowded market place and that you’ll be harder to find for guests. That’s why, although we advertise on these platforms, most of our guests end up booking directly. We have really done the search for them and they know that the quality of all of our properties will be good.
So what is the verdict?
If you are happy to do a full time job in setting up and running your holiday home then Airbnb is probably a good option for you – but it is hard work and a daily job.
If you are busy, already have a job or just don’t want the hassle then we recommend using a local agency who know the area, the market and will take care of you and your guests to a higher quality.
And next?
You can download our ‘Host with us’ brochure or visit our ‘Host with us’ page for more information and to complete our contact form.
The average annual turnover for a New Forest Escapes home…
