The short-term rental (STR) market is getting more saturated by the day. With Airbnb now hosting over 7 million listings, competition is increasing every day, making it more challenging for property managers to stand out. As Airbnb ramps up efforts to attract new hosts with its latest ad campaigns, flashy features, and promises of easy earnings, the platform is seeing a significant influx of new listings.
While this influx may be great for Airbnb, it presents established property managers with a whole new set of challenges in an increasingly competitive STR market.
With more hosts joining the game, pricing wars are intensifying, competition is tougher, and simply having a good property is no longer enough. It’s more about making sure your listing is irresistible, so guests choose your place over countless others.
This is exactly why we hosted our recent webinar, “From Invisible to Irresistible Listings: Strategies for Airbnb Success in 2025!”. Hosted by Thibault Masson (Founder of Rental Scale-Up and Head of Marketing at PriceLabs), the session featured two leading property managers who shared their insights and strategies for achieving success on Airbnb amidst this rising competition.
The goal of the webinar was for Thibault to share recent Airbnb platform updates, including features like “Guest Favorites,” new ranking systems, and other important changes that hosts should be aware of, along with real-world perspectives from property managers.
Our Speakers
- Adam Nedved (Co-Founder of Blahobyty & praguedays.com, managing 200+ units): Adam specializes in managing urban rental properties, focusing on delivering premium guest experiences in competitive city markets.
- Sean Landreth (President of Property Valet & CEO of Seasonal Properties, managing 180+ units): Sean brings expertise in vacation rental management, catering to guests looking for leisure and unique experiences in popular vacation destinations.
Major Topics Discussed During the Webinar
1. Understanding the Shift in Airbnb’s Visibility Landscape
During the webinar, Thibault Masson highlighted how Airbnb is continuously evolving its visibility and ranking system, focusing more on properties that deliver exceptional guest experiences. Here are a few notable shifts that Thibault discussed.
• Guest Favorite vs. Superhost: Airbnb has been emphasizing its “Guest Favorite” label, which is earned at the listing level based on reviews and guest experiences. In contrast, Superhost status is at the account level. Listings labeled as “Guest Favorite” are more likely to be featured prominently, which means property managers must strive for this distinction for each of their properties.
• Top 1% and Bottom 10% Labels: Airbnb now identifies top-performing properties with a “Top 1%” label and underperforming properties with a “Bottom 10%” label. These rankings are recalculated daily, increasing pressure on property managers to maintain high standards consistently.
Key Takeaway: It’s essential to aim for the “Guest Favorite” label to ensure your listing gets the visibility it deserves. Property managers need to provide a consistently exceptional experience to earn and maintain this distinction.
2. The Importance of Differentiation: How to Make Your Property Stand Out
Adam and Sean emphasized that differentiation is crucial in a competitive market. Here’s how they achieve this:
• Focus on Experiences: Sean explained that his company, Property Valet, focuses on creating listings that highlight unique experiences, such as access to local attractions or partnerships with private chefs. This approach caters to guests seeking more than just accommodation, they want an immersive experience.
• Target Your Audience: Adam shared that, for urban markets like Prague, positioning listings as premium offerings with a high level of service helps differentiate them in a crowded marketplace. They target business travelers and longer-term guests, tailoring their listings to this audience’s needs.
Key Takeaway: Identify what makes your property unique and craft your listing around that experience. Highlight local attractions, amenities, and partnerships that will appeal to your target audience.
3. Launching a New Property: Best Practices for Getting Started on Airbnb
Launching a new property can be daunting, especially when competing against established listings. Here’s how Adam and Sean ensure a successful launch:
• Meticulous Onboarding Process: Both Adam and Sean emphasized the importance of getting everything right from the start. This means professional photography, well-crafted descriptions, and a strong focus on guest experience. Taking the time to prepare a property ensures positive reviews and visibility from the beginning.
• Competitive Pricing Strategy: Adam shared that his company’s pricing algorithm initially sets lower prices for new listings to generate quick bookings and reviews. This helps to build momentum and accumulate positive feedback, which in turn improves visibility.
Key Takeaway: Invest in high-quality photography, detailed descriptions, and a pricing strategy that encourages early bookings and reviews to help your new property gain traction on Airbnb.
4. Analyze Performance: Key Metrics to Monitor for Airbnb Success
To ensure their properties remain competitive, both Adam and Sean utilize a data-driven approach to monitor and optimize their listings:
• Conversion Funnel Analysis: Adam’s team regularly analyzes the Airbnb conversion funnel, focusing on search appearances, listing views, and booking conversions. This helps them identify underperforming listings and understand where improvements are needed.
• Revenue Per Available Night (RevPAN): Adam also mentioned that they track RevPAN (Revenue per Available Night) to assess the financial performance of their properties. By comparing actual revenue against expected targets, they can identify properties that need optimization.
Key Takeaway: Regularly monitor key metrics such as conversion rates, RevPAN, and guest reviews to identify underperforming listings and make data-driven adjustments.
5. Optimize Listings Across Multiple Channels
While Airbnb is a major source of bookings, it’s crucial to optimize listings on other platforms as well:
• Adapt to Each Platform’s Strengths: Sean highlighted that each platform has its unique strengths. For example, Vrbo is more focused on family-friendly and longer stays, while Booking.com is more price-driven. Tailor your listings to cater to the specific audience of each platform.
• Direct Booking Channels: Both Adam and Sean emphasized the importance of direct bookings. Having your own website can help retain guests and offer incentives like discount codes for repeat bookings, reducing dependency on OTAs.
Key Takeaway: Don’t rely solely on Airbnb. Optimize your listings for other platforms and invest in your direct booking channels to capture more diverse guests and increase your overall revenue.
6. Deal with Underperformance: Troubleshooting and Making Improvements
Despite best efforts, some listings may underperform. Here’s how to tackle this challenge:
• Identify the Issue: Adam’s team starts by identifying why a listing might be underperforming, whether it’s due to poor visibility in search results, unattractive photos, or pricing that’s not competitive. This analysis allows them to take targeted action.
• Implement Incremental Changes: Sean mentioned that rather than making drastic changes, they prefer incremental adjustments to improve performance, such as tweaking the listing description, adjusting prices, or updating photos.
Key Takeaway: When dealing with underperforming listings, analyze the root cause, make data-driven adjustments, and monitor the impact over time.
7. Building Guest Loyalty and Direct Bookings
Long-term success isn’t just about attracting guests through Airbnb, it’s about converting them into repeat customers:
• Deliver Exceptional Guest Experiences: Sean emphasized that providing outstanding service is the best way to turn Airbnb guests into loyal, direct customers. Property managers should aim to exceed guest expectations to encourage repeat bookings.
• Offer Incentives for Direct Bookings: Adam shared that offering discount codes to previous guests encourages them to book directly in the future, helping to build a loyal customer base.
Key Takeaway: Create an exceptional guest experience and provide incentives to encourage direct bookings, reducing reliance on Airbnb and other OTAs.
