We’re always looking for ways to give you a competitive advantage in the STR market. This week on the DPGO blog, we wanted to explore Airbnb Experiences.

What is an Airbnb Experience?

Airbnb Experiences can be anything from cooking classes to guided tours. Hosts often have a lot of knowledge of their local area, and by giving them an opportunity to share that knowledge, Airbnb moved into an interesting place in the tourism industry. 

By offering experiences, Airbnb managed to cordon off another vital section of the market and add value to their existing host network. It was a stroke of genius, we have to admit! 

What Qualifies as an Airbnb Experience?

Before the pandemic, anything from a cooking class to a tour of the local area qualified as an Experience on Airbnb. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, hosts have been forced to get creative.

Experiences have moved online with people getting more and more creative about what they can offer Airbnb users. People across the world were confined to their homes and soon started to miss the rush of travel. Resourceful Experience hosts saw a gap in the market, and they took advantage of it big time. 

Cooking classes went virtual, quizzes moved online and in-person tours changed to video explorations of far-off places. Some of the highest-rated experiences on Airbnb are virtual and based on the feedback we read, virtual Airbnb experiences are here to stay!

Who Hosts Experiences on Airbnb?

You don’t need to be an Airbnb listing host to run experiences on Airbnb. Some Experience hosts that we interviewed were normal tour operators who listed their services on Airbnb. After registering with Airbnb as an Experience host, some quotes that more than 60% of their monthly income came from Airbnb users. 

Airbnb hosts that offer Experiences have the added benefit of being able to offer their services to existing and returning guests. Some of the most successful hosts offer both their property and their experience as a package and feed one into the other. Of course, this is done with some pretty impressive marketing.

How Much Money Can You Make?

Well, that number varies wildly from host to host, place to place, and season to season. We did a fair amount of market research on this one and found a huge range of numbers from $0 to nearly $80,000. 

Based on the reviews we read, food-based experiences are the most popular on Airbnb right now. However, interactive tours, quizzes, and team-building activities have also seen a huge spike in booking rates. 

The beauty of virtual Experiences is simple: you’re not limited to people located in your local area. A professional chef can run a pasta-making class and host people from right across the globe. 

More and more companies have also been using Airbnb Experiences as team-building exercises in light of the ‘work from home’ movement sparked by the pandemic. This gives Airbnb Experience hosts a huge boost in business as they receive one payment and can do just one class.

What are the Possible Drawbacks?

Again, based on market research, we found that quite a few hosts were unhappy with the Experience review system. According to various hosts, the review system is hard to understand, hard to complete, and often yields incorrect information. You can read more about how to review an Airbnb experience here. 

There was also another drawback that existing Airbnb Experience hosts highlighted: the lack of ability to set minimum numbers. Sadly, Airbnb does not allow hosts to set a minimum number of guests required in order to actually conduct the tour/class/experience. This means that if hosts get one booking, they have to go through with the reservation, even if just one booking means they lose money. 

We also received a few complaints that Airbnb’s review process is unclear. Once you register an experience, someone from Airbnb needs to verify it. Many hosts have reported excellent rapport with their reviewers, and seemingly no hiccups. Some were even told that their Experience well and truly exceeded standards, and yet, 6 weeks later, their request to like an Experience on Airbnb was denied. No explanation was offered. 

Hosts Who Helped

These lovely Airbnb Experience hosts helped us with market research and gave us invaluable insight into their hosting operations:

Terry Silvers – London, UK
Explore backstreets with a historian
Discover hidden sites with a historian
Investigate travel with a historian

Rae Walaska – San Diego, US
Murder n’ Mayhem

Andrew Horner – Austin, US
Paint & Explore with Graffiti Artists

A Few Experience Suggestions from Airbnb YouTube

While you’re here, check out a few of our other blog posts! We’ve developed guides on Cancellation Policies, Dynamic Pricing for Beginners, Co-Hosting, Pricing Myths, and Vacation Rental Insurance.

Managing an Airbnb listing can be a supremely stressful endeavor and honestly, not everyone is cut out for it. Maybe you need an Airbnb co-host! You might have business savvy, but a close friend or business associate of yours might have a fantastic eye for detail. Imagine you’d like to bring them on board as a partner in your Airbnb listing – does Airbnb offer co-hosting capabilities?

Well, yes, they do. In fact, co-hosting on Airbnb is so popular that it’s practically a separate industry all on its own! There are a number of professional co-hosting businesses across the globe and some are recording very impressive business figures.

Airbnb categorizes a co-host as “someone the listing owner already knows. Co-hosts are usually family members, neighbors, trusted friends, or someone the host has hired to help with the listing. Hosts and co-hosts agree on who’s responsible for what, how much of the reservation income will go to the co-host, and how the co-host will be reimbursed for expenses.”

What Does an Airbnb Co-Host Do?

Co-hosting makes the most sense when a property owner lives a considerable distance from their property but a close relation or friend of theirs lives closer and is willing to manage said property in their absence. 

These sort of arrangements always work better when duties, jobs, and responsibilities are clearly spelled out and agreed to by both parties. Without a co-hosting agreement, things can fall through the cracks, and neither party benefits from unhappy guests, especially on a platform like Airbnb where reviews are so highly regarded.

How Does the Airbnb Co-Hosting System Work?

Primary hosts who have listed their properties on Airbnb need to add their co-host via the Airbnb interface. Go to Listings, select the listing that you’d like to update, click ‘Co-Hosts’ and ‘Invite a Friend’. You can add up to three co-hosts per listing, but remember that you will all have to agree to the co-host Terms of Service 

What Does the Airbnb Co-Host Terms of Service Say?

Airbnb’s Co-Hosting Terms of Service are there simply to make the co-hosting relationship as official as possible, and protect Airbnb and its users’ interests. Critically, Airbnb co-hosts are only allowed to join as a co-host if they are doing so in an individual capacity, and they are not representing a business or organization. If you want to register a professional as a co-host, you’ll need to get express permission from Airbnb directly. This is very possible and there are a few professional co-host companies that have seen huge success as of late!

Co-hosting allows members of Airbnb’s host community to enlist help from their friends and family in an official capacity in order to get extra support for the management of their listing. Critically, it is not the same as a host hiring a property management company.

How Can Having an Airbnb Co-Host Help Me?

Generally speaking, if you live within commuting distance from your listing, then having an Airbnb co-host might not make sense for you. Unless of course you work full-time and cannot dedicate the amount of time necessary to manage your property listings accordingly. 

If you find yourself in a restrictive position like the above, co-hosting is a way to bring someone you know and trust on board to help and pay them a pre-agreed percentage of your income. It is normally calculated per booking. The same goes for hiring a professional co-host.

Airbnb’s Terms of Service for Co-Hosting stipulate a few of the possible duties for co-hosts and they include: adjusting calendars and prices, handling guest check-in and check-out, managing guest communications, interacting with Airbnb for claims, and troubleshooting, and more. You can read the Terms of Service here.

What Are Some of the Best Practices for Airbnb Co-Hosts?

Communication is undeniably the most important attribute that any co-host relationship must prioritize. Without communication, no business relationship can flourish and succeed. Be sure to actively communicate and make very clear which duties are the responsibility of which party. 

Discuss any limitations that you have identified and look for ways to address them. A co-host is a fresh pair of eyes on the property. Perhaps they will identify issues of which you as the primary host may not have been aware. 

Reliability is another important factor in any successful co-hosting relationship. Both parties need to be completely reliable and dedicated to making the co-hosting arrangement work.

Where Does Dynamic Pricing Come In?

Co-hosting was designed to make the Airbnb hosting process easier than ever. And more efficient, of course. Co-hosts get paid a percentage of the bookings that they manage. Dynamic pricing gets you more money for every booking and that benefits both you and your co-host. 

We designed our dynamic pricing tool to find the best possible price for your listing in every market environment. It reads market fluctuations, changes in demand, changes in supply, global travel trends, exchange rates, and more before it creates the optimal price. It then automatically updates your prices every single day. 

Business in 2021 is all about optimization. Technology has given us all amazing opportunities to increase the profitability of our businesses and DPGO is no different. Start pricing more intelligently and sign up for your free 30-day DPGO trial now! Register here!

The best STR hosts know the importance of insurance and the terrible consequences if you don’t have it. Check out our vacation rental insurance guide! We’re always on the lookout for products and services that further optimize the running of STR properties. Here is our list of Top 12 Must-Have Products for Airbnb Hosts. If you’re looking at investing in a new Airbnb property but you’re unsure of which location to pick, try Markets by DPGO! We whipped up a quick guide on how you can use Markets to find your next STR location.

We live in an age where you can find and buy almost anything on the internet! As a result, STR really should get their hands on these must-have products if they want to make their lives as easy as pie!

Here’s a quick look at our Top 12 products for Airbnb plus other STR hosts:

Robot Vacuum Cleaner

We’ve done loads of research on this and found that the majority of hosts would opt not to put a robot vacuum cleaner in their Airbnb listings. But, sadly, we think that they are wrong because these machines are so advanced and so easy to use that it’s hard to imagine not needing one! So, grab this one from Amazon, program it to clean only the kitchen, and give your guests the highest level of in-home cleaning convenience.

DPGO Favorite Must-Have Products: Amazon Echo Dot

The Echo Dot from Amazon is a great invention by the tech and commerce giant! We think every Airbnb listing needs an Echo Dot or two. It’s one of our favorite must-have products! The convenience it offers is unmatched. Program it to turn lights on and off, play music, and even deliver messages. Set reminders for your guests to check out on time and further optimize the operations of your STR property.

DPGO Favorite Must-Have Product: Keurig Coffee Maker

Coffee makes the world go round and it really is that simple. The vast majority of people drink coffee so it makes perfect sense to buy a high-quality coffee machine to satisfy your guests’ caffeine cravings. Keurigs are arguably the most popular coffee machines in North America, and they have so many options to suit so many different budgets and interior styles! Here’s our favorite:

Starbucks Coffee K-Cups

If you’ve got a coffee machine, buying Starbucks coffee to use with it seems like a logical step. Because this affordable variety pack features all of the Starbucks favorites, we think it’s a great buy! So, leave one of each flavor in your listing per booking and relax in the knowledge that your guests will be caffeinated and happy! But remember, you can’t have a Keurig without K-Cups, so why not choose the best for your guests?

AirWick Air Freshener Plug-Ins

Bad smells are unavoidable in any type of property – rental or otherwise. We love these AirWick plug-in air fresheners so much that they’re high up on our list of favorite must-have products! Not only do they blend into any home perfectly, but they also release fragrances consistently throughout the day. They leave your Airbnb smelling like a summer meadow. So, no matter the season, your Airbnb will smell wonderful. These AirWick air fresheners come in a variety of scents, we are just particularly partial to the Fresh Linen scent. Be aware, there are allergens in these oil-based diffusers so be sure to read up on them before buying!

Shoe Rack

Protect your floors and get yourself a shoe rack! Encourage your guests to take off their shoes by leaving a shoe rack at the entrance. You can even leave a little sign asking that guests remove their shoes because replacing carpets is an expense that nobody needs. So by giving them somewhere to place their shoes that’s neat and out of the way, guests will naturally adopt your house rules and you’ll have pristine floors for longer! Dirty carpets are never a good look so we think it’s best to avoid them…

Wood Furniture Repair Kit

This one is more of a host-staple than one that guests can use, but we think that it’s a really important item to keep in your repair kit! Wooden furniture is insanely popular because it’s usually cheaper, easier to fix and it blends into most design styles. As a result, this wooden furniture repair kit is perfect for fixing small instances of damage like scuff marks, or scratches, dents, and more. Make sure you have a really detailed look around your property once every month or so (if possible) and touch up any issues that you can spot on your wooden furniture.

Mrs. Stewarts Liquid Bluing

This is another one aimed at hosts more than guests, but Mrs Stewarts Liquid Bluing is a weapon that should feature in every host’s arsenal. Bleaching laundry is a weekly challenge for Airbnb hosts, but what are you supposed to do when your linens take on that slightly yellow color? So, that’s where Mrs Stewarts Liquid Bluing comes in. As a result, by adding a splash of blue, the yellow in your linens will be neutralized and you’ll be left with a sparkling white wash load!

DPGO Favorite Must-Have Products: Make-Up Remover Towels

Every host knows the struggle of make-up-stained towels and pillowcases, so we found a solution! Nothing ever seems to shift make-up stains on light-colored linens. So instead, buy yourself a few packs of these special make-up removing towels for guests to use at their pleasure. As a result, you’ll see no more foundation and black eye make-up on your pillows, and silky soft remover towels for your guests. Simply wash them with some anti-bacterial cleaner or soap and you’ll be good to go for your next booking!

No String Blinds

We cannot count the number of times that Airbnb guests break the blinds in our properties. There is something about blinds on a string that means people simply lose their minds. Replacing blinds is expensive and complicated if you live far away from your STR property, so we think we’ve found the perfect solution – cordless blinds! These little beauties fit wonderfully well into any design aesthetic, they’re super easy to use plus they’re not expensive! Simply because they’re cordless, you’ll never go back to normal blinds again!

Plastic Microwave Cover

Cleaning microwaves is a nightmare and it takes forever. So, save your cleaning crew (or yourself) some time and grab one of these must-have products from Amazon. Most hover at around $10 and they’re so great for minimizing the mess in your microwave. Faster turnovers are the name of the game in STRs, especially in peak season, and this plastic microwave cover will go a long way in making your cleaner’s job easier than ever.

Slipover Couch Cover

If you’ve made the decision to be pet-friendly, this couch cover is a fantastic idea for protecting your furniture and is certainly a must-have product! It protects the fabric of your actual sofa from dog hair, and as a result, it protects from any mud, mess, or dirt. And, it’s only $35! This also allows you to be extra safe with guests who have mild pet allergies. Your couch cover can be easily removed and washed, ensuring that no pet hair remains for your next guests, whether they have a dog or not! 

We hope you enjoyed our list and found yourself a must-have product or two to make your life as an STR host a little bit easier!

We know a thing or two about data so we compiled a list of the Top 10 most improved markets between February and March 2021. If you’re struggling to identify your next vacation rental investment location, try our fantastic Markets feature! It’ll show you a range of free and detailed data specific to the market that you specify in the search bar. Here’s how to use Markets to your advantage! Did you know that Airbnb has a YouTube channel? Well, they do and the videos that they post are so helpful! Check out our favorite ones!

We’ve also developed guides on Cancellation Policies, Airbnb Experiences, Dynamic Pricing for Beginners, Co-Hosting, and Vacation Rental Insurance.