A big part of your success on Airbnb comes down to how you choose to manage your listing. Good management means that your property attracts more bookings and is more likely to get good reviews from guests.
What are the key characteristics of a good property manager?
1) The ability to take responsibility
A good Airbnb property manager is able to take responsibility for the success of your listing. They understand that their performance will directly affect your income, and they are willing to bear this responsibility in order to provide you with a good return on investment.
2) Timely communication
A good Airbnb property manager will be friendly while also being professional. They will always respond quickly to messages or requests within 12 hours (ideally within an hour) and maintain excellent communication throughout the duration of a booking. If you have any questions about how best to manage your listing, they should be willing and able to help you out right away!
3) Timeliness and accuracy
Bookings can sometimes get complicated: maybe there's a guest arriving earlier than expected or maybe a guest is requesting some changes to the booking that you need to implement. A good Airbnb property manager will be able to respond quickly and accurately, minimizing any potential issues or confusion for guests.
4) Impeccable service
A good Airbnb property manager isn't going to spoil your reputation by providing poor service! They are also likely to have reviews and recommendations from other hosts so you can get even more reassurance about their performance before hiring them.
5) Opportunistic support of positive externalities
It's important for an Airbnb property manager to provide support in the background without ever expecting it back. This means that they should promote your listing through any positive externalities (such as blog posts or social media shares), but not expect anything in return. What they should be doing is supporting your listing because it benefits them by means of increased bookings and positive reviews, not for any other reason.
6) Taking an entrepreneurial approach to property management
An Airbnb property manager who can keep their eyes open for new opportunities will be able to help you make the most out of your listing. They should be able to come up with ideas for how to improve your income or increase visibility for your listing without expecting anything back from you. Approaching a good Airbnb property manager like this means that they are more likely to take on this entrepreneur mindset than if you were simply paying them to manage a booking here and there!
7) Easy going attitude toward rules
An Airbnb property manager shouldn't be too strict about the rules. In fact, they should be respectful of your freedom as a landlord to do what you want with your property and they should try to work within these constraints (or offer suggestions for how the listing can be changed if there are no other options).
8) Willingness to interact with guests
An Airbnb property manager who is willing to interact with guests in person will be able to get more positive reviews from them than someone who only interacts over email or text message. This helps ensure more successful bookings and better performance for you!
9) Accessibility during important time periods
In order for an Airbnb property manager to effectively manage your listing, they should be accessible at all times - ideally 24/7. If something major happens out of hours, you should be able to reach them no matter the time of day and this will help things run smoothly.
10) Good communication skills
An Airbnb property manager doesn't have to be a copywriter or an expert in SEO but they should still be able to communicate effectively with you and your guests. After all, communication is a key part of good management! They should also be friendly, not just professional, so that both parties feel comfortable working with each other.
11) Sense of responsibility for performance
A good Airbnb property manager understands the importance of their performance in relation to your expectations. If they don't perform well for you then they are likely to receive negative reviews which can damage your own reputation a lot more than it can theirs. The better their performance, the more positive reviews you will receive.
12) Understanding of what a guest wants
A good Airbnb property manager should have some understanding of what guests want in order to provide them with a high level experience! This doesn't mean that they have to be obsessed about finding out all the latest trends but it does mean that they understand how to handle the situation when things do go wrong (see point 6 above).
If you're about to sign up with an Airbnb property manager, it can be difficult to know which one will perform well. To avoid making the wrong choice (and giving your listing underperforming management), try looking for these 12 qualities of a good Airbnb property manager . It's important that they have experience but don't just choose based on their age or how many 'followers' they have on social media! The more of the points above that they can check off, the better!
If you're looking at ways to increase your Airbnb earnings, you can always attend our next upcoming webinar by clicking here now.