Airbnbs have now been a part of travel culture, as it provides an alternative to fully booked or rather pricey hotels. People can list their homes for rent on the app. However, some are reluctant to rent out their homes, as mentioned by Gizmodo.
How It Works
Airbnb will assign Superhosts to possible new hosts, and guide them through the steps for listing their homes. Superhosts are the ones that Airbnb considers highly rated, reliable, and responsive. Their role aside from teaching new hosts is to make sure that their listing will garner clicks from guests.
The home booking company plans to add more hosts, as they said in the Winter 2022 release. The mentorship program will help pave the way toward that goal. It reassures the new potential hosts about the complications of having strangers stay in their homes.
According to Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, experienced Airbnb hosts can connect with others who plan on renting out their houses, based on the geographical region both parties are in. They can communicate via Airbnb through messages or audio. There are other communication options like Zoom, which can be accessed within the Airbnb app.
With a demonstration done by the CEO and a Superhost, they showed guides on how to create listings that will catch the eyes of renters. This includes the images hosts should use, how to properly name the listing, things you should and shouldn't do, and making the listing stand out.
To help assuage the fears of aspiring hosts, they can now choose to rent to people who have had three Airbnb stays. The Superhost could also assist with the first rental to show them the ropes. This would lessen the possibility of the first rental for new hosts to end badly.
Airbnb is also improving its identity verification tools. It will now include all the booking guests from the 35 most traveled countries, which hold the vast majority of 90% of reservations. The company's goal is to make the vast majority into 100%.
So far, 1,500 Superhosts will participate in the mentoring program, which is made available in 80 countries. Of course, to encourage the veteran hosts, there will be incentives if they help out new ones. It comes in the form of a one-time cash reward.
Read Also: Airbnb Docu Series to Focus on Team Handling Hidden Camera Incidents, Scammers, and More
What Else is New with Airbnb?
The company has also introduced new features like Airbnb Categories, Split Stays, and AirCover for Guests. This offers more options for its users and accommodates certain travel needs. It was labeled as "the biggest change to Airbnb in a decade."
For Airbnb Categories, users will have an easier time looking for particular homes, having 55 categories to choose from. It's based on style, location, or proximity to the destination a guest plans to go to. If a guest searches for a pool, for instance, the photos in the category will show the pools of the listings, as mentioned on their website.
With Split Stays, people can now transfer to a second home for the duration of the trip. When guests search for a place, they will be recommended other locations they can stay in, as part of a longer trip. The feature will also show the distance between the two recommended homes,
AirCover will bring confidence to renters when booking a place. If the host cancels, they will either be rebooked to a similar or better place, or a refund will be issued. This also goes for those who can't check-in. Airbnb will also relocate you if the listing is not as advertised.
Related: Airbnb Books Record High Demand Despite Removal of China Listings Last July
