Tony | Rental Growth Advisors

Ex-Airbnb. Now I help hosts and PMs grow STR revenue from the outside.
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[Tony | Rental Growth Advisors @R_G_Advisors]

@pulsaryieldSTR So true!

[Tony | Rental Growth Advisors @R_G_Advisors]

Gentle truth for hosts frustrated with Airbnb:

It's the photos, the price, or the first 3 reviews.

The platform is a mirror. Blaming it feels better than fixing the listing, but it doesn't book nights.

Disagree?

[Tony | Rental Growth Advisors @R_G_Advisors]

PMs: got one listing that underperforms for no reason you can see?

Drop the link. I'll send a quick diagnosis of what's off.

Free, no pitch. Just want to see how many I can call right.

[Tony | Rental Growth Advisors @R_G_Advisors]

Every portfolio has one:

the listing that should perform and just... doesn't. Same market, worse numbers, no obvious reason.

PMs, drop that one listing below. I'll tell you what I think is dragging it down.

Free, no pitch. I just like the puzzle.

[Tony | Rental Growth Advisors @R_G_Advisors]

The Top-rated guests discount has one setting that decides if it's smart or dumb: blackout dates.

Discounting a night that sells itself is just giving away 15%.

Rule: block every date your pricing tool already shows strong.

Running it flat, or blacking out?

[Tony | Rental Growth Advisors @R_G_Advisors]

@b4dgerr That sounds pretty much like me for the time being!

[Tony | Rental Growth Advisors @R_G_Advisors]

Careful with Airbnb's new Top-rated guests discount.

It stacks on your ALREADY discounted price, not the headline one.

15% + a 10% weekly + 10% non-refundable = 31% off. On a guest who'd have booked anyway.

Did you preview the final number before switching it on?

[Tony | Rental Growth Advisors @R_G_Advisors]

The 6% is really buying two things: guest service and AirCover. Fair enough.

But a pro manager already does the service, and a dedicated STR policy is a flat cost, not 6% of every booking. Past a certain volume it stops being worth it.

[Tony | Rental Growth Advisors @R_G_Advisors]

Serious question: do we even agree with calling these "direct booking links"?

You bring the guest. You do the marketing. And you still pay Airbnb 6%.

If the booking is yours, what's the 6% actually for?

[Tony | Rental Growth Advisors @R_G_Advisors]

Some hosts in Airbnb's test got 6%. Others 10%.

When a company runs two prices at once, they're measuring what it takes to change behaviour. Not running a one-off promo.

Airbnb is deciding what host-originated demand is worth to them.

(Worth noting: they're calling it "direct booking links" but Airbnb is still the merchant of record. The guest relationship stays on the platform. The only thing that changes is the fee.)

[Tony | Rental Growth Advisors @R_G_Advisors]

Airbnb is now charging 15.5% for demand they find you.

And 6% for demand you bring yourself.

That's not a promotion. That's a price signal telling you exactly what skill to build next.