Uncovering Airbnb Setup, a clever way to attract new hosts/ Private Rooms shine on Airbnb / Book Direct Blueprint

If you are part of the 30 new readers who've joined my vacation rental industry newsletter since last week, welcome and thank you.

Hello and Bonjour from Paris, where I’m attending SCALE France. My website Rental Scale-Up is the proud media partner of the event.

Believe it or, this is the first-ever real conference for short-term rental companies (25 properties and up) in the country. France is the #2 vacation rental market in the world and yet it’s been the first time that pros can get educative sessions in French, a vendor hall, and a nice networking atmosphere.

Speaking to local property managers, I’m learning so much! For instance, French regulations make it so that many property managers also need a real estate license. As a result, software needs of French PMs diverge from other countries. I’m hosting 2 panels here and I will summarize my insights for you next week

Best regards,

Thibault Masson

-> This is a preview of Rental Scale-Up's free weekly newsletter that delivers vacation rental news, trends, data and much more for hosts, property managers, and industry suppliers alike. Click on any article title to read the article in full.?Sign up here?to get our newsletter in your inbox every week.

Top articles this week?

Airbnb Setup: How the company wants to help millions of new hosts “Airbnb it”

• Airbnb wants to increase its number of hosts. Yet, it needs to make it easier and less intimidating to help a new wave of hosts join the platform.
• Airbnb Setup gives the option to?connect brand-new hosts to experienced ones.
• To help new hosts?feel more comfortable the first time they host, new hosts now have the?option to welcome experienced guests—someone with at least 3 stays and a good track record on Airbnb.
• New hosts are also getting their own support?team, getting access to support agents who are trained to making the platform accessible to newbies.
• The former?Ask a Superthost program, now rebranded into “one-to-one guidance from a Superhost”,?is one part of what Airbnb calls its “people-powered programs.”
• Aircover for Hosts?is not part of the Airbnb Setup but?acts as a very important companion?to it s it?addresses fears around property damage?and welcoming potentially disrespectful, even dangerous, guests.
• The new “Airbnb it” advertising campaign is promoting Airbnb Setup.

Airbnb Private Rooms: Even Brian Chesky is doing it; Why Airbnb likes people’s bedrooms again.

• Suddenly,?Airbnb is busy rediscovering and promoting private rooms, i.e., renting a bedroom in someone’s home.
• What better illustration of Airbnb’s renewed commitment to private rooms than the awkward?video showing Brian Chesky , the company’s CEO, listing a bedroom in his own apartment?
• The category has been booming on the platform:?New private room listings were up +31% between Q3 2021 and Q3 2022.
• During its 2022 Winter Release, Airbnb also revealed that?“Private Rooms” had become an Airbnb Category?of its own.
• One of the reasons is that?many complain that Airbnb has become an expensive option?for booking a trip.
• At a time when North American and European?consumers feel that their purchasing power is eroding?due to high inflation and energy prices, Airbnb needs to show travelers that?it can offer cheaper options.
• The hope is that,?when good times come back, some of these hosts may add entire homes?or even create mini short-term empires, as happened after the 2008 recession.

The Book Direct Blueprint: A Short-Term Rental Guidebook

• Mark Simpson launched?The Book Direct Playbook?earlier this year, which ended up being an?Amazon bestseller?in its category.
• Now, Mark has returned with?The Book Direct Blueprint, a multi-author collection of systems to support every aspect of managing and professionalizing vacation rental businesses.
• PriceLabs ?is part of this intiative and explains how to price a vacation rental.
• In it, readers will find chapters dedicated to key aspects of running a short-term rental business,?from pricing to guest experience to adding revenue streams.
• We also checked in with Mark about? Boostly Bingo?– a challenge connected to the launch of the book with a?$10,000 prize?attached to it.

Video of the Week

Short-term rental news show: Airbnb’s release, Vacasa in trouble, new tech demo

Your host and industry analyst Thibault Masson will be joined by co-host Francois Gouelo , CEO and Co-Founder of Enso Connect , as they discuss these main topics:

• Top 10 upgrades announced by Airbnb in its Winter 2022 Release
• Airbnb’s decision to display all-in pricing on its platform in the U.S.
• Massive layoffs announced by industry giants Vacasa and AvantStay and what they might mean for the industry
• Recent key sustainability actions you should know about
• Exclusive preview of Paraspot AI , a virtual assessment tool that detects missing/stolen inventory and damages to furniture and property

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Industry Events

ExpoRV 2022 in Quintana Roo, Mexico

ExpoRV is an event – expo show, conferences and networking events for Property Managers, professional hosts and investors in the rental or vacation rental industry in Mexico and Latin America. The event brings together the best international speakers and industry experts. Learn about new technologies, market trends, how the new normal works in international and national markets, adjust your business model with new ideas and new models. This event is vital so that you can professionalize your vacation rental operation and prepare the way to recovery and your 2021-2022 season with the best information in your hands.

???Cancún, Mexico

?? Nov 30-Dec 3, 2022

????Buy Tickets

No #FOMO

Last week, I dissected the top?10 upgrades announced by Airbnb?in its Winter 2022 release, reported on how the?European Union is increasing transparency on booking platforms such as Airbnb to become more consumer-friendly, and shared news of book direct proponent?Boostly hitting $3 million in tracked bookings.

That's all for now.

Have a great rest of the week!

Thibault Masson

Founder, Rental Scale-Up

Grow your network, add me on?LinkedIn.