Airbnb Launches Host and Co-Host Matchmaker Service

Airbnb isn’t getting into the property management game, but it officially launched an expanded a co-host network designed to make it easier for hosts to manage their properties.

“Starting today, you provide the home, and we’ll provide an exceptional co-host,” is how CEO Brian Chesky described it in an announcement Wednesday.

Under the program, co-hosts would manage listings, respond to reservation inquiries, message guests, take care of problems at the property, and contract cleaning services.

Airbnb has piloted an online service for several years in a handful of countries where hosts can find and hire co-hosts. But this is the first time the service is available in the Airbnb app, as well as online.

It’s been expanded to more than 10,000 co-hosts in 10 countries, and will include a recommended list of co-hosts. The recommendations come from personalized ranking algorithm based on 80 factors, including location, property type and hosting experience, the company said.

Increasing Supply Is One of the Goals

Airbnb Chief Business Officer Dave Stephenson told Skift he thinks the co-hosting feature will help increase Airbnb’s listings from both new hosts and existing ones. “Many people have a home and they don’t even know where to start,” Stephenson said.

Airbnb is launching a marketing campaign about the new co-hosting network this week. It is the first time Airbnb has touted co-hosts in an advertising campaign.

Stephenson said Airbnb does not charge fees to hosts or co-hosts for matching them up – and doesn’t envision adding them – because the company doesn’t want any barriers to using the service.

The idea is to make it easier for hosts to find quality co-hosts. Hosts can see the profiles and reviews of potential co-hosts and message them within the Airbnb app, the company said. Through the app, hosts can also give co-hosts access to their calendars and share payouts.

Stephenson said the co-hosting feature and other app upgrades are about perfecting Airbnb’s core services. Expanding Airbnb services beyond the core — presumably to new verticals — would begin next year, Stephenson said.

Host and Co-Host Negotiations

Hiring co-hosts may involve a negotiation. They might charge a listing set-up fee of, say, $200, and often charge 17% to 20% of the host payout. Airbnb facilitates the co-hosts’ payments.

The service is available in the app and at airbnb.com/host. The service was expected to be live in the following countries starting October 16: Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the UK, and the U.S.

“Co-hosts are experienced hosts with an exceptional track record on Airbnb,” the announcement said. “They have an average rating of 4.86 compared to 4.62 for large property management companies.”

A vast majority of co-hosts are superhosts and have helped manage a Guest Favorite listing, the company said.

App Upgrades for Guests

Airbnb also said that it is making more than 50 upgrades to the app. Among the most notable rolling out Wednesday:

• There is a new welcome tour in the app for first-time guests.

• Airbnb redesigned the checkout page for returning guests. The “checkout page is shorter and includes all the key details at a glance,” the company said.

• Search tips to find last-minute stays and discounts. One is to add a 7th day to a 6-day trip to take advantage of a weekly discount.

• Suggested destinations, based search and booking history, will appear when users tap on the search bar.

• Personalized listings highlights will highlight a private swimming pool or a billiards room in a listing if that’s relevant for a user’s search.
  
• Also, search filters have been redesigned to provide recommendations based on search history and past bookings. For example, Stephenson said a traveler in Japan, where Airbnb launched an ad campaign for domestic travelers last week, would be able to see that the listing has a washer and dryer and certain types of bathrooms, features that resonate in the country.

• Airbnb added several new payment methods, including Vipps (Norway), Mobile Pay (Denmark) and MoMo (Vietnam).

Hosts Get Upgrades Too

Airbnb said it is rolling out more than 20 upgrades for hosts. Among them:

• Hosts will receive suggested prices based on similar area listings, and they can implement them with a tap, according to Airbnb.

• Customizable templates will enable hosts to quickly send guests welcome messages, details about their check-in, such as lockbox codes, and directions.

• An earnings dashboard is geared to provide custom reports to view earnings, when they are being sent, and to filter report by income type.

Correction: This article has been updated to correct the average fee charged by co-hosts: It is 17% to 20% of the host payout.