Superhost Unveiled

As a vacation rental owner you are not merely renting out your space you are creating a unique experience for your guests and to be successful at hospitality changing your mindset to reflect this is imperative.

Each decision you make should be about building a long term business, never make a decision based on short term game.  You should invest in high-quality mattresses, linens, and towels.  It's also important to ensure that all amenities that are listed are in good working order.

We suggest making a strong first impression by welcoming your guests to your space with a hand-written letter, a snack basket, a bottle of wine, or a 6-pack of local beer. This will show your guests that you care and it will greatly be appreciated after their long travels.

Once you've set high standards for your space it's important to build strong connections with your guests from the moment they first inquire with you to the moment they leave your home.  Consider incorporating these valuable and common hospitality phrases.

If you refer back to Episode 4, Messaging 101, you will find these hospitality phrases organically woven throughout each of our messages.  Try utilizing templates or saved responses to avoid the inevitable grumpiness that occurs when you've been asked the same question 100 other guests have asked before.  Remember that it's the first time for this guest even if you've answered the same question only a few minutes prior.

In the end, if hospitality is not your strong suit, find someone to co-host with you.  Remember that your guests are, in fact, guests.  They've paid you to have an unforgettable experience so try your best to accommodate their needs.  What experience does your home provide?

If we had to give one word to describe owning a business in 2020, that word would have to be "pivot".  It was an incredibly difficult year and you either thrived or struggled.  In today's episode, we are looking back at our biggest wins and our biggest mistakes of the most challenging year of our lives.

Biggest Wins of 2020

#1. Growth

At the start of 2020, we owned and self-managed two properties in the White Mountain region of New Hampshire.  In June, we began accepting clients for co-hosting and property management and we blew up FAST.  At the time, so many vacation rental owners were losing their cleaning teams on the fly and were in desperate need of help.  We said 'yes' to virtually anyone who reached out to us which was a huge factor in our growth but also one of our biggest mistakes.

#2. Development of our Team and Process

As we began to grow, we had virtually no plan or team.  The Plourde family was in the trenches cleaning properties and scrambling to keep up.  Through the mistake of not having a team, we now have a stellar team of professional cleaners.  We also developed a walk-through process to ensure a great guest experience and trust with our owners.

#3. Not only Surviving a Pandemic but Somehow Thriving

Oh boy, are we lucky.  We chose to build our business in a driveable outdoor vacation destination. We took advantage of an industry that was hurting due to the pandemic by being the one who answered cries for help.  Many companies began shutting down and abandoning their clients.  Other companies didn't have the bandwidth to answer calls.  Meanwhile, we answered every single phone call and message we received, trying our best to help people on the fly.  We didn't view these calls as potential clients, we just wanted to help them stay afloat, hoping one day down the line they would pay back the favor.  It worked.

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Daniella Morganelli got her start in the vacation rental business by traveling worldwide throughout her life with her mom.  By visiting other areas she learned essential tools and tricks to make a memorable guest experience.

Two years ago she purchased a condo in Glen, New Hampshire that she transformed into a vacation rental.  She had the intention to make it an Airbnb at the start and her realtor helped her find some properties that would be ideal for vacation rentals.  D5 Vacavibes is ideal for skiers, hikers, families who want to enjoy Storyland, and all who love the outdoors.  The story of this condo is a warm, cozy, cabin.

When first listing the property, Daniella admits that she hit the publish button prematurely.  She got her first 3 bookings within 2 hours.  They were working up to the last minute when her first guest came.  Ended up not having the property ready which lead to a 4-star review for her first review.  It took some time to bounce back from that.  Anything less than 5-stars is a bad review in the eyes of Airbnb.

Today, Vacavibes has super host status.  Daniella had her heart set on getting the status when she first published her listing.  Despite the 4-star review, she was still able to claim the Superhost status.

Instagram plays a huge part in the story of this vacation rental.  With other 5,000 followers, Daniella uses the platform to share her family's adventures in the White Mountains.  Since starting it, she's used Instagram to host giveaways and contests which has helped her bring back reoccurring guests.

Using Influencer Marketing helped Danielle get some exposure for her property and Instagram as well.  Influencers on Instagram get paid to promote businesses.  She paid and offered a free stay to the Influencer she worked with and in exchange, the Influencer promoted her property and gave her the rights to all of the photos.

Daniella joined the White Mountain Attraction Association and her property is listed as a suggested place to stay.  She uses her Instagram to encourage her followers to get out, travel, and explore new places.  Whether they stay with her or somewhere else, if they were inspired by her Instagram it was a success.

Living about 3-hours away from her vacation rental, Daniella has thought of everything to self-host from smart thermostats to smart smoke detectors. Before starting, she did reach out to a property management company who told her that she could not run a social media account for the property which made her stay clear of property managers.

Not everyone is cut out to be hospitable.  Many people who list their homes on Airbnb have a sense of "this is my house and my rules."  Daniella believes that people are paying you to stay at the property and therefore you should do as much as you can to make them feel at home.  For this reason, she has little to no house rules. To this day, she hasn't had any issues with the lack of rules.  Each guest deserves to feel special and at home.

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Running a short-term rental business can kind of feel like "flying in an airplane that isn't finished yet" according to our guest Amy Corbett from All Belong Collective and we couldn't agree more.  As an entrepreneur, it is imperative that you are flexible and able to handle new problems with ease. In today's episode, we dive in and take a closer look at All Belong Collective and how Amy embraces her family's differences and diversity each and every moment.

Amy Corbett started All Belong Collective with no prior business experience.  All Belong Collective started with a river apartment at the end of 2017 and grew to a small business that offers homeowners different Airbnb services from consultations, design & setup, and full co-hosting support.  Amy is a musician and before co-hosting, her husband Mark was in campus ministry.  Together, their side hobby was remodeling homes.  Amy calls herself an "accidental entrepreneur".  The Corbett family was put in a situation where they needed to adapt and pivot fast.  At the time, Amy was helping 3-4 short-term rental hosts get their Airbnb set up and decided to take it full-time, diving deep into the crazy world of entrepreneurship.

Learning about Airbnb from a friend, Amy transformed their river apartment into a stunning Airbnb experience.  They got their first guest on the day they published, a pilot, who intended to come that day.  His only request?  An ironing board and iron, which they didn't have.  It was a stressful few hours trying to get one for the home, something the Corbetts laugh about now.

About five months later, they decided to set up their second property which was a client's home, the Farmhouse.  "Airbnb never stops.  It's 24/7" Amy says, "so it can interrupt your family life."  Juggling family and their business was a major challenge for them, especially with guest communication. Luckily, someone reached out to Amy on Instagram asking if she could help.  She offered her services for free, but Amy quickly insisted to pay her.  Now she is one of the co-hosts in the All Belong Collective team, allowing them to make shifts where members can have time off from communicating with guests.

The Corbett family has felt like they didn't belong in their community for a while.  All Belong Collective helped them feel confident in their differences.  Amy loves highlighting perceived flaws in houses and making them the focal point of the design.  They soon listed another home which the Corbett's own, a historic house that they were long-term renting.  They decided to break into two separate Airbnbs.

Breaking it into two vacation rentals was a no-brainer for them.  The basement apartment or "the Cocoon" had its own separate entrance on a different side of the house and they installed noise canceling insulation so that the guests in  "the Nest" would not be disturbed. So far they have not had any complications.

Amy is extremely hands-on with her business.  She does all of the cleanings for her own personal properties.  Their business model includes hiring a team of cleaners for their client's properties.  The cleaners are one of the greatest assets of the company.  They also manage 100% of the laundry using whatever method works for that specific cleaner.

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Visit the All Belong Co Website or follow on Instagram

I've got a question for you, what story does your home tell your guests?  Like all businesses your brand is essential for creating unforgettable customer experiences.  Each of our homes has been designed to create a long-lasting impression on our guests so that they are itching to get back.

In Peter and Julia's second vacation rental that they personally own, they started with a blank slate.  Julia took to the task to create a nordic style chalet for their mountain getaway.  She wanted to embrace the mountain theme without being too predictable. This includes very muted grey and navy blue tones throughout the house.  From the mattresses to the artwork on the wall every item in the home was chosen purposely.

If you are transforming a family home or a fully-furnished home into a vacation rental, here's what you should do.  First, it is important to edit the home.  You need to get rid of any clutter, family photos, old furniture, and linens. There is no need to completely remodel the house a simple fresh coat of paint can really transform the space.  Make sure the existing furniture is clean and in good shape.

Purchasing cohesive artwork, linens, and decor will help create a story throughout the home.  In order to make the home feel homey, you need to have artwork and decor on the walls.  Allow your guests to dream a bit about owning your home.  Make it feel like their home away from home.

Using your home's story will help you stand apart from the other homes listed in your area.  Every location has a "theme".  Lake homes are all beechy and have lake decor.  Mountain homes have skies and lots of moose figurines.  Decorating to the theme of the area is fine and your guests will likely never notice but decorating on-theme but in a different way is an easy way to make your home look different from the competition.  It's important to stay within the theme of the area but being unique and simplistic.

What Should Each Room Include?

Bedroom

The bedroom obviously needs a nice bed.  It is so important that the mattress is comfortable and up to date.  You want the guests to feel comfortable, clean, and safe while sleeping.  Do not use old linens from your home, purchase a new, stylish, clean comforter and sheet set.  The bed is crucial for setting yourself up for being a professional host.  We'd argue that a headboard for each bed is not important.  If you are deciding between buying a new mattress or a headboard, always go with the mattress.

It's important to have something that the guests can put their clothes in.  It can be a closet or a dresser, but you need to have something for the guests to unpack if they wish to.  We also recommend including a luggage stand for each bedroom.

Each bedroom also needs night-stands with lamps.  It may not seem important but many people enjoy reading before going to bed so they need a source of light that will not disturb the other people in the room.  In addition, everyone has a cell-phone and everyone needs to charge them, so having somewhere they can place their phone to charge at night is important.

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Are you confident that your house is cleaned for perfection and that it'll bring in a 5-star review for cleanliness?  Cleaning is one of the most difficult aspects of running a successful vacation rental business.  While it does need to be perfect for your guests, especially during a pandemic, cleaning isn't something that you should stress about.  We talked to the head of our Turnover Team, Julia Plourde, to get her insight on cleaning for 5-star reviews.  She's done it all from driving 5 hours to clean a property to managing a team of turnover specialists.

Tips for Cleaning Efficiently & Effectively

Back when Julia was running a one-woman show, she learned some tricks to cleaning efficiently and effectively.  Her number one tip is to form a check-list so that you can stay on track, ensure that you don't miss any key areas where you need to clean, and so that you can create a routine that you can master with each clean so that the entire process gets more efficient. North Conway Property Management uses a 54-point check-list for all of our homes.  Not only does the check-list help you stay efficient and consistent, but it will also help you train cleaners when you start hiring a team for your business.  This will ensure that each cleaner on your team is cleaning the home exactly the same.  Consistency is key.

Next tip for efficient cleaning?  Use a cleaning caddy.  Julia's caddy has gone through many upgrades starting from a simple show cady to her current 5-gallon bucket with side pockets.  In her caddy, she has an all-purpose cleaner, window cleaner, scrub-daddy, toilet bowl cleaner, reusable cleaning rags, trash bags, duster, hand-vacuum for picking up hair in bathrooms.  The pandemic created a huge lack of cleaning supplies so Julia needed to get creative with her cleaning strategy while still ensuring a disinfected, safe, clean home.  She ended up using an all-purpose cleaner with bleach to clean the toilets instead of toilet bowl gel. She also had to stop purchasing antibacterial wet-wipes for the guests because they simply vanished off the shelves.

There are a few areas that are often overlooked by even the most experienced professional cleaners.  Julia's most important overlooked area...the inside of the kitchen cabinets.  You would never know how guests leave cabinets.  Some shove pots and pans precariously in cabinets others have put back dirty dishes.  You want to make sure that the kitchen cabinets are always orderly and clean for the next guests.  Kitchens and bathrooms are the most important.

Acquiring your cleaning team

The first step to finding our cleaning team was trying to find people looking for extra cash through word of mouth.  We found our first cleaners through a friend and they actually worked in the huts in the mountains.  They are a week on and a week off so we thought picking up some cleanings would be great supplemental income for them. The problem with this was that they wanted to hike more than clean, who wouldn't, and their friends were all the same.  If you are looking for professional cleaners, you need to actually look for professional cleaners, not people looking for some extra cash.

Indeed.com was not helpful for us either.  The people who saw our listing were not experienced and again were just looking for some extra cash on the side.  Our best decision was to post a job ad in our local paper.  We found some amazing cleaners through this. You want to find people that take cleaning seriously.  Many cleaners are independently building a business specializing in cleaning homes, you just need to find the right people!

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Are your messages helping you get amazing reviews? Are you getting reviews at all?  If you answered "no" to either of these questions, this is for you.

From day one we invested in automatic messaging.  It was an important investment that not only saved us time and energy but also ensured consistent messaging across all guests.  In total, we have five automatically scheduled messages.  We also have three manual messages that we think is a secret weapon when getting more 5-star reviews.

Booking Confirmation

Immediately after booking, guests receive a welcoming message from the hosts.  This prevents any question about if payment went through and instantly sets a standard for the hospitality they can expect during their stay.

10 day's out

Ten days before the guest is scheduled to arrive, our next message is sent.  This message includes our digital guidebook as well as check-in instructions.  You'll notice that we include check-in instructions consistently in our pre-visit messaging to help ensure a smooth check-in experience (one of the parameters for a review).

7 day's out

Similar to the last message, this message reminds the guests of the check-in instructions as well as includes the guidebook again.  Our goal is to alleviate any anxiety that a guest may feel leading up to their trip.

Secret Message #1: Early Check-In

This is our first secret messaging tip.  When our cleaners finish turning a house early, we make an effort to message the upcoming guest and let them know that they can check in early if they wish to.  We do this regardless of if the guests previously asked about early check-in.  Many guests ask to check in early.  There are cases when guests miscalculate their travel time and have to occupy their time until the official check-in.  Whether the guests can check in early or not, there is no harm in notifying them that they can check in an hour or two early. In fact, your guests will likely thank you.

Secret Message #2: 24 Hour Check How Things Are Going

In our experiences as guests ourselves, neither of us can recall a time when a host has messaged us after the check-in without being prompted with a question.  Why is this?  Just because the guest has settled into the home, does not mean your job as the host is finished.  We automatically send a simple message 24 hours after they have checked in to ensure that everything is going as planned.  This allows the guests to ask questions and report any issues.  This is your opportunity as a host to re-direct the course of the stay if a guest is not satisfied.

Check-out Instructions - 24 hours prior to check-out

A check-out reminder message may seem a bit condescending but never assume the guests know everything.  Just because you write check-out instructions in your guestbook, your house rules, and on your listing does not mean the guest will read them.  This is another automated message that has helped our guests feel confident that they checked-out properly and has streamlined the check-out process.  We tell the guest exactly what they need to do before departure.

Secret Message #3: A compliment to the guest after departure

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There are many ways to set yourself apart from the competition on Airbnb and many of these tips work for other platforms as well.  Today, we are breaking down the Logify article "Top 10 Tips for improving your ranking" and giving our opinions for what is most important to focus on.

Airbnb is similar to a search engine, it's algorithm is designed to improve the guest experience so it "knows" it's user and populates listings based on their interests. Using key-words in your listings that guests would be interested in such as hot-tub, water-view, etc will help you rank better in the search results.

In order to stand out from the crowd, you'll need to optimize your listing to the best of your ability.  Here's how.

"Think like a Guest"

Put yourself in your ideal guests' shoes, what are they looking for when traveling for vacation?  Are they a family? Are they a couple?  Is it a group of friends? Whoever you are targeting, your listing should include wording that will pique the guest's interest. Be sure to include popular amenities in your home such as a coffee pot, laundry, game room, TV, wifi, etc.

"Don't Skip on High-Quality Photos"

In our opinion, photos are the most important part of your listing.  It is the first thing a potential guest will see so we want to capture their interest so that they stop their scroll.  We highly recommend investing in a professional photographer, however, you can also take amazing photos using an updated version of smartphones.  Before you attempt to take photos yourself, browse Youtube for some free lessons.  Be sure to stage the home as if a guest is walking in so have your best linens out, maybe set the table, include important amenities, etc. As humans, we are drawn first to photographs.  Many people do not even look at the title of your listing they just scan the photos.

"Seal the deal"

Your goal is to accept as many bookings as possible.  Sounds obvious right?  Well actually the more bookings you receive the more Airbnb will promote your listing because it's successful.  Be sure to have clear house rules and any regulations in your listing so that you lower the number of cancellations you receive.  Turning on instant book will also give you a boost.

"Respond in a Timely Manner"

When guests are deciding which home to book they'll likely have some questions.  Guests who ask a question before booking likely want the answer as quickly as possible and typically will decide based on whichever host gets back to them the quickest.

The first way you can do this is by having a super clear listing that does not spark any questions.  Questions are inevitable though, so we recommend an auto-responder or making sure that your notifications are turned on so that you can respond as quickly as possible.  Instant gratification is important for guests, it's important to respond to every message as quickly as you can.

"Be Instant-bookable"

Like we mentioned earlier, instant book is a great feature to opt-in on.  First, it reduces the number of inquiries that you need to respond to.  Second, it can reduce the search pool by over 50% in some cases - remember guests want instant gratification.  You can also set parameters for instant book such as requiring an ID, that they are a US citizen, and age.

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If you are just starting your journey into the vacation rental industry you've probably heard the importance of getting the Superhost accreditation on Airbnb. It's a term dropped by many leaders but how can you, as a newbie, reach that coveted status?

First off, let's go over why being a Superhost is important.  If you do a random search for Airbnbs for your area you'll likely get tons of results, we get over 300 listings in our small town in New Hampshire.  On Airbnb, you can filter the search to reduce the listings.  Many people who search will often automatically refine the search by Superhost status because it provides a sense of comfort to people knowing that you've been on Airbnb for a while and that the platform recommends you.

There are 4 criteria that you need to meet to get a Superhost Status and your status is evaluated quarterly which means once you get the status it isn't guaranteed for life.  The 4 criteria are a response rate of 90% or higher, 4.8-star reviews or higher, at least 10 visits, and a cancellation rate of less than 1%.

So let's break those down.

Response Rate

The response rate refers to responding to an inquiry within 24 hours.  This does not apply to the response time you have for all of your messages, although it is still important that you respond in a timely manner for hospitality reasons.  It should be super simple to achieve a response rate of 90%.  Automatic messaging programs can help you achieve a rate of 100% with ease.  Opting in to instant booking is also a great way to increase your response rate.

Reviews

We all strive for 5-star reviews but what are your guests really rating?  Airbnb breaks down the review into 6 parts: Overall Quality, Accuracy, Checkin, Cleanliness, Location, and Value.  It is important to keep these 6 points in mind when setting up your listing for success.  Be sure to take accurate, good quality photos.  Disclose the amenities in your listing, and don't just add amenities that you don't have to make your listing stand out.  Ensure that check-in is as easy and smooth as possible.  Guests can feel a lot of anxiety when first checking into a home so it is important to alleviate this.  You should be communicating with your guests throughout their experience to help them settle in.

Visits

In order to achieve Superhost status, you need to have 10 completed stays or 100 nights booked over 3+ stays.  You cannot control this one as much but what you can do is strive for an eye-catching listing.  Having factors that set your listing apart from the competition will increase your booking rate and help you check this one off your list quickly.  Pro-tip, opt-in for any Airbnb promotional deals because they promote listings who opt-in for their sitewide discounts.

Cancellation

This point for the Superhost status only applies to when you, the host, cancel a guest stay not if the guest cancels.  So why would you cancel?  If the guest is clearly going to break a rule this is a reason for canceling.  For example, if they ask about their pup coming to stay but you don't allow pets you might suspect that they'll bring the dog anyway.  Your goal is to always get the guest to cancel first.  Be transparent about your house rules and regulations.  Be forthcoming about any complications that might arise if they were to stay.  Nine out of ten times the guest will have no issue canceling.  This will help you stay under that 1% requirement with ease.

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Have you been thinking of a new project to invest in?  Are you looking to diversify your income by adding a second stream of income?  Are you looking for something you can have more control over?  With the current state of the world, many people are searching for additional forms of income.

Husband and wife duo Peter and Julia Plourde had these same questions.  Over the course of one year, they went from investing in one vacation rental property to managing over 20.  Their quick success gave Peter the confidence to retire early from his secure restaurant management job and move to North Conway so that he and his wife could enjoy their passions of hiking, running, and skiing every day instead of just on rare vacations.

Despite their quick success, the idea to invest in a vacation rental had floated around for years. They had some extra money laying around and was looking for something that they could invest in aside from the volatile stock market.  It was Julia who suggested investing in a vacation rental.  Peter, did his research and dived into any free content he could find from Youtube videos to Podcasts.  In his research, he discovered that many of the experts suggested investing far from your primary residence.  They pondered Colorado, but in the end, Julia suggested finding a property in their favorite vacation destination North Conway, NH which was only 2 hours away.

In the past, they had invested in real estate for long-term rentals and while it was successful, Peter found that he HATED it.  He didn't like being a landlord, where his tenants didn't care for the property and he had to evict people.  This made the Plourdes wary of investing in real estate again, but with their combined 25 years of hospitality experience, they felt confident that a vacation rental would be the right decision for them.

In the Fall of 2019, they invested in their first property.  A medium-sized home in a sought after neighborhood.  Within 72 hours of closing, they had prepared the property for guests and listed it on Airbnb. Within 24 hours of listing, they had their first booking.

As one can imagine, having their first guest was a nerve-wracking experience.  Peter feared that the guest would trash their house or even worse, refuse to leave the property.  Despite, this they did everything that they could to set up the experience for success.  They created an automating messaging sequence that would make the guest feel welcomed and cared for throughout their visit, not just before they arrive.  They left a heartfelt note with a bowl of snacks for the guests upon their arrival.  The home was immaculately cleaned and stylized to make the guests feel at home in the mountain home.

All of their nerves dissipated when Peter watched the guest sweep the front steps on their Ring Doorbell.  It was at this moment when they knew that they had made the right decision.

At this time, Julia dedicated her time to drive the 2.5 hours both ways to turn over the house between guests.  It was manageable at first but soon proved to weigh on her, especially in the harsh New England winters when it got dark at 4 PM.  Julia and Peter decided to hire two cleaners recommended to them by Julia's sister, local hikers who were always looking for some extra cash.  Hiring the cleaners alleviated a lot of the stress and with the success of their first property, Julia and Peter decided to invest in a second.

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