6 Key Insights for Boosting Your Airbnb Listing Appeal

Every Airbnb host knows that simply listing a property isn’t enough to guarantee bookings. Even with stunning photos and 5-star reviews, standing out in a sea of competition can feel impossible. So, how do you make your listing truly irresistible to potential guests?

During a recent Hostaway webinar — Airbnb Listing Appeal & Quality Control, industry experts like Julia Herrington from Airbnb, Hostaway CEO Marcus Rader and VP of Product Maria Lopez revealed their top strategies for attracting more guests and maximizing bookings.

Here are six practical takeaways from the webinar that will help you optimize your Airbnb listing, get more 5-star reviews and create unforgettable guest experiences.

1. 5-Star Reviews Drive Growth

When it comes to boosting your Airbnb listing’s visibility and performance, earning 5-star reviews is one of the most important factors. Positive reviews don’t just improve your ranking in search results — they also help build trust with potential guests, making them more likely to choose your property. 

Listings with a higher average review score tend to generate more interest, leading to increased bookings. Julia highlighted just how impactful these reviews can be, “Each 5-star review may lead to an average of 3.2% additional growth in gross booking value over the following year and a 4.6% increase in bookings.”

This means that focusing on delivering excellent guest experiences and ensuring your property meets or exceeds expectations is key to earning those all-important 5-star reviews. The better your reviews, the more bookings you’ll secure.

2. Setting Clear Expectations Prevents Negative Reviews

While earning great reviews is essential, preventing negative ones is equally important. One of the top reasons guests leave negative reviews is because the property didn’t meet their expectations. To avoid this, it’s important to set clear, honest expectations in your listing. 

By providing an accurate description of your property — including both its standout features and any potential quirks — you can help guests make informed decisions. 

Julia emphasized the importance of this, saying, “Guests need to be confident that your listing will meet their expectations. The clearer and more accurate your listing is, the less likely you’ll have complaints or negative reviews.”

Whether it’s letting guests know about nearby noise or limited parking, being upfront helps you attract the right guests and minimizes misunderstandings.

3. Photos Matter — Organize Them for Impact

Your photos are the first impression guests will have of your property, so how do you make them count? High-quality, well-organized images not only grab attention but also encourage guests to click on your listing.

Marcus shared some great insights on this topic. He explained that categorizing your photos can make a huge difference in engagement. By grouping photos into sections — like the living room, kitchen, bedrooms and outdoor spaces — you help potential guests better visualize their stay.

“Make it easy for potential guests to visualize their stay by organizing your photos by category — living room, kitchen, outdoor spaces and so on, says Marcus”  

Pro Tip: Start with exterior shots or the main areas and then visually walk guests through the space, like they’re experiencing it themselves.

Lastly, don’t hesitate to include lifestyle photos, showing people enjoying your property. This helps guests picture themselves staying there, which can make your listing even more appealing.

4. Use Airbnb’s New Listing Promotion for a Boost

If you’ve recently listed a property or have a listing that’s not performing as well as you’d hoped, Airbnb’s New Listing Promotion can give you the boost you need. This promotion offers a 20% discount for the first three bookings, encouraging guests to take a chance on your property and leave reviews.

Julia highlighted the success of this feature, noting that “listings with the New Listing Promotion enabled generated 79% more bookings over the next year than those without it.”

This new listing promotion is a fantastic tool to help new or struggling listings gain traction. By offering an initial discount, you’re more likely to attract early bookings, which in turn helps you build up reviews and increase visibility on the platform.

5. Track Your Performance with Hostaway’s Quality Dashboard

To continuously improve your Airbnb listings, you need to stay on top of your property’s performance metrics. Hostaway’s Quality Dashboard provides hosts with a centralized platform to monitor key indicators such as guest reviews, cancellations and operational issues.

Maria introduced the tool, explaining its value: “The Quality Dashboard gives you a centralized view of what’s working and what needs improvement across your portfolio. It allows you to identify potential issues before they impact your listings.”

One of its standout features is the color-coded system, which makes it easy to see at a glance which properties are performing well, which need attention and which may be at risk. This visual approach helps you stay proactive, ensuring that high standards are maintained across all your listings.

With this tool, you can address potential problems before they negatively impact your business and keep your properties running smoothly.

6. Simplify Checkout with Clear Instructions

A guest’s final impression is often just as important as their first. Providing clear checkout instructions is a simple yet effective way to ensure a smooth departure and reduce post-stay complaints.

By giving guests clear guidelines, such as how to handle keys, where to dispose of trash or how to leave the property, you can make the checkout process stress-free. Julia shared that “On average, hosts saw around a 5% reduction in reservations with reported issues within 90 days after adding checkout instructions.”

Making sure guests leave on a positive note increases the likelihood of glowing reviews, which are key to attracting more bookings in the future.

Make Your Airbnb Listing Stand Out

There you have it — six practical, easy-to-apply takeaways from our latest webinar that can make a huge difference in your Airbnb success. Whether it's tweaking your photos, setting clear expectations or taking advantage of Airbnb’s New Listing promotion, these tips will help you create a standout listing that guests love.

As Marcus put it, “Optimizing your listings isn’t just about making changes for the sake of it — it’s about providing real value to your guests and creating a memorable experience that they’ll want to recommend.”

With these insights, you’ll be better equipped to attract more bookings, create unforgettable stays for your guests and build long-term success in the vacation rental industry.