Project Person // Primer #7

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Nick (Project Person #7) is an Airbnb Superhost for the Appalachian Container Cabin and Evergreen in Otto (the mountain shack we helped renovate and launch). Check out that little red badge on his listings:

The Superhost program was created to help guests differentiate between professional and novice hosts; guests can even use search filters to only stay at Superhost properties!

The program evaluates a host's entire portfolio of properties based on the following criteria: 

• Response rate: A 90% or higher response rate within 24 hours

• Number of stays: At least 10 stays that total 100 nights or more

• Cancellation rate: A 1% or lower cancellation rate

• Overall rating: A 4.8+ rating for the past 365 days

For a host, Superhost status often leads to more revenue and a higher occupancy rate. 

So how do you become an Airbnb Superhost? 

Ultimately, Superhost status comes from (1) having a great place and (2) communicating well with guests.

The following are specific thoughts pulled from Nick’s experience (and our experience learning from Nick!) for any Airbnb host or aspiring host looking to achieve this status:

→ Create a unique experience. In a world filled with cookie cutter hotel rooms and mediocre Airbnb listings, you want yours to really stand out, and that starts by creating something unique. Don't just copy others; find a location and build an experience that is different than all the rest. (Nick camped on his land for years to figure out the best view!)

Our friends who own the glamping community Ramsden Lake are also incredible at this—just look at the eight different places to stay on their property! They told us that something like moss growing on their Airstream or an outdoor shower built into a tree make all the difference, setting their stay apart from any hotel or other Airbnb. 

At Evergreen, we had some little “experiences” ranging from the hammock on the front porch (with a view of the Appalachian Trail!) to a pillow station where we stacked a few drastically different pillows so guests could choose the one most like what they had at home. 

→ Sell the property well and accurately in the listing. Photos are obviously key here. We invited photographer friends to stay at Evergreen as early guests in exchange for great, well-lit photos. Nick has also offered up the Container Cabin to photographer influencers in exchange for photos and drone footage. 

The title should be informative too and not just the name of your cabin. For instance, we first titled ours Evergreen in Otto until we realized that meant nothing to potential guests. We then changed the title to “New Modern Cabin with Stunning Mountain View”. 

Explain every room and layout, and explain how people might use the space. Example: “Great for couples or families, the cabin is located conveniently between Franklin, North Carolina and Clayton, Georgia, which each offer hikes, antiquing, activities like kayaking and gem mining, and lots of local shops, restaurants, and breweries to explore.”

→ Provide a detailed guide book to guests, both digitally and in print. We bought a template off Etsy and then designed it in Canva. We also included recommendations and ideas of what to do in the area, along with a “treasure hunt” at the cabin itself. Here’s a look at our guidebook. This helps create that unique experience, making your Airbnb so much more than just a place to sleep.

→ Communicate with guests. Nick has always been diligent about this, communicating with guests when they book, a few days before their stay, on the first day of their stay, and after they leave. We would call or text before their stay instead of just messaging through the app, which built a better (and more human!) relationship and also put our mind at ease. If we ever had a strange or stilted conversation (or no response at all!), we would be on high alert for a party or misuse situation, and we would have our local property manager check on them during their stay. This intentional communication helps with cancellation rate, as we wouldn’t approve a guest that seemed suspicious.   

Response time is also key, so be sure to respond quickly to all guest messaging. 

→ Get five star reviews. Those first few reviews are critical. Unfortunately, you can’t just have friends stay there for free and then write up reviews. You can’t even have them stay there for cheap and write reviews! Airbnb will delete any reviews they think are coming from friends like this. One potential work-around is to have friends pay the full price and book via the Airbnb app, and then you can Venmo them a refund separately, but you are still paying the Airbnb transaction fees and taxes.

You can also outright ask for 5-star reviews from guests, letting them know how crucial they are. We often asked that they give any feedback to us directly, letting them know the cabin was new and we wanted to improve anything that needed to be improved. 

I’ve even seen magnets like this one at Airbnbs, outlining just how crucial a 5-star rating is to a host. 

And, here are three bonus thoughts not necessarily related to being a Superhost but rather just focused on enjoying your host experience:

→ Market the property outside of just Airbnb. Consider starting an Instagram account, especially if you host influencers. Partner with local businesses who might advertise your home. Launch the listing as you would any other business! 

→ Build a local team. Especially if your Airbnb is not in your neighborhood, it is crucial to build a local team of cleaners and handymen-types. Ideally these are folks who are close to your Airbnb and who can stop by if there’s a storm, if a guest seems suspicious, etc. This will help with guest satisfaction if there is an issue and will also just help with your peace of mind and longevity as a host! 

→ Consistently evaluate your intentions. Did you create this for extra income, to replace your salary, or just to help cover the costs of having your own vacation home? These are three wildly different intentions, and you may find that the reality does not match what you planned. Keep an eye on this if you ever find yourself restless or stressed! Does anything need to change?

Next week, I’ll share a fun book update, following up on this email from a few weeks ago. Stay tuned!