The short-term rental platform Airbnb announced the launch of its "co-host" network to regulate the role of intermediaries specializing in accommodation management.
This new feature, the most prominent of the more than 50 announced last Wednesday, October 16, aims to make life easier for so-called "hosts," the owners or managers of properties, so that they can be managed by specialized third parties in exchange for commissions.
The "co-hosts" will be responsible for setting up listings, managing bookings, and communicating with guests. They will also receive ratings for their work and will be ranked accordingly. Airbnb says it has over 10,000 registered co-hosts in ten countries who can use the app's tools, such as messaging and the available dates calendar, to perform their tasks.
With this measure, the company aims to create a new network of contacts between owners and managers to simplify and identify the work of both parties, supervising their operations and, at the same time, bringing into its profit and loss statement work that, until now, was carried out outside the platform
“With the Co-host Network, we’re making hosting easier,” said Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb. “Starting today, you list your place and we’ll help you find an exceptional co-host,” he added.
He said that for decades, travel apps have been a one-size-fits-all model. “Today we’re changing that. With dozens of new features, this is the beginning of a more personalized Airbnb,” Chesky said.
The company also explains that these types of profiles, which tend to be the best rated and receive the fewest cancellations, offer higher quality stays than professional managers because they have a larger number of properties under their control, "thus improving the final visitor experience," the executive states
The improvements introduced in the Airbnb app also include a new welcome tour for new users, destination suggestions, search tips, a new set of recommended filters, relevant details in listings, a new shorter checkout page for those who have traveled before, and incorporates 20 additional payment methods worldwide.
For home hosts, the platform has incorporated a recommended pricing feature that suggests rates based on those of other similar listings in the area; new quick replies for sending welcome messages or directions to the accommodation to guests; and an income dashboard that allows users to review earnings or generate custom reports.
