Exclusive Insight: A Huge Airbnb Guest Segment That Is Often Overlooked!

Hello, and welcome to Snowball Rentals’ WeChat account, where you can read about recent developments in the US short-term rental market.

Airbnb has long become a preferred source for people seeking authentic experiences and good-value vacations.

Today, we want to discuss a huge Airbnb guest segment that is so obvious most hosts overlook it.

What segment is it? We will keep you guessing for a moment.

First, let us share a booking result.

This is a detached vacation-rental home we manage, about an hour’s drive from downtown Seattle—not especially close.

It was listed for short-term rentals at the end of 2023. A week later, a group of guests arrived at a monthly rent of around 5,300—US dollars, as with the amounts below—and extended their stay repeatedly for a total of six months.

Remember that 2023 was a year of sharply declining short-term rental revenue, and Seattle’s winter is low season. Renting a home out was especially difficult.

This home had failed to find a long-term tenant when listed at 3,200 last summer. After we took over and furnished it, it rented for six months in low season at a rate 65% higher than the long-term rent.

When peak season arrives this summer, monthly rent could very well reach 8,000.

Here is the question: the guests had a high budget and plenty of low-season homes to choose from. Why did they choose ours?

Because they belong to the huge Airbnb guest segment we mentioned, one overlooked precisely because it is so obvious. Here is the answer: families with babies!

New parents know how difficult it is to travel with a baby. There are so many things to bring and consider that they avoid going out whenever possible.

When an overnight stay is necessary, arrangements for the baby are absolutely the first consideration. This is also one situation in which our Airbnbs can outperform traditional hotels.

Let us share specifically what we did.

First: A Crib Is Essential

Whenever space allows, add a crib like the one in this photograph. A crib is the first filter these families use when looking for accommodation.

For marketing, place a photograph showing the crib among the first 5 pictures, so guests see it immediately when they open the listing.

If you have an apartment or a small home without enough space, consider a pack and play—a portable, folding crib-like item, as in this photograph.

It can be stored in a closet when not in use.

If families are your primary guests, these are upfront investments with very high returns.

Second: Prepare Baby Supplies

Beyond a crib, we put considerable additional effort into attracting these guests. Parents have so much to bring, so we thought of a way to help them.

We provide items such as strollers, children’s seats, cradles and even bottle-sterilizing supplies. These take up space, however, not every home can accommodate them, and buying everything is expensive.

We therefore found a compromise: we bought 1 set and stored it in a warehouse. Guests tell us in advance if they need it, and we charge a very low rental fee that essentially covers only delivery and sanitizing.

We deliver it to the home on the guest’s arrival day. Guests no longer have to work out how to carry these large items onto an aircraft.

Third: Pay Attention to Marketing

Marketing is important: after doing so much, we need potential parent-guests to know about it.

Consider adding keywords such as family friendly, kids friendly and baby friendly to the title or description.

Remember to select these items in the amenity list. Among the first 5 photographs, include at least one showing the crib; also include photographs promoting the baby supplies.

Guests traveling with babies are actually the highest-quality guests. They are willing to pay more to care for their babies, and babies go to bed early. They will never throw parties or disturb neighbors in the middle of the night.

That is why we particularly enjoy hosting families.

Hosts also find that there is no secret to operating short-term rentals: simply provide a little more service than others. Ultimately, family vacation rentals are still a service business.

As a homeowner, you may now be wondering: my home is quite good, but how much could it earn on Airbnb? Would it earn more than a long-term rental? Would it involve a lot of trouble?

Contact us right away! We will evaluate it for you free of charge.

If you:

Hope to increase rental income through short-term rentals;

Cannot spare a great deal of time to handle the small details;

Occasionally need to use the home yourself, making it unsuitable to empty out the furniture for a long-term rental;

Then:

Snowball Rentals’ management team is your best choice.

From pre-launch vacation-rental styling, big-data analysis and online marketing to tenant screening, dynamic pricing, customer service and sales, cleaning and repairs, Snowball Rentals provides everything as one complete service for your home.

This Week’s Booking Results

Through long-standing relationships with insurers, assignment companies and technology companies, Snowball Rentals rents homes for medium- and long-term durations at short-term rates, then gives owners a rebate of 5% in management fees to maximize their income.

Winter is the low season for Seattle’s short-term rental market, especially in 2023. Some recent large bookings, however, have been like a ray of sunshine, giving us high hopes for Airbnb’s performance this summer!

For the following detached home in Renton, Zillow shows an estimated long-term monthly rent of about US$4,627, equivalent to a little more than US$1,500 for approximately 10 days.

The owner placed considerable trust in the Snowball Rentals team and entrusted us with short-term rental operations, with good results arriving repeatedly.

Rental income surged from a little over US$1,500 to more than US$6,000!

As shown in the booking screenshot below, the guest booked 10 nights through Airbnb. This booking’s rent plus cleaning fees totaled US$6,156.1!

In summary, after Snowball Rentals operated this property, rental income for 10 nights rose from a little over US$1,500 to more than US$6,156—almost four times as much.

The owner also avoids worries about tenants falling behind on rent.

Rent for 10 nights exceeded a whole month of long-term rent! That is no easy feat!

After Airbnb’s downturn in 2023, we at Snowball Rentals hope to help owners regain ground in summer 2024!

Once again, heartfelt thanks to our homeowners for their trust and support. Whether the market is strong or weak, Snowball Rentals will stand with you and look for ways to increase your income!

Some homeowners will surely ask the hard question: was a large booking like this just a stroke of luck? What if the home does not rent? A long-term rental is more stable—even earning less is better than earning nothing!

Our answer is: the outcome depends on what we do.

Vacation-Rental Styling

Competition on Airbnb is becoming increasingly intense. The days of piecing together secondhand furniture, taking phone photos and earning easy money on Airbnb are over. Airbnb hosts have moved toward professional operations.

Careful design and furnishing before launch, followed by professional short-term rental operations, will be the only choice for a rental that continues to generate high income.

Here is another of Snowball Rentals’ core services: vacation-rental styling!

Using the vacation rental above as an example, the rooms personally furnished by our stylist are exceptionally refined and attractive. That helps explain how 10 nights’ rent can exceed a month of long-term rental income.

This Week’s Short Videos

We regularly update short videos every week.

The content you need is all here.

👇🏻 Homeowners are welcome to follow us 👇🏻

Snowball Rentals

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We also share practical vacation-rental styling plans and creative ideas to help you achieve more with less spending!

Keep rental income growing!

Xiao An’s Vacation-Rental Styling

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Referral Rewards

If you are already a Snowball Rentals homeowner, you receive a US$500 referral fee for each referral.

If you are not yet a Snowball Rentals homeowner, you receive a US$250 shopping voucher for each referral.

Snowball Rentals Management

1. Full service — We provide pre-launch rental design, furniture procurement, furnishing, professional photography, online marketing, copywriting, tenant service and sales, cleaning, supply purchasing and property repairs. You only need to be a hands-off owner; we handle the rest.

2. Multi-platform promotion — We promote the home on Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway and other mainstream platforms for maximum exposure.

3. Dynamic pricing — Using big data, we adjust prices every day according to seasonal demand, holidays, last-minute vacancy offers, weekends and local activities, maximizing the owner’s income.

4. Income-improvement SOP — We follow 44 secrets for maximizing short-term rental income, optimizing each property’s online marketing, on-site operations and other aspects to work toward maximum income.

5. Flexible owner stays — Owners can flexibly choose when to stay themselves. This is especially suitable for owners with multiple residences around the world.

6. Terminate at any time — Management does not require an annual commitment. The owner can end the agreement with one month’s advance notice.

7. Corporate housing — In addition to nightly rentals, we work with insurers and assignment companies to provide executives with hotel-style managed accommodation for stays longer than 30 days.

8. Transparent fees — For rentals longer than 30 days, we charge 15% of accommodation revenue. For nightly rentals under 30 days, we charge 20% of accommodation revenue.