Part 5 - Writing Your Listing Details

Once you've got your pictures taken, and you're ready to start hosting guests, then it's time to create your listing on Airbnb. In this part of the guidebook, we'll go over all the Listing Details for your listing. These are the selling points and description of the room and house and such.

There are more sections you'll need to fill out such as who can book, availability, price, and other things for your listing. That all will be covered in part 6. This is for all the details that give your potential guests information about your listing.

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If you've never created an account before, you'll have to sign up for an account. If you have an account, even if you've only ever been a guest before, you'll use the same account for being a host.

 

Initial Listing Creation Wizard

Trying to write out step by step how to go through the initial Airbnb listing creation might cause confusion. They change and update it, so anything written here will become obsolete fairly quickly. So instead know that the initial creation wizard exists to get you started. Even after going through the wizard, everything but the address can be changed. There's also a lot of sections that you won't be prompted to fill out, so you have to go back to fill out each section. Instead, we'll go over each section for a listing after it's been created and things to note while you're filling out the information.

Note that during this initial setup, you MUST set the correct address, as it can not be changed.

Listing Details

Photos

Of course, the first thing is also the most important thing. Photos really are what make and break any listing. Here is where you'll upload the photos you have of the space, which we covered in the previous part.

For each photo, you'll have the option for a caption. You'll want to take full advantage of this option. Write out what it is you're showing in the picture, with the benefits and reasons such as a comfortable bed, high-pressure shower, productive workspace, personal fridge.

Rooms and Spaces

This is where you'll mark what types of rooms are accessible by your guests, even if they're shared spaces.

You will also assign pictures to those spaces, and who they would share those spaces that are shared. If you're doing a private room and bathroom, but allow guests to use your kitchen, this is where you would mark that.

Amenities

Lots of checkboxes for things you have. Some seem obvious, such as Central Heating or Wifi if you're doing a private room in your house. You still need to mark these, and there are places such as cabins in the woods that wouldn't have all these amenities that seem like a given for your house.

Accessibility

Having the right place for the right guests is important. You don't want someone wheelchair-bound to try a flight of stairs, use a small bathroom and toilet, or try to shower in a normal tub. If you have accessibility built into your house, you may get a few extra bookings from guests that need them.

Title & Description

THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTION. We'll dive into each line item.

Listing Title

This is what everyone sees as they scroll through listings. Take full advantage of the character limit here. Start with a short but powerful meaningful word that catches the eye. Secure, Charming, Grand are some examples. Be accurate with your title, and be descriptive such as Private Room and Bath. If you as a host have a selling point, use that as well, such as your occupation or something that people may want to know that makes them want to stay there.

Listing Description

This is the summary paragraph people will read as they look at your listing. Again take full advantage of the full character limit to explain everything about the listing. Focus on the selling points as well as the summary, such as distance to the freeway if you're close, proximity to venues around, and why people would have a good stay at your place. This is even a better opportunity to talk about you as a host if that's something that could be a selling point, such as if you're a frequent traveler or have an interesting occupation that you think guests will want to know.

The Space

This section has no character limit, so it's a great place to break everything up into bullet points. Similar descriptions and selling points for each area, and can take some inspiration from your photo captions. Sleeping arrangements, Working Space, Bathroom, and extras such as the mini-fridge and microwave.

Guest Access

Here you want to explicitly write out what the guest has access too. Basically write out the entire "Rooms and Spaces" section, with what they have private and shared access too. Also if you have anything that's off-limits, you can write it here. Then you can write out again what guests have in their room, such as the workspace, TV, etc.

Guest Interaction

Check the appropriate box, although planning on socializing with guests might be something to only do if you live somewhere that it's appropriate like a cabin in the woods or something. Then write out your generic availability, maybe work schedule and such, things that could affect the guest. 

Other Things To Note

If you have a second room on Airbnb, if there are quiet hours, if stairs are required, and generally a good place to put special rules. You'll have a house manual that will go over the rules as well, but writing them here helps too.

The Neighborhood

Overview

Hopefully, you live in a nice neighborhood and this can be a selling point. Could also mention if you're in an apartment complex, townhouse, cul-de-sac, and just more about around the place. This is also a good place to mention close by venues, freeway access, and any other good close by things to note for guests.

Getting Around

If driving is possible, distance to public transportation, if rideshare is available (Uber/Lyft), if walking is safe, and things you'd tell guests if they wanted to know how to get to something that is close by.

Property and guests

Here is where you get the official explanation of the type of place, such as if it's in a house or townhome, what type of listing (whole place vs private room), and how many guests you can accommodate with this listing. If it's a private room, you are setting it up primarily for guests. If it's a whole place, then you may need to check that you have personal belongings too if that's true.

Location

You can't change the address anymore, that would have been set up during the initial creation phase. For the Map marker, it is recommended that you set a general location for security reasons.

Under directions, write out how you would explain getting there to someone on the phone. Trying to explain exactly which house can be difficult, so you may tweak this a bit as guests talk about their experience with finding the house with you.

For Visibility for booked guests, chances are with a private room you're going to have a flexible cancelation, which means it's always free to cancel, so the guest won't be able to plan ahead to get to your place. You may need to turn this on if you're in a bad neighborhood and you're concerned about fake bookings.

Guest Resources

Set the Check-in instructions, and your wifi info. Then for the house manual, this is a great place to remind people of the rules or good things to note from above. If you have quiet hours, work schedule, policies on certain things such as taking shoes off or food, things such as that. You may end up editing this as time goes on and you realize there are things you don't want to have happened.

 

The listing details here are all about not only telling people about your space but getting your sales and marketing to convince people to want to stay with you. If you're not getting bookings, this is one of the first places to look and tweak.

← Part 4

 Part 6 →

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