First Steps Towards STR Co-hosting

[Gabrielle Jean]

Greetings everyone,

I hope you're all doing well. I'm excited to join this community and share a bit about myself. I'm a twenty-year-old currently serving in the military, and I've been considering exploring opportunities in Airbnb co-hosting. With a background in retail and customer service, I believe I possess skills that could be valuable in this field.

However, before diving headfirst into this new venture, I want to make sure I have a clear understanding of what exactly co-hosting responsibilities entail. While I've done some research on the topic, I feel that hearing from those with firsthand experience could provide invaluable insights.

From what I gather, co-hosting involves assisting Airbnb hosts with various tasks, ranging from guest communication and check-ins to cleaning and maintenance. But I'm curious to know more about the day-to-day realities of being a co-host. What are some unexpected challenges you've faced? What skills have proven to be most crucial in this role? And perhaps most importantly, what level of commitment is typically expected from co-hosts? Lastly is this a good investment at the age I am at currently, or is there anything similar to this career field that is in turn a great investment. 

I'm eager to learn from your experiences and perspectives. Any advice, tips, or personal anecdotes you could share would be greatly appreciated as I contemplate taking the leap into the world of Airbnb co-hosting.

Thank you all in advance for your insights and guidance!

[Kate Stoermer]

There are a couple of courses out there to train co-hosts - and likely those programs help you find leads to get started.  I know Bill Faeth has a program for sure.  I'd advise starting there. 

I'll note co-host is a pretty broad description and it will be up to you and your clients to refine what the job is. That said, the key - number one role, of any STR is to optimize revenue and STR is all about marketing and positioning the offer (the listing) - getting the pricing, photos, and copy correct in addition to delivering an A+ experience. A co-host will be expected to know this and how to achieve it and execute on it in order to be successful.

Also, keep in mind some states are very strict about what it means to be a co-host.  

Good luck!