Airbnb Management & Staging Fees - Is This Standard?

[Michael Belz]

We have a house on 3 acres near a neighborhood, and we're considering listing it on Airbnb. After some research, we connected with a local Airbnb manager who took a look at the property and was very complimentary. He quoted a 20% fee for managing each successful booking and suggested we improve the staging of the house, which he would oversee for an additional 10% of the total staging costs.

He provided a list of staging products, and now we’re realizing just how expensive it is to get the house ready for Airbnb. We’re wondering if these fees and processes are standard for short-term rentals. This is our first time with STRs, and we’re willing to learn. If things go well, we plan to manage it ourselves and possibly expand. What steps can we take to ensure a better experience and maximize bookings?