SUPERBOWL $5000 single booking for 6 nights! Why I got lucky!

[Joe Kim]

I have this giant 6 bed/4bath Airbnb home in Atlanta area that I have had for less than 1 year. 

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/25494465?s=51

When I first started Airbnb in my then traditional rental conversion to Airbnb in June/2018 I did not have a clue that Superbowl was happening in Atlanta in 2019.

Once I found out Superbowl is in Atlanta, I thought $$$$ - right? 

I started at $1950/night weekend pricing.   I got a few inquiries at that price about 2-4 months before and I thought I was pricing it right.    But those 2-3 inquiries did not turn into a REAL confirmed booking.    

Zoom to the present.   Actually a week ago, I started to get a little nervous that my Airbnb home was not getting booked and considering dropping my price.   

But knowing how Airbnb can book last minute, I held off dropping the price for another week.

Then this week I checked out my competition, Airbnb was FLOODED (not with rain) but with NEW listings with TONS of ordinary folks who have NO experience in Airbnb, putting their homes on Airbnb at both INFLATED pricing ($8000/night)  and at extremely low pricing ($200-300/night).  

I was now sweating bullets.   I lowered the price to $1750, then $1500 next day.   Today I was at $1250 and was just about to lower it under the $1000/night mark to $890/night. 

But literally seconds before someone, "INSTANT" booked the home at the $1250/night weekend pricing (2 weekend days) and overall $5000 total for 6 nights!    

Instant booking occurs when the guest who has prior positive Airbnb bookings can confirm a booking without sending a request.   

LESSON learned -  HOT events can go COLD fast if the competition grows especially 1-3 weeks before the special event.   Nothing is guaranteed and in fact, getting an early booking 2-4 months before at slightly lower price (when competition is lower) would have been better than GETTING creamed by the competition when newbies start "SURGE LISTING"  (describing the effect of newbies listing their home on Airbnb bandwagon for a special event ONLY). 

SO I got LUCKY.   Very lucky to get this booking now.   "Better to be lucky than good" as they say!

This is the SUPERBOWL home :  https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/25494465?s=51

Check out my other Airbnb listings here:   www.sesamewaltz.com