Deep dive in my Vrbo vs Airbnb pricing

Short-Term & Vacation Rental Discussions
1yFollow

Deep dive in my Vrbo vs Airbnb pricing

John UnderwoodPro Member
Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes

As you have probably seen from my previous posts, I get hardly any Airbnb bookings and Vrbo does great keeping my calendar full, especially in the warmer months.

This is specifically for our Lake House in SC.

I am comparing the same dates across Vrbo and Airbnb. I am using the Vrbo Market Maker tool and the Airbnb "view similar listings".

Both will show you pricing for booked vs un-booked for your nearby competition.  You still have to check and make sure any low prices aren't a guest house, mobile home or something of a lesser caliber than your property.

As I check various dates and compare them, I see a trend where the Airbnb listed properties are priced much lower than similar properties on the same dates than Vrbo. I typically set my pricing the same on both platforms. 

I set my pricing slightly higher than my competition on Vrbo during the peak season and have no problem getting plenty of bookings on Vrbo. If I want to use the property at all I have to block dates, or they will get booked. 

I am seeing that if I want to be competitive with the Airbnb hosts, I have to significantly drop my prices compared to my Vrbo prices. I am doing that some for slow weekday dates just to see if I can get a couple extra Airbnb bookings from the discount crowd. I am not going to give a huge discount from my Vrbo prices just to pick up extra days on Airbnb during my peak season.

I just checked and with a couple of normal filters for type of house and minimum bedrooms, I am number 5 on the Airbnb search results. So that isn't an issue.

5Reply
84 views

Most Popular Reply

Ken Boone
Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
1y

I think the whole thing between both platform is drastically different for each property and largely unexplainable ;)

I have 4 STRs in the Pigeon Forge area market. We have one in the PF city limits, two just outside the city limits (Sevierville) and the 4th in Wears Valley.

When we started several years ago, we were 80/20 across the first 3 cabins VRBO to AirBnb. We much preferred dealing with VRBO for sure. When we bought the Wears Valley cabin, the previous owners told us they only get bookings on AirBnb. When we setup our listing, sure as anything we couldn't get a VRBO booking on that property for 6 months. Several phone calls with VRBO basically went like this: "Well you need to get more bookings to rank higher and be shown in the listings" my resposne "ok but if you don't show me in the listings how am I going to get more bookings?" and we would go back and forth.

We finally got some VRBO bookings on that property after we let several friends stay there very cheap just to get some reviews and bookings on the VRBO side. It took major effort to get VRBO bookings on that property for some reason. VRBO has never been the dominate platform for this particular cabin.

Things have changed in the last 18 months rather drastically across all my properties. VRBO bookings have gone down overall across the board and whereas in times past it was 80/20 VRBO, now only one property has more VRBO bookings than AirBnb and it is nowhere near an 80/20, it is closer to 55/45.

Speaking with my VRBO account manager, they acknowledged that HomeAway has not been advertising in my market like they need to be and AirBnb has dominated in that market and they recognize they need to fix that.

The other thing that has changed in my situation is that I have been focused on growing direct bookings through my website. I just checked and for 2025 my direct bookings represent the following percentage of bookings across my 4 cabins: 5%, 18%, 22%, and 25%. I was extremely happy to realize those numbers after my efforts. It does mean less available time open on VRBO and that could play into the shift as well with lower VRBO bookings.

One last thought, on the cabin that is doing 5% direct bookings, that is in a cabin resort neighborhood. My buddy owns the cabin rest next to me. Same layout, both are indoor pool cabins, same sq footage. Slightly different on some amenities but both are loaded. My cabin has 45% of its bookings from VRBO and 45% of its bookings from AirBnb. Again right next door to mine and he can't get a VRBO booking to save his life. He gets zero VRBO bookings. He used to but now nothing. It really makes no sense at all. He has had calls with his account manager and he gets the same conversation I used to get on the other property.


2Reply
See this reply in the discussion

10 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    1y

    I'm not seeing a link or image, John.... (?)

    But I suspect that ABNB is priced lower because people know that they allow hosts to rent trailers, tents, RVs and rooms. Just a thought. I think of VRBO as a little 'higher class', but that might be just me, I am (as you know)  a little biased towards VRBO based on many issues.

    Also have you noticed the constant advertising by VRBO pushing this exact concept and really selling themselves as the better 'free-er' choices. Pretty good ads really. They are trying (and succeeding I believe) to capture a larger market share. I personally believe that ABNB is vulnerable in this regard...(i.e. a sloppy host sitting in the spa with the guests, Lol)....what do you think?

    1Reply
    • Ken Boone
      Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
      1y
      Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:


      Also have you noticed the constant advertising by VRBO pushing this exact concept and really selling themselves as the better 'free-er' choices. Pretty good ads really. They are trying (and succeeding I believe) to capture a larger market share. I personally believe that ABNB is vulnerable in this regard...(i.e. a sloppy host sitting in the spa with the guests, Lol)....what do you think?


      That is interesting because I am seeing the exact opposite. VRBO is massively losing ground in my market and this was acknowledged to me by my VRBO account manager as well. 

      0Reply
    • John UnderwoodPro Member
      OP
      Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
      1y
      Quote from @Bruce Woodruff:

      I'm not seeing a link or image, John.... (?)

      But I suspect that ABNB is priced lower because people know that they allow hosts to rent trailers, tents, RVs and rooms. Just a thought. I think of VRBO as a little 'higher class', but that might be just me, I am (as you know)  a little biased towards VRBO based on many issues.

      Also have you noticed the constant advertising by VRBO pushing this exact concept and really selling themselves as the better 'free-er' choices. Pretty good ads really. They are trying (and succeeding I believe) to capture a larger market share. I personally believe that ABNB is vulnerable in this regard...(i.e. a sloppy host sitting in the spa with the guests, Lol)....what do you think?


       You are correct about the Vrbo advertising. I do see a lot of their advertising. I think they advertised during the Superbowl last year. They still make fun of Airbnb for renting rooms. They make fun of the unique properties that aren't very comfortable. I love the Nick Saban Vrbo commercials.

      On top of the very few Airbnb bookings they Airbnb guests are where any problems come from typically for me.

      I have true vacation rentals and people seem to think Vrbo when they go on vacation. At least that is what I am definitely seeing too.

      My neighbors don't even bother with Airbnb and from what I am seeing they are not wrong to just not bother with them.

      Like I said I rank high on the Airbnb search results, but since I stick with my higher Vrbo pricing, customers on Airbnb are going with discount properties.

      0Reply
  • Ken Boone
    Investor · Greenville, SC · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    I think the whole thing between both platform is drastically different for each property and largely unexplainable ;)

    I have 4 STRs in the Pigeon Forge area market. We have one in the PF city limits, two just outside the city limits (Sevierville) and the 4th in Wears Valley.

    When we started several years ago, we were 80/20 across the first 3 cabins VRBO to AirBnb. We much preferred dealing with VRBO for sure. When we bought the Wears Valley cabin, the previous owners told us they only get bookings on AirBnb. When we setup our listing, sure as anything we couldn't get a VRBO booking on that property for 6 months. Several phone calls with VRBO basically went like this: "Well you need to get more bookings to rank higher and be shown in the listings" my resposne "ok but if you don't show me in the listings how am I going to get more bookings?" and we would go back and forth.

    We finally got some VRBO bookings on that property after we let several friends stay there very cheap just to get some reviews and bookings on the VRBO side. It took major effort to get VRBO bookings on that property for some reason. VRBO has never been the dominate platform for this particular cabin.

    Things have changed in the last 18 months rather drastically across all my properties. VRBO bookings have gone down overall across the board and whereas in times past it was 80/20 VRBO, now only one property has more VRBO bookings than AirBnb and it is nowhere near an 80/20, it is closer to 55/45.

    Speaking with my VRBO account manager, they acknowledged that HomeAway has not been advertising in my market like they need to be and AirBnb has dominated in that market and they recognize they need to fix that.

    The other thing that has changed in my situation is that I have been focused on growing direct bookings through my website. I just checked and for 2025 my direct bookings represent the following percentage of bookings across my 4 cabins: 5%, 18%, 22%, and 25%. I was extremely happy to realize those numbers after my efforts. It does mean less available time open on VRBO and that could play into the shift as well with lower VRBO bookings.

    One last thought, on the cabin that is doing 5% direct bookings, that is in a cabin resort neighborhood. My buddy owns the cabin rest next to me. Same layout, both are indoor pool cabins, same sq footage. Slightly different on some amenities but both are loaded. My cabin has 45% of its bookings from VRBO and 45% of its bookings from AirBnb. Again right next door to mine and he can't get a VRBO booking to save his life. He gets zero VRBO bookings. He used to but now nothing. It really makes no sense at all. He has had calls with his account manager and he gets the same conversation I used to get on the other property.


    2Reply
  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    1y

    We have had pretty massive swings year to year. When we first started out, we were 80% VRBO and 20% AirBNB.

    Then it started to swing the other way.

    Now we are nearly 50/50 for the last 2 years. We are priced exactly the same on both platforms.

    1Reply
  • Mike GrudzienPro Member
    Lender · Eugene, OR · Member since 2019 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1y

    Eugene, Oregon, 2bd/2bath, "Executive Rental"
    11 years ago: 90% VRBO, 10% Airbnb.  Now 90% Airbnb, 10% VRBO

    1Reply
  • Patricia Andriolo-Bull
    Member since 2022 · 527 posts · 413 votes
    1y

    I went from 80% VRBO until last summer (2024) now I'm 80% Airbnb and barely rank on VRBO.  I've had discussion with them about it and they don't understand it either given my metrics, photos, descriptions, etc.  I've shared many examples with them where properties with 6* reviews with no premier status show up before my 10* review properties (with Premier Host status).  I think they are losing ground and throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks and further digging a hole for themselves - at least in my market.

    On your pricing note - I do price lower on Airbnb now (I used to have them even).  But I pay VRBO 8%+ (they charge me fees on taxes, which on some of my longer rentals can be upwards of $2000, airbnb does not) vs. Airbnb 3%.  I make up for this in my rate.

    2Reply
  • Matt Mertz
    Leander TX · Member since 2020 · 179 posts · 150 votes
    1y

    We were 50/50 Airbnb and VRBO for the first three years.  So far 2025 we are 100% Airbnb which makes us pretty nervous.  We're 1% cheaper on VRBO.  Not sure how to correct this.  We are in the Smokies market.

    0Reply
  • Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
    Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    1y

    For us it all depends on the property.  Larger homes by the beach are predominantly VRBO.  Smaller/Urban units are more Airbnb.

    [email protected]813-563-0877
    Vacation Rentals of Florida53 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
  • JD MartinBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
    1y

    Our bookings on Airbnb have fallen completely off the cliff. They were never great but used to be maybe 70/30. For a while I thought booking was going to displace one or the other as our bookings there were getting strong, but they've completely tanked as well while VRBO much to my chagrin has swamped everything including our direct bookings. For the rest of this year right now we are at 100% VRBO what's been booked. 

    I did the same kind of analysis between Airbnb and VRBO like John did and I found two major issues - Airbnb properties are cheaper than me, by a lot, and my location gets filtered out by my zip code quite a bit so if they're not searching on the map I take a hit. Their algorithm isn't smart enough to include us based on physical location because our zip goes way out in the wrong direction and we're on the very edge of the choice zip code. I'm not willing to lower my price any further to compete on Airbnb so it is what it is I guess.

    Podcast Guest on Show #243
    Skyline Properties
    View Page
    1Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free