Updated 3 days ago on . Most recent reply
Looking for recommendations on how to improve listing
Hello Everyone!
My wife and I have had decent success with single family rentals, but our endeavor into STRs had had mixed results. Over the last 3 years, we consistently get a medium-term renter for the winter months, but can't seem to break through for anything other than ski season. There are very limited bookings late spring, Summer, or Fall. Does anyone have any recommendations for our very amateur STR attempts? The link is below—Thank you in advance for the advice!
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1015155402072432156?unique_shar...
Most Popular Reply
Great listing to share — you're clearly putting in the effort and the bones are solid. A few things jumped out that I think could move the needle outside ski season.
YOUR HERO PHOTOS ARE DOING THE WRONG JOB
The first five photos are your conversion engine. That's it. Everything else on the listing — the description, the amenities list, the rest of the gallery — only gets read if those five photos pull someone in first.
Right now two of your first five slots are bedrooms. Here's the thing: guests are already filtering by bedroom count before they ever see your photos. By the time they click your listing, they know it's a 2BR. Those slots are more valuable than that.
Think about it from a distribution standpoint. What amenities does your place have that a guest can't get everywhere else? The heated pool. The patio. The fire pit. The string lights at night. THOSE are your first five. Each photo should be answering a different "yes" in the guest's head — yes I want to relax there, yes I want to hang outside, yes that pool looks incredible, yes I can picture myself here in July.
YOUR HERO SHOT NEEDS STAGING
The main photo — the biggest one, the one that shows in search results — is your single most important marketing asset. And right now it's showing an unlit fireplace and a TV with glare on it.
Stage it like you're shooting a magazine cover. Fireplace on. TV showing something atmospheric (not a menu screen). Pillows fluffed. Warm light. The goal is to make someone feel something in under two seconds.
Your outdoor area has string lights and a fire pit — that's gold. A staged dusk shot of that space, lights on, fire going, could be a stronger hero image than anything interior.
THE SUMMER IDENTITY PROBLEM
Your title says "Walk to Main" — that's a ski season hook. What's the summer version of that story? Hiking trails? Wildflower season? River access? Off-season guests need to be able to picture themselves there in August. Right now the listing doesn't give them that picture.
Small adjustments like these — better photo sequencing, staged lighting, seasonal framing — are emotional changes more than functional ones. Guests are emotional creatures. They book the feeling before they book the facts. Give them something to feel.
