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Airbnb Superhosts are considered the cream of the crop among other hosts on the letting platform. It’s the pinnacle of achievement for those who aspire to have a reputation for providing exceptional guest experiences.
Earning this esteemed title is not mandatory, but it can elevate your property’s earning potential on Airbnb. When guests see this title, it proves that you are committed to excellence and your dedication to hospitality sets you apart from other Airbnb hosts nearby.
The question is, how can you become an Airbnb Superhost?
In this article, you’ll understand what it means to be a Superhost and how you can achieve this status on Airbnb. You’ll get to know the benefits and qualifications plus tips on how you can maintain your Superhost status. In the process, you’ll discover how you can maintain top-notch guest satisfaction so you can increase your rental yields and occupancy rates.
What is an Airbnb Superhost?
The Airbnb Superhost title is given to hosts who have displayed exceptional hospitality and commitment to providing outstanding guest experiences. It’s more than just a badge of honour. It’s a status that can set your property apart and make it stand out among other London Airbnb properties.
Guests will take one look at your Superhost status and they’ll know that you have proven your ability to be the best host to previous guests. It’ll be easier to gain their trust and approval – which hopefully will lead them to book your property on Airbnb.
Benefits of an Airbnb Superhost
Earning the Superhost title comes with several rewards that can elevate your hosting experience and increase your property’s earning potential and occupancy rate. Probably the most rewarding of them all is the positive first impression that guests will have when they see your Superhost status. It will give them the confidence to trust and book your property – and they’ll know that you have a reputation to meet and exceed expectations.
This trust and confidence leads to other benefits that only Superhosts can enjoy.
- Increased visibility. Airbnb calibrates its search results to prioritise Superhosts so they get a 5% improvement in their listing traffic. Guests also have the option to filter their search to include only property managed by a Superhost. This means you’re profile will get a higher placement in the search results. The increase in visibility will lead to more profile visits.
- More bookings. If more people look at your Airbnb profile, it significantly increases the chance that they’ll book the property. Statistics reveal that Superhosts enjoy 81% higher occupancy rates compared to regular hosts. It can be safely assumed that this is caused by the confidence that viewers feel when dealing with Superhosts.
- Higher revenue. With increased visibility and more bookings, it’s expected that Superhosts get more revenue per day – up to 60% more.
- Better reviews and ratings. Getting a Superhost status requires you to maintain it. This will force you to make an effort to keep creating the best experience for guests. This will increase the chances that you’ll get positive reviews and ratings from previous guests.
- Exclusive offers. Airbnb also offers exclusive freebies to Superhosts like Airbnb coupons and referral bonuses. These perks will elevate your hosting experience and make all your hospitality efforts worthwhile.
How to Become a Superhost on Airbnb
According to Airdna’s statistics, from the 4.9 million hosts on the Airbnb platform, only 304,000 end up being given a Superhost status. Does this mean it’s hard to achieve this status?
The list of qualifications is simple to understand. But admittedly, hosts have a hard time meeting all the requirements and being consistent about it. After all, the evaluation process to be a Superhost is not a one-time thing. It happens every quarter, specifically every January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1. This quarterly assessment happens over 7 days. It involves the evaluation of every host’s performance for the past 12 months. Being a host for the entire 12 months is not required – as long as you meet all the requirements on the assessment date.
Airbnb does the evaluation automatically so there’s no need to apply. You’ll just be notified if you qualify for the Superhost status. It’ll approximately 7 days for the Superhost badge to show on your listing and profile pages.
Qualifications to become a Superhost
Qualifying for the Superhost badge, your 12-month hosting performance requires you to have the following:
- 10+ stays or 3 completed stays with a total of 100 nights or more.
- 90% response rate or more
- 1% cancellation rate of less (except cancellations falling under the Extenuating Circumstances policy)
- 4.8 overall rating or more (reviews are only counted if both the guest and host submitted their reviews or after the 14-day review period has passed – whichever occurs first)
The star rating is a very important metric for Airbnb hosts. 8 out of 10 receive a 4.5+ star rating – but there are still a considerable number of hosts that fall short of getting the Superhost status. Not only that, the 10+ minimum stay is also a hard metric for hosts to meet.
Maintaining a Superhost Status
As mentioned, Airbnb conducts a Superhost evaluation 4x a year. You need to hit all the requirements by the time the assessment period comes. This means maintaining your Superhost status will take consistent work and effort.
This would require you to keep track of all your metrics diligently. Check your performance metrics and take note of any falling metrics. This will allow you to make changes and improve services immediately as issues occur.
It can be assumed that it’s a way for Airbnb to ensure that Superhosts continue to provide exceptional hosting services. While it may seem tedious, it helps protect the appeal of the Superhost status. It ensures that guests will get a superior hosting experience and it’ll elevate the prestige that comes with the Superhost badge.
Common Questions about Airbnb Superhosts
Becoming a Superhost on Airbnb starts with the right knowledge about the requirements, rewards and rules surrounding it.
Regularly reviewing what you know about the Superhost status helps you hit all the right metrics in time for the assessment period. To get to know more about the Superhost badge, here are common questions asked about it.
Does a Superhost get more bookings?
A Superhost badge per se won’t guarantee that you’ll get more bookings – but it increases the chances that people will consider your property over others. First, it can increase your visibility. Second, the 4.8+ star reviews will lead to booking confidence.
Being a Superhost represents your track record of hosting excellence. This will help guests choose you over other properties.
How much can you earn as an Airbnb Superhost?
According to Airdna, Superhosts earn 5.9% more than the average host with similar properties in the same location. The hosting excellence and high-star reviews allow Superhosts to command higher rental rates. Combine this with the high occupancy rates and you get more earning potential.
How long will it take to become a Superhost on Airbnb?
Achieving a Superhost status on Airbnb would depend on how fast you can meet the requirements. You can be a host for only 6 months and be a Superhost as long as you qualify. Or you can be a host for years and still fail to get the badge.
The Superhost status requires consistent hosting excellence so you need to step up your property management skills to get it.
Achieve a Superhost Status Through Property Experts
An Airbnb Superhost is a great milestone for hosts looking to excel as a short-term letting expert. Understanding the qualifications will give you the edge and allow you to position yourself for success.
Admittedly, this status would require consistent work and effort. This is why a lot of hosts rely on professional property management experts to help them achieve a Superhost status.
If you need support in your journey to become a Superhost on Airbnb, get an experienced property management company to assist you. City Relay has more than 12 years of experience in hosting Airbnb guests. We can optimise your Airbnb listings so you can maximise your rental revenue.
Call us so we can discuss how you can elevate your hosting game to grow your portfolio returns.
