When Jim Quinlan received a phone call from Barcelona in late July, he was a little surprised.
The caller was an international representative from Airbnb.
And for locals, its a convenient way to get paid to share what makes their town unique.
Orlando Cano, co-owner of Paradise Adventures Sarasota, emailed Airbnb Experiences once-a-week for more than a year to get listed. It paid off; his business was the first to be listed in Sarasota. Chris Zuppa/The Penny Hoarder
They were following my Facebook and website.
The world has really gotten smaller.
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For over a year, I emailed them once a week, Do you do it now?
Do you do it now?
In September 2018, Airbnb relented.
For the first six months, we were the only Airbnb Experience in Sarasota, he said.
Verification includes uploading a photo of a government-issued ID plus providing a full legal name and address.
Once verification is complete,submit your Airbnb Experiences ideafor approval.
For hosts, Airbnb charges 20% of the sales price for each booking.
What Makes an Airbnb Experience Listing Successful?
Baseline qualifications aside, how you market your Experience is everything.
Quinlan and Cano shared what makes their listings shine.
Representing Your Locale
Cano and Quinlan say tourists comprise the vast majority of their client base.
For example, Florida is a hot spot for tourism with a reputation for outdoor activities and unique wildlife.
People say, Hey, we found you on Airbnb.
We wouldve never found you otherwise, Cano said.
It definitely helps to be the first game in town.
Essentially, guests want hosts to show them a good time they couldnt otherwise have on their own.
Cano and Quinlan love nature, and during their tours, they let it show.
He says its useful when gliding through the mangroves to be able to talk about wildlife and nature.
The ability to read weather patterns is crucial for his line of work, as well.
For Quinlan, the educational component of his honey bee experience is huge.
But he doesnt want to bore his guests.
For Canos listing, he included seven photos of kayakers paddling through the crystal blue waters of Sarasota Bay.
Hes sure to include another big draw for his tours: the wildlife.
A few photos highlight encounters from curious dolphins and manatees.
In his bio, he mentions his Master Naturalist certification and his years of experience kayaking.
Quinlans listing capitalizes on those same themes.
The approval process for a listing can be arduous.
Airbnb vets listings closely, and may send back questions or critiques with feedback on what to fix.
Avoid any reference to other businesses or websites (even your own).
Reviews, Reviews, Reviews
Reviews are the name of the game.
They are a shortcut for people to see if your Experience is worth their money.
Setting expectations in the description is part of garnering good reviews.
But most of it is through connections you make with your guests.
Being flexible and responsive will ensure a more positive experience.
And sometimes creating a positive experience means setting limits.
So he keeps it to about two bookings a week.
But it allows him to interact more with his guests.
Treat everybody like theyre the only customer youre ever gonna have, Cano said.
Adam Hardy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
He specializes in ways to make money that dont involve stuffy corporate offices.
Read his latest articles here, or say hi on Twitter@hardyjournalism.
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