The host reward program Airbnb Superhost exists to highlight top performing hosts in the community to potential guests, but exactly what is a Superhost? How do you become an Airbnb Superhost? And what does the data say about why you should be a Superhost?
What is an Airbnb Superhost?
Launched in 2009, the Superhost program was designed to celebrate and reward Airbnb’s best-rated and most experienced hosts. The idea is that those hosts providing an outstanding guest experience are awarded a badge that further recommends them to potential guests, thus elevating the overall user experience.
How do you become an Airbnb Superhost?
Airbnb run quarterly assessments of a host’s performance over the past year, and those that meet with their prescribed standards, become Superhosts. Assessments commence on the 1st day of January, April, July, and October, and take into account your performance over the preceding 12 months, but you don’t need to have hosted for the full 12 months to qualify.
The Superhost program embraces host diversity and assesses the core elements of hospitality shared by all great hosts: commitment, experience, guest satisfaction and communication. To earn Superhost status, a host must hit the following targets across those core elements:
Now we understand what Superhost is, and how to attain it, but why jump through those hoops? What do you stand to gain?
Why – what Airbnb tells us
Airbnb claim that Superhost gives more visibility and earning potential, as well as exclusive rewards.
Why – does the data show that Superhost is worth it?
With Transparent’s industry leading vacation rental data covering over 35 million listings, we were able to analyse the actual benefits in terms of rates and occupancy, to help assess whether Superhost is indeed worth it.
The number of superhosts
First off, we can see that the Superhost program has grown significantly over the past 2 years. The number of Airbnb Superhosts is 1.58 million in July 2020.
We do however see that the percentage of listings hosted by Superhosts has stayed relatively stable. Below you can see this in our four example nations (CA, ES, UK, US), but also that the percentage varies from country to country.
This indicates that the popularity of the program has been sustained, and may suggest that hosts are seeing the benefits. So next we see the crucial data – how much more are Superhosts getting from their listings?
Our bar chart shows that, worldwide, Superhosts have enjoyed 9% higher occupancy, and nightly rates $7 higher over the past 2 years. For some indication, those numbers mean that an average non-Superhost listing makes $15,202 in annual revenue, while a Superhost listings makes $19,476. Further, we also see differences from country to country in the improvement that Superhost brings.
So Superhost numbers are holding strong and the data backs up Airbnb’s claims: Superhost rewards those hosts aligning with Airbnb’s standards by highlighting them for potential guests, boosting visibility and earnings. Ultimately, holding Superhost status can increase your occupancy by 8%, your ADR by $7, and your annual revenue by a huge 28%.
Beyond those benefits, the ‘hoops to jump through’ are merely things that every host worth their salt should be aiming for -standards to benefit everyone. So why not see if you can make it!
For more valuable insights on your vacation rental strategy, why not take a look at the Transparent Smart Rental data dashboards? Check your area for free, or book a personal demo of the PRO dashboard for advanced, granular insights.