A couple, who own a staggering 22 properties on Airbnb, are parting ways with the popular platform as they want more control.
California-based couple Sara and Tony Robinson are famous for sharing their helpful tips online with thousands of followers on YouTube and Instagram.
The couple, who call themselves the ‘Real Estate Robinsons’, are said to have racked up more than $1.3m (£1.07m) in annual income. Most of this information would come from Airbnb.
Now the Robinsons have revealed they want to quit the platform, along with fellow rental site Vrbo.
In a YouTube video titled “We’re leaving Airbnb,” which garnered nearly 60,000 views, the couple announced the move and what they plan to do next.
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We are leaving Airbnbwww.youtube.com
The couple acknowledged that they “love Airbnb” and how much the platform “has changed [their] lives” after allowing them to quit their day jobs at Tesla and iHeartRadio.
However, they admitted they were “absolutely terrified” that their business would depend on the popular rental website.
“Right now, 100% of our short-term rental bookings come from Airbnb or Vrbo,” Sara explained. “We keep thinking, ‘what if something is wrong with Airbnb or Vrbo?'”
Going forward, they want more control over their properties and end their “dependency on Airbnb and start working to get guests to book direct with [them].”
They aim to “shut down slowly over time” when building their business.
The Robinsons outlined their plans for:
- Use email capture to get guest email addresses when they log on to use the internet during their stay.
- Implement influencer marketing by offering influencers a free night for social posts in return.
- Set up new social media profiles to showcase properties.
- Create a blog to redirect people to their booking system.
The couple warned that it might be “quite difficult” for a new host to get a “properly filled out calendar from the start without using something like Airbnb and Vrbo”.
However, they argued that their strategies can help hosts create a “platform that you own.”
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