For Airbnb hosts in Colombia, a strong Airbnb profile covers a wide range of topics, we look how to improve your profile that can result in more guests.
With coronavirus and curfews in Colombia it is important to have a good Airbnb profile to set yourself apart from your competition. Many Airbnb profiles in Colombia are weak, so if you improve your Airbnb profile you can be a step ahead of the competition.
A strong Airbnb profile is around 55-72 words in length and covers a diverse range of topics. These topics including interests and tastes, work or education, personality, relationships, origin or residence, travel, and hospitality.
A Stanford and Cornell Tech research paper (“Self-Disclosure and Perceived Trustworthiness of Airbnb Host Profiles”) found several insights that can help your improve you Airbnb profile. In this article we look at five insights to improve your Airbnb profile in Colombia.
Also, we previously looked at 15 ways to improved you Airbnb search rank in Colombia.
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1. Insight #1 – How You Describe Yourself Is Important
How a host describes herself in her profile reduces uncertainty and signals to the guest whether the host is trustworthy.
Trust is tied to ratings and reputation, although one study suggests that since Airbnb ratings are skewed high: “the number of reviews received is predictive of room sales even when controlling for scores.” Another study showed that “profile images were linked to perceived trustworthiness of hosts and higher prices.”
Remember that many reservations on Airbnb are from brand new guests. They’re not as familiar with how secure and safe the platform is. Give them some comfort by filling in completely your Airbnb host profile. And, I recommend you add a photo of a human, not a company, to your profile. I believe a professional company logo as your Airbnb profile photo increases the guests’ expectations without conferring any benefit to the host.
2. Insight #2 – “Profile as Promise” Approach
The researchers suggest a “Profile as Promise” approach “for understanding how hosts and guests produce and evaluate disclosures in Airbnb profiles.
Hosts disclosed information about themselves that they perceived as relevant and of interest to potential guests, and their promises were evaluated based on their trustworthiness, as predicted by signaling theory and URT” (uncertainty reduction theory).
Keep your future potential guest in mind when filling in your profile. For example, do most of your guests come from the U.S.? Have you visited the U.S.? Add this to your profile: “I’m a world traveler, so I know what you need for comfort. My favorite countries are the U.S., Chile and Brazil.”
4. Insight #4 – Variety Of Topics In Your Airbnb Profile
Researchers also looked into the variety of topic choice on trustworthiness disclosed in the host profiles and separated them into: Origin or Residence, Work or Education, Interests & Tastes, and Hospitality.
The study showed that as the number of topics increased in a profile, so did the trustworthiness of the profile. The most successful three-topic combination was profiles that contained topics related to Hospitality, Origin or Residence and Work or Education.
You should always have your work and education filled in as it’s part of the basic requirements to complete your Airbnb host profile. If you are retired or don’t want to share your profession, add ‘Airbnb Host’.
5. Insight #5 – Bare Minimum Threshold
Finally, the “so what?” question: does a higher trustworthiness score for text-based host profiles predict the likelihood of guest choice?
The study concluded: “when profiles are short, perceived trustworthiness almost perfectly predicts choice, whereas when the profile length increases, other factors appear to influence the choice. This may suggest a nuanced role of trust in decision making – there is a threshold that is needed to pass muster, but other factors … may weigh in once trustworthiness is no longer an issue.”
Remember, this is just one of many factors working for or against your favor. Optimize your Airbnb profile, but don’t overthink or overdo it. Giving a little bit of conscious thought to a lot of the parts of Airbnb hosting sets you apart from most Airbnb hosts.
Additional Noteworthy Insights From The Study
Airbnb Superhosts have longer profiles (72 words compared to 57 words for non-Superhosts.
- “onsite hosts cover more topics and write more overall” – this makes sense because they will be directly interacting with their guests.
- “on-site hosts (M=66.12, SD=59.66) on average wrote longer profiles (measured by word count) compared to remote hosts (M=55.85, SD=52.09)”
- “Superhosts wrote significantly longer profiles (a mean of 72.13 words compared to 57.74 words for non-Superhosts)”
- “quantity and diversity of information increases the perception of trust”
- “Perceived trustworthiness increases with profile length”
- “perceived trustworthiness score is a significant predictor of host choice—especially for shorter profiles that show more variation.”
5. Insight #5 – Bare Minimum Threshold
Finally, the “so what?” question: does a higher trustworthiness score for text-based host profiles predict the likelihood of guest choice?
The study concluded: “when profiles are short, perceived trustworthiness almost perfectly predicts choice, whereas when the profile length increases, other factors appear to influence the choice. This may suggest a nuanced role of trust in decision making – there is a threshold that is needed to pass muster, but other factors … may weigh in once trustworthiness is no longer an issue.”
Remember, this is just one of many factors working for or against your favor. Optimize your Airbnb profile, but don’t overthink or overdo it. Giving a little bit of conscious thought to a lot of the parts of Airbnb hosting sets you apart from most Airbnb hosts.
Additional Noteworthy Insights From The Study
Airbnb Superhosts have longer profiles (72 words compared to 57 words for non-Superhosts.
- “onsite hosts cover more topics and write more overall” – this makes sense because they will be directly interacting with their guests.
- “on-site hosts (M=66.12, SD=59.66) on average wrote longer profiles (measured by word count) compared to remote hosts (M=55.85, SD=52.09)”
- “Superhosts wrote significantly longer profiles (a mean of 72.13 words compared to 57.74 words for non-Superhosts)”
- “quantity and diversity of information increases the perception of trust”
- “Perceived trustworthiness increases with profile length”
- “perceived trustworthiness score is a significant predictor of host choice—especially for shorter profiles that show more variation.”
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Medellin Guru Real Estate Service
Our reliable partner, a leading real estate company, offers a wide range of services:
- Transfer funds to Colombia
- Legal analysis property background checks
- Sales agreement
- Deed registration
- Legal representation
- Investment visa
Medellin Guru’s Airbnb Series
Medellin Guru now has a series of several articles about Airbnb in Colombia:
- 9 Strategies to Find Killer Deals on Airbnb in Colombia
- 15 Things to Know Before Investing to Become an Airbnb Host in Colombia
- 10 Airbnb Best Practices for Airbnb Hosting in Colombia
- 9 Tips to Attract Long-Term Airbnb Guests in Colombia
- 7 Strategies for Airbnb Slow Season in Colombia
- How to Identify Problem Airbnb Guests in Colombia Before They Book
- 15 Ways to Increase Your Airbnb Search Rank In Colombia
- How Safe is Airbnb in Colombia? Is it Safe to Use Airbnb in Colombia?
- Airbnb Travel Itinerary for Your Airbnb Guests in Colombia
- How to Get Started on Airbnb in Colombia: A Guide
Medellin Guru's guide to buying, selling and renting apartments and choosing a neighborhood
On the Medellin Guru website, we have a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to buying, selling, and renting apartments and choosing a neighborhood in Medellin found in several articles, including:
Buying and Selling Apartments
- Medellin Real Estate: Property Buyer’s Guide for Foreigners
- Selling Real Estate in Colombia: A Guide to Selling for Foreigners
- Mistakes Foreigners Make When Buying Real Estate in Colombia
- Current Costs to Buy New Apartments in Medellin
- Rent vs Buy: Downsides of Renting and Buying Property in Medellin
- 13 Things Real Estate Agents in Colombia May Not Tell You
- How to Obtain a Colombia Investment Visa
Renting Unfurnished Apartments:
- Apartment Rental Guide: Renting Unfurnished Apartments in Medellin
- Guide to Finding Unfurnished Apartments and Casas in Medellin
- Guide to Overcoming the Fiador Requirement in Colombia
- Unfurnished Apartment Rental Costs in Medellin
- 6 Inexpensive Neighborhoods for Unfurnished Rentals in Medellin
- Furnishing Apartments: A Guide to Furnishing Apartments in Medellin
- Apartment vs Casa (House) Rentals in Medellin: Pros and Cons
Renting Furnished Apartments:
Choosing a Neighborhood in Medellin:
Also, we have several articles that can be used to help foreigners choose a neighborhood in Medellin:
- Laureles: The world’s coolest neighborhood for 2023 by ‘Time Out’ is in Medellin, Colombia
- What are the Safest Neighborhoods in Medellin and the Aburrá Valley?
- 5 Best Neighborhoods in Medellin: A Guide to Choosing a Neighborhood
- 9 Downsides of El Poblado: Living in Medellin’s Expensive Neighborhood
- Estratos: A Guide to Understanding Estratos in Colombia
- El Poblado vs Laureles: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
- El Poblado vs Envigado: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
- El Poblado vs Sabaneta: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
- El Poblado vs Belén: Which is the Better Neighborhood to Live in?
- 2018 Unfurnished Apartment Rental Costs in Medellin in 5 Neighborhoods Popular with Expats
- 6 Inexpensive Neighborhoods for Unfurnished Rentals in Medellin
The Bottom Line: Improve Your Airbnb Profile in Colombia For More Guests
The difference that separates good from great Airbnb hosts is typically how much time they’ve thought about how to improve. Host A sets up their Airbnb profile and listing without much additional thought as to how to use the platform best for their situation. Host B does the same except with a marketing mindset.
If you’re reading this atticle, I know a lot more about you than you think. For one, you’re smart. All you really have to do is use your brain and you’re going to optimize your Airbnb listing in Colombia and hospitality to the point of being the best in your market.
However, don’t over-optimize one thing. This is just one piece to the puzzle. Think about how you can optimize it, try that, and move on.
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3 thoughts on “Improve Your Airbnb Profile in Colombia For More Guests”
Joshua, was this specific to hosts from Colombia, or all hosts who rent out on AirBnb in Colombia in general?
I wish I could explain it but really can’t. Perhaps it was just had luck but as it has happened multiple times it feels a bit more systemic. I have had some good Airbnb stays in Colombia for sure but I’ve had a disproportionate number of problems.
As a frequent visitor to Colombia, mostly to the Medellin area (actually with a strong preference for El Retiro, La Ceja and Llano grande) and as a person who has spent well over 1000 nights in say 100 different Airbnb properties over the last seven years I can say with authority I’ve had more problems with Colombian hosts than anywhere else in the world. The range of problems has run from properties not meeting expectations, hosts not resolving problems that have occurred during the stay, hosts being generally unreasonable (particularly true during the pandemic) and believe it or not anti-Semitic and discriminatory comments being directed towards me. AirBNB was of zero value in resolving problems, and was particularly absent and did nothing about the discrimination incident, despite their public stance of zero tolerance – there were no consequences to that host. As such I’ve vowed to never stay in another AirBNB in Colombia and have settled on using the different ‘aparthotels’ that are prominent in the area. It’s all very surprising given how much I love the country and the people, but when you have this many bad experiences it points towards a more systemic problem which somehow needs to be identified and addressed.