Do you love hospitality and wish you could use your skills to make money on Airbnb? Or are you an overburdened Airbnb investor looking for a way to work less, and still take on new properties? Have you heard about co hosting, and wondered exactly what it is and how it could benefit you?

If this sounds familiar, don’t miss Episode 26 of the Host Coach Airbnb Investing Podcast where Nancy-Paige (NP) Robinson shares how co-hosts can earn 10% to 40% of Airbnb stay revenue by taking over guest messaging and management responsibilities from busy Airbnb investors!

Read on to be inspired and also to take away actionable advice on how to either become an Airbnb co host or find one to help you manage your Airbnb investment portfolio.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• What an Airbnb co host is, and what they do
• The percentage pay range for co hosts (it’s pretty awesome)
• How co hosts different from traditional management companies
• Software tools to streamline guest and employee communication
• Backgrounds and skills that lend themselves to happiness & success as a co host
• How to find Airbnb co-hosts or investors looking for co hosts

Host Coach Airbnb Podcast Episode 26 Show Notes:

How did you get started down this journey of co hosting other people's properties?

I started in 2020 when a friend was running his three properties on Airbnb and he said, "NP, I want to expand past Airbnb. I want something else." I knew absolutely nothing about it. So I did some research and I said, "well, there's this thing called VRBO." And he said, "Well, set it up for me." So I did, and he said, "listen, I'm going to take care of Airbnb. That's my sweet spot. I've got that down - you run Vrbo part." So I co-hosted in that sense, and I found that it came very naturally to me.

So I was like, wait a second, I can do this. And then it just led from one property to the next, property to the next. And a little interesting part of my background is that I grew up at a resort that my parents managed as a child, so I was around it all the all the time. And then as a teenager, I went back and I worked in the dining room, the kitchen, the housekeeping, the office, and the children's program. I did it all. So, I guess you could say it's in my blood.

Co Hosting

You've just lived hospitality. That's fantastic. So how many listings do you currently co-host?

Currently it's eight.

Eight. Oh my gosh, that's fantastic. And has your background in real estate and media

helped you with co-hosting? On top of just living the hospitality lifestyle as a child?

Absolutely. I have a brain that's all about processes and systems and also a marketing mind. I also have a passion for interior design and decorating. It was one of those things that I wish I would have done. I wish I would have gone to school for interior design, and here I am, back to it - doing interior design, and I'm just having the time of my life, I love it.

Airbnb Design

Do you provide that design service for all your clients to somewhat more than others?

Airbnb designer - there have to be colors or something interesting or eye-catching. It's similar to that Facebook scroll when you're scrolling through what catches you and makes you stop. That's a marketing thing. Well, it's also true for Airbnb when a possible guest is scrolling through what makes them stop. It's really important to figure that out.

When investor and owner comes to you with a property, the first step is redesign or design from the ground up. If it's empty, walk us through the other responsibilities.

Airbnb Co Host Responsibilities

Whatdoes the co-host do versus the owner? What are the responsibilities?

I am definitely full service, so I do all the ordering, the setup, I hire and manage, and fire. Not a fun word, but I hire and manage the cleaners, the maintenance people. And then I do all the guest communication right now as part of my service at this time. I also sometimes do repairs, like I'll change the AC filter and I'll fix this or that. That's possible under my scope of abilities. The only thing I don't do is clean.

You've got cleaners for that. You've got people to do repairs. And I imagine you have a preferred vendor list for the things that require a trade, right? You call the plumber?

Absolutely. And one of the things that I've done recently is I joined BNI, the business networking group in the area. And already I needed something. The other day, within ten minutes, I had a name and I made a phone call and had that person booked to come out and look at the tub. So that's going to be a great thing for my business.

Co Host Compensation

Okay, sounds like you're doing just about everything for the owner. How does a co-host get compensated?

I am a licensed property manager, so under the laws of South Carolina, I must run a trust fund. So all the moneys money's come into the trust fund, and then I disperse them out to the owner. Once I take away the cleaning fee and any expenses as well. If I had to pick up supplies.

Okay. And then you retain a percentage of that gross income for someone in this field. What's the typical range for compensation as a percentage of gross income?

I've seen anywhere from 10% to 40%.

Oh, wow! So if you're listening in and you want to be an Airbnb investor, but maybe you don't have the cash and you're not quite ready to do the creative financing options we've talked about, co-hosting would be a great way to learn ground up, how to run and manage, and also earn at 40% on the high end. That's a great revenue stream to tuck away to put it into investing.

Very large property management companies, they tend to be around that 40% of Airbnb revenue, but a lot of them also will manage all of the bills. So, for example, they may manage paying the AC and internet bill and things like that. So depending on what co-host or property manager charges as their fee will reflect often on what is involved in what they dofor the owner.

How Co Hosts Differ from Management Companies

I really like being hands on. I like to visit my properties personally. I like to see what's going on, and be able to make any changes that are necessary. I think that personal touch in being boutique makes me unique, and five star reviews are incredibly important to me. I work really, really diligently on getting reservations and getting five star reviews. At the end of the day, when the owner makes more money, I make more money. Also, I have a reputation to uphold, so five star reviews are really important. That's the way that I like to do business. And the owners can reach out to me at any time.

Co Hosting Tools and Software

Are there any tools or softwares that you use to help run your business?

Hospitable - of course. Price Labs - couldn't live without them. They're both so amazing.

Airbnb's Air Cover if I need to. So it's really cool software that I'mexcited about.

Oh wow, that's super cool. I need to check that out.

The Biggest Suprise from Co Hosting

That's fantastic. So in this journey as a co-host and manager, what surprised you the most from your experiences?

I have been shocked about the amount of damage that can happen, whether it's a glass breaking or a dishwasher. A guest recently filled the dishwasher with Dawn soap instead of the pods that we supply, and it was literally bubbling out of the dishwasher. So there's all kinds of ranges of what happens.

Respondign to issues can be time consuming as well. How many hours I would be working? I didn't quite realize that it's speed to lead. So I get it. I know what I signed up for, that's a huge part of it. And I embrace it. And I take it on because it's about getting to those guests and getting them to book with one of my properties.

Where to Look for an Airbnb Co Host

Awesome. If our listeners are in a situation where they needed a co-host, where should they look for one?

As mentioned, Facebook groups can be a great place to look. LinkedIn as well. Realty offices and realtors themselves, as well as word of mouth or networking groups.

That makes sense. So once you've found prospective co-hosts and managers, do you have a sniff test that you could suggest or any particular questions they should ask to make sure that they're dealing with someone who's going to do the job exceptionally well? Someone like you?

I would definitely find out their background, of course. For example, my background is marketing and media, so that applies really well to my properties. I am able to shoot my own video for my property, which is just a nice little advantage. I don't have to hire someone else to do that. I also have all of my marketing skills that I can apply. So, for example, someone might have a trade that is very applicable to co-hosting that could make them a good property manager. So I would say finding out the experience is really important.

How to Become a Co Host

On the flip side, I feel like some of our listeners are going to be inspired by your story and your boutique take on property management. What advice would you give them about how to get into co-hosting or property management?

Getting liability insurance is also really important as a co-host. Make sure that you're protected and network, network, network! Really make relationships with realtors. They have clients who are buying investmentproperties, and they can be a great avenue for finding properties to co-host.

Wow. That's amazing, Nancy Paige. If people have questions aboutco-hosting or need a co-host, how can we find you?

NPRVacationRentals.com.

Thank you so much. Nancy. Paige, this was fantastic. We appreciate your energy, your innovation on the whole space of co-hosting. Thanks again for sharing.

So there you have it. You now know what a co-host is and the range of responsibilities they can take over from Airbnb hosts. You also learned that co-hosts have the opportunity to make some serious money. In which software tools? Nancy Paige is using to streamline her guests and employee communications. Co-hosting is an awesome way to get into Airbnb, learn more about the platform, and fine tune the skills needed to be a super host for a host or for yourself in the future.

Keep listening to the show. We're here every Tuesday, sharing actionable steps and real life advice so you can get started and create your own financial freedom. Subscribe to the show and share this episode as a resource with anyone that could benefit. Remember, our joy is in your success!