Airbnb Select: What Is It and How to join the program

The Airbnb platform is a favorite of both the Airbnb guests and hosts because it keeps innovating new ways to keep its customers satisfied and maximize profits for its hosts. The platform is making continuous progress towards becoming one of the best comprehensive online travel agencies globally. For achieving this goal, it has launched many new and enticing schemes and programs in recent years. One such strategy that Airbnb has added to its platform is the Airbnb Select program.

Now, if you don’t know much about this program and you would like to learn all about it, then keep reading!

What is Airbnb Select?

The Airbnb Select program is a feature introduced by the Airbnb platform where it selects a few properties with good ratings and positive Airbnb reviews to become a part of its curated listings. These properties, after selection, are required to undergo an inspection and a photography process. For being selected for this program, the rentals are not required to be luxurious, but they need to meet some specific standards dictated by the Airbnb guidelines.

If a rental is chosen in Airbnb Select, the host can ask Airbnb for financial assistance to improve the property. Through this program, Airbnb, for the very first time, is making a direct investment into the properties displayed at its listings. Besides this reason, the hosts should also strive to become part of Airbnb Select because that will ensure them the chance to feature more prominently in the guest’s search results. If that happens, it will make it possible for these listings to increase their nightly charges, if they decide to do so.

The purpose of introducing the Airbnb Select program is to offer Airbnb guests a standard hotel experience. Some guests do not prefer staying at Airbnb properties, and instead, they like making reservations at the hotels. The idea of staying in single-family homes is not appealing to them. Thus, to help such guests rise above their micro conceptions, Airbnb has decided to upgrade its properties and equip them with hotel-like standards.

How can a host join Airbnb Select?

Joining Airbnb Select program takes place on an invitation basis. So, only if you come across an email in your inbox informing you that your property has been chosen for becoming a part of the curated listings at Airbnb Select, will it mean that you have been selected. After receiving this mail, you will also be asked by the platform to adhere to specific standards and to fix a date for property review and professional Airbnb photography.

Depending upon your needs, the platform will offer you useful advice, interior design tips, and photography services free of cost. Once the property has been reviewed and final confirmation comes, premiere support, higher pricing, better listing placement, and many such enticing features will be provided. All this will be granted without any fee. Thus, getting a membership to this program is beneficial for all Airbnb hosts.

Is Airbnb Select helpful in acquiring home improvement loans?

Airbnb Select is the new favorite program of Airbnb hosts worldwide because of its unique feature that helps the hosts acquire a home improvement loan. Thanks to this program, the Airbnb platform has moved into the home enhancing section. If you have a listing at the Airbnb platform and wish to renovate your space to offer better services to your guests, you can obtain financing from Airbnb. You can later repay this loan from the profits which you make from future bookings.

According to the reports, Airbnb has made this proclamation after talking to various financing companies. Airbnb announced that in its meeting with Quicken Loans, Better Morgan, Fannie Mae, and Citizens Bank, it was decided that these banks will now use the profits earned via Airbnb for refinancing mortgages. However, until now, no-host has claimed to receive any loan from the Airbnb platform.

What is the procedure for making your property eligible for Airbnb Select?

Since the Airbnb Select program has been introduced, many hosts have questioned the criterion for being chosen in the Airbnb Select scheme. Until now, the Airbnb community has not announced any specific goals that one needs to meet for receiving the Airbnb Select email. However, there are hopes that the platform will soon decide on a list of requirements that it will make public. Until then, some hosts have made certain guesses regarding the criterion of selection based on their experience.

Now, one host reported that he was asked by the platform to keep a list of amenities ready for scrutiny after the platform chose him for the Airbnb Select program. These arrangements that had to be readied for observation included things like plush towels, well-maintained and clutter-free space, a strong wi-fi connection, clean linens, a coffee machine, and pristine grounds.

Thus, it can be concluded that the amenities that appeal to the guests are perhaps something that hosts should pay attention to if they want to make their property eligible for Airbnb Select. Also, because Airbnb Select program is introduced with the aim to appeal to those guests who prefer staying at the hotel, it seems even more likely that delivering exemplary service and top-class amenities is a very good step in the right direction.

Apart from the amenities, the hosts should also try offering safety measures in their stays. If your property has arrangements in place to ensure guest’s safety, then it will add to the appeal of premises and increase your chances of being selected. This conjecture is based on the claim made by another host who said that after being picked for Airbnb Select review, he was asked to purchase a carbon monoxide detector.

Another factor that probably plays a significant role in the host’s selection is his ratings and rankings. Now, since Airbnb Select is an effort by the platform to convince the guests to choose Airbnb properties over hotel stays by delivering top quality service, it makes sense that the hosts must provide high-level amenities and best customer service at the property that they can follow up by showing good reviews and top ratings. So, the more favorable reviews a host receives, the more are his chances of selection. The evidence of this claim is that most hosts who have been invited to participate in this program so far are all Superhosts. Now, in order to score more positive reviews from guests, you should perhaps try Hosty’s Airbnb Review Management software. It will assist you in upkeeping Airbnb ratings and reviews.

Finally, since Airbnb gives topmost priority to customer satisfaction, the hosts should aim for satisfying customer interactions. Doing so will ensure happy customers and positive reviews, which in turn will mean increased probability for your selection.

How does Airbnb Select work?

To surmise everything that we discussed regarding Airbnb Select, here are some highlights.

As we have already been discussing in detail in our previous section, Airbnb Select is an invite-only program. So, unless you receive an invitation mail, the only thing you can do is to wait and probably enhance your services (to achieve the Superhost Status);
Once you get selected, Airbnb sends someone to inspect your place and click some good pictures in the next step.
When the Airbnb inspector comes, he will check if or not your property offers Airbnb guests standard amenities like fat wi-fi, clean and de-cluttered space, fresh linens, etc;
If you make it through the inspection, the platform will offer to set you up with an interior designing firm that will provide you with free advice to upgrade your property;
The properties chosen for Airbnb Select program can also request a loan for improving their properties. The platform will provide them a pre-finance for improvements;
The hosts should perhaps remember that for being chosen for the Airbnb Select program, you do not need to be a luxurious rental in the traditional sense.

Airbnb Select is a step taken by the Airbnb platform to convince guests to give Airbnb a fair chance. The move aims to entice guests by offering them hotel-like comfort and facilities to overcome their prejudices.