If you’re managing a number of properties (vacation or short-term rentals) and use Airbnb as a distribution channel, you’ve probably heard the term Airbnb Preferred+ partner status being thrown around. But what does it even mean, and does it matter for your business?
In this article we’ll dive into the factors that contribute to Airbnb’s partner status, and weigh in on the importance of synchronicity between your Property Management System (PMS) and your distribution channels to better understand how it can make or break a business.
What is Airbnb Preferred+ partner status?
Airbnb Preferred+ Partner status is given to PMSs that meet Airbnb’s highest standards for performance, functionality, and integrations. Status winners boast superior Airbnb sync efficiency and have demonstrated their ability to deliver reliable service, robust features, and a smooth user experience for hosts and property managers.
Earning Preferred+ status isn’t just a badge of honor. It designates PMSs that offer advanced tools that make managing your listings on Airbnb easier and more efficient – with better functionality, fewer glitches, and reliable support. The best Preferred+ status holders are proven to help reduce double bookings and improve Airbnb ranking.
All that said, not all Preferred+ partners are created equal. Integration levels can vary significantly even among Preferred+ partners, as I’ll demonstrate.
What differentiates one Preferred+ partner from another?
The depth of an API integration with Airbnb can make a major difference in your workflow. Some PMSs sync more features with Airbnb, reducing the need for manual updates and minimizing the risk of errors. Think rich listings with amenities and beautiful photos: if the sync is accurate and in real time, you’re likely to score more reservations. A slow, latent sync is more likely to cause your double bookings.
The more holistic your sync, the more features it covers, and the more it happens in real-time, it saves you time and reduces glitches.
And ultimately, when you’re running a complex business operation, you want a single source of truth where you maintain the highest standards of distribution and management (your PMS). The last thing you want to worry about is whether the update you made to your pricing made it through as intended to Airbnb’s website.
Why is Airbnb sync efficiency important?
1. It saves time
With a robust real-time sync, any changes you make in your PMS—like pricing, availability, or discounts—are instantly reflected on Airbnb. You don’t have to enter the same data twice, freeing you up to focus on other tasks.
2. It reduces errors
Manual data entry is prone to mistakes. A typo in your rates or availability can lead to lost bookings, overbookings, or unhappy guests. By syncing directly from your PMS to Airbnb, you minimize the risk of human error.
3. It automates tedious tasks
The more features your PMS syncs with Airbnb, the less manual work you need to do. From discounts to taxes to messages, having a comprehensive integration means you can better streamline your operations and reduce the hassle of repetitive tasks.
Airbnb software partners: How do different PMSs stack up?
Airbnb makes it easy to compare PMSs on this landing page, dedicated to Preferred+ partners. Since this is an Airbnb-hosted page, it’s neutral and totally objective. You can see how each PMS stacks up based on 21 key features. The more Airbnb features your PMS can integrate with, the smoother your workflow. With the best integrations you’ll no longer need to open new tabs and to log into Airbnb to perform basic actions – you do it all in your PMS.
Stacking up the partners
Here’s a quick comparison of Preferred+ PMS partners based on the number of features they integrate with Airbnb:
Guesty leads the pack with the most integrations, making it the most comprehensive option for seamless Airbnb management. The rule is simple: the more of these features your PMS can sync with in real-time, the smoother and more efficient your workflows become.
Not all Preferred+ partners are equal
Hopefully you’re clearer now the nuances of being an Airbnb Preferred+ partner, and why it’s important to look under the hood of your PMS.
Having a PMS that is better connected to Airbnb means fewer cases of double bookings because there are no sync gaps. It also means higher occupancy because your listings have all the right fields synced in real time. And a perfect sync can also translate into higher rankings in Airbnb searches, because the platform favors listings from PMSs with more synchronized features, to better match Airbnb’s algorithm criteria.
- Higher ranking: With your fields fully sync’d, and a better compatibility with Airbnb, your SEO is optimal to come up higher in search results
- Fewer glitches: A real time will make sure you’re not having to deal with double bookings.
- Less work: A comprehensive sync makes your PMS a single source of truth, so you’re better automated and you can configure your platform once – so you’re spending more time growing your business and less time on tedious updates.
Not all Preferred+ partners deliver the same value. To truly get more sync for your buck, choose a PMS that offers the deepest, most reliable Airbnb integration with the features that will be most beneficial to your business day-to-day.
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