Premier Host and Superhost: How to Become One on Vrbo and Airbnb in 2024
Increase Your Visibility by Becoming a Superhost and Premier Host
In 2024, it’s more important than ever to try to stand out in the sea of vacation rentals available on popular sites like Vrbo and Airbnb, but that’s a difficult task. With so much competition out there and with nightly rates constantly changing due to demand, it can be hard to keep up and come out on top. Thankfully, Airbnb and Vrbo both have built-in ways for owners to stand out–through the Premier Host and Superhost programs.
If you haven’t heard of these programs before, now’s the time to educate yourself. We’ll go over the benefits of the Premier Host and Superhost programs before diving into how to become a part of them. Finally, we’ll finish off with a few tips for becoming a top-rated host in 2024.
Why Become a Premier Host or Superhost?
In the early days of the vacation rental industry, it didn’t take much to stand out from the competition. If you had professional photos, a killer listing description, and reasonable nightly rates, there wasn’t much stopping you from running a successful short-term rental business.
Nowadays, however, things have changed. Standing out on sites like Airbnb and Vrbo is much more difficult in 2024, but thankfully there is still one tried-and-true way to signal to potential guests that you’re a trustworthy, reliable host: the Premier Host program on Vrbo and the Superhost program on Airbnb. While the programs differ slightly on both sites, the main advantage of becoming a part of the Superhost and Premier Host programs is that you’ll enjoy increased visibility of your listing and a badge to show off on your host page. Here a few of the benefits of each of these programs:
Advantages of the Premier Host Program on Vrbo
A dedicated Premier Host badge
Appearance on the dedicated Premier Host search filter
Higher search position in Vrbo search
24/7 priority support from Vrbo’s team
Benefits of Becoming a Superhost on Airbnb
A Superhost badge on your Host profile
Better visibility on Airbnb’s search engine
Appearance on the dedicated Superhost search filter
$100 Airbnb gift card every 4 quarters you maintain your Superhost status
Other exclusive rewards
How to Become a Superhost on Airbnb
On Airbnb, anyone can become a Superhost. In fact, according to AirDNA, 41.6% of Airbnb listings are Superhosted, meaning that if you’re not a part of this group, you’re already behind the competition. It’s not too difficult to become a Superhost–there are only a few qualifications that you must meet, including:
A cancellation rate of 1% or lower
More than 10 stays in a year or 3 stays equaling 100 nights or more
Have a 24 hr guest response rate of 90% or higher
Maintain a 4.8 or higher rating
There’s no need to apply to the Superhost program on Airbnb–if you qualify, you’ll automatically gain the Superhost badge and all of the benefits associated with this program.
How to Become a Premier Host on Vrbo
Unlike the Superhost program on Airbnb, on Vrbo, you must receive an invitation in order to become a part of the Premier Host program. However, accounts are reviewed quarterly, meaning that if you haven’t received your invitation yet, it may be coming soon.
This invite-only club gives you access to the benefits listed above, but only if you meet the qualifying criteria we’ve listed below:
4.4 or higher average review rating (over 3 or more reviews)
95% or better booking acceptance rate
5 bookings or more, or 60 booked nights
Owner-initiated cancellation rate of 1% or less
Up Your Chances of Becoming a Premier Host or Superhost in 2024 With These Tips
Be Responsive to All Guest Communication and Bookings
On both Airbnb and Vrbo, responding to guest inquiries and bookings in a prompt manner is of prime importance, especially if you’re hoping to gain entry into these exclusive programs. For most hosts, this can be the toughest part of the entire endeavor, but that’s why it’s so important to focus on guest communication and responsiveness. While it can be difficult to keep up with guest inquiries and questions, your hard work will more than pay off once you become a Superhost or a Premier Host.
Be Active in Gaining Reviews and Ratings
Although you don’t have to have many positive reviews and ratings to become a Premier Host Partner or a Superhost, becoming a top-rated host is essential to your success on Airbnb and Vrbo. That means that it’s vital to be active in gaining reviews and ratings, typically by messaging guests after their stay to remind them to leave a review and rate their experience.
Limit Any Owner-Initiated Cancellations
Our final tip for entering the Premier Host and Superhost program focuses on one of the toughest parts of the whole process: gaining a cancellation rate of less than 1%. Top-notch short-term rental owners rarely, if ever, cancel on their guests, especially once they’ve already scheduled the booking in their calendar. Although extenuating circumstances may arise and you may be forced to shift your plans, it’s always wise to mitigate any owner-initiated cancellations if you can help it.
LocalVR: A Full-Service Superhost Property Management Company
Becoming a Superhost or a Premier Host doesn’t have to be an onerous process, especially if you onboard your vacation rental with a property management company that already has Superhost status: LocalVR. Not only will we care for your home like it was our own, we utilize the latest and greatest technology to ensure your home is always booked at the right price as well. Click here to learn more about LocalVR.
Interested in more homeowner tips and tricks? Check out more of the LocalVR Owner Guides, like our breakdown on staging your vacation rental or our guide to complying with local laws and regulations.
