How to Turn a Poorly Performing Listing Around

If you've ever looked at your short-term rental calendar and seen more gaps than bookings, you're not alone. Plenty of hosts hit a wall at some point — where their property just doesn’t perform the way they’d hoped. Whether it’s crickets after launch or a sudden dip in bookings, it can be frustrating (and expensive).

The good news? Underperformance is rarely permanent — it’s usually fixable. And in our experience, it’s often down to a few key areas.

Here’s how we turn things around when a listing isn’t pulling its weight.

1. Start With Brutal Honesty

Before anything improves, the truth has to be faced: is the listing appealing, is it priced right, and does it show up when people are searching?

We go through everything with a fine-tooth comb — title, photos, description, calendar, reviews, availability — and look for anything that could be putting people off. Often, it’s a handful of small issues snowballing into one big result: no bookings.

2. Fix the Fundamentals

The biggest mistake we see? Hosts trying to "market harder" instead of fixing what’s broken.

Are the photos sharp, bright, and professionally presented?

Is the pricing in line with local competition and seasonality?

Does the listing description speak clearly to the kind of guest it's meant for?

We treat every listing like a product. If it’s not selling, we don't blame the customer — we change the product.

3. Make the Listing Visible Again

Even the best property won’t book if it’s invisible. Platforms like Airbnb favour listings that are active, dynamic, and regularly updated.

We refresh listings strategically — tweaking copy, adjusting availability, and tuning the calendar to trigger platform algorithms. It’s not about tricking the system; it’s about keeping your listing alive and competitive.

4. Rebuild Guest Trust

Low reviews? Lack of reviews? No reviews?

Guests book what feels safe — so a poorly performing listing with few (or bad) reviews is a red flag. In these cases, we take extra steps to restore trust: strengthening the description, managing expectations clearly, and making the guest experience seamless so that every future stay helps rebuild credibility.

5. Understand the Local Market

Sometimes the issue isn’t the listing — it’s timing, trends, or local saturation. That’s why we analyse the wider market constantly. We look at local events, competing properties, seasonal trends, and booking behaviour to adapt accordingly.

6. Keep It Simple for Guests

Too many rules, unclear check-in instructions, or bad communication? Guests will scroll on by.

One of the first things we do is tighten the guest journey from inquiry to check-out. We reduce friction. Clarity and ease are underrated, but they’re deal-makers for guests.

Final Thoughts

Turning a listing around doesn’t require magic — it just takes time, insight, and a ruthless focus on the details. We've helped owners rescue underperforming properties and turn them into five-star, fully booked listings. The key? Knowing what to fix — and acting quickly.

If your property’s not performing and you're not sure why, it might not be a bad property. It might just need the right attention.

And that’s where we come in.