How to Get Top Reviews and Build Momentum Right After Launching Your Airbnb

It Goes Without Saying: Reviews Are the Lifeblood of Vacation Rental Success

Every vacation rental, needless to say, starts out with zero guest reviews. Even with beautiful interiors and a great location, guests feel a psychological hurdle when booking a property with nothing written in the review section. Looking at this positively, though, it means that if you can build up a string of glowing reviews right from the start, you can significantly boost your occupancy rate and revenue going forward.

That said, it’s not an easy thing to achieve. Figuring out “how to get your very first guests to leave a high rating and establish a steady flow of bookings” is an extremely challenging problem. So in this article, we’d like to introduce some concrete methods for helping a newly opened vacation rental earn positive reviews early on and get off to a strong start.

Use a Range of Measures to Ease Guests’ Psychological Concerns

Let’s think about how guests feel toward a property that has just opened. On many booking platforms, star ratings and the number of reviews serve as a source of reassurance, so a listing with zero reviews comes across as “unproven” or leaves guests wondering, “Will I really be comfortable staying here?”

If you can’t resolve this kind of uncertainty, you’ll either fail to get bookings at all, or if you do get them, guests’ expectations will be sky-high, which comes with the risk that even a minor shortcoming could result in a poor rating. That’s why, right after opening, it’s essential to deliberately lower expectations while building a system that raises guest satisfaction.

① Open Bookings at a Special Price for a While After Launch

The first step is pricing. Even if your location and amenities would normally justify a somewhat higher rate, deliberately pricing below the local market average right after opening makes it easier for guests to think, “This place might be worth trying.” Newly opened rentals in particular are still getting used to their cleaning routines and guest-response operations, so unexpected hiccups are common.

If the price is too high, guests will assume, “For this price, I expect flawless service,” and may give a harsh rating over even a small mistake. On the other hand, if the rate is set modestly below market value, it’s easier to leave guests with the impression that “it was more comfortable than the price suggested,” laying the groundwork for positive reviews.

② Set the Maximum Occupancy Lower Than the Actual Limit

Another approach is to deliberately set a lower maximum guest count. For example, even if the property could theoretically sleep 8 people, you might limit it to 5 or 6 right after opening. This is because the more guests you host, the more detailed requests and inquiries you’ll receive, which makes it easier for the immature aspects of your still-developing operations to be exposed.

If you suddenly accept a large group of guests before you’ve built up real operational experience, you might run into issues like not having enough beds or futons. Since these kinds of mishaps can directly lead to poor reviews, it’s advisable to start with a more manageable guest count that makes operations easier to run smoothly, and focus your energy on guest satisfaction.

③ Pay Extra Attention to Careful, Thoughtful Communication

This is something you should always keep in mind, not just right after opening—but for a newly opened property with zero reviews, it becomes even more critical.

Guests are constantly wondering things like, “What is the room really like?” and “Can I really stay here comfortably and without worry?” When your message responses are quick and thorough, it becomes much easier for guests to feel at ease. For instance, simply offering proactive information—like “Please feel free to contact me anytime if you run into any issues” or “There’s a great restaurant nearby you might enjoy”—can leave guests thinking, “This host is thoughtful and trustworthy.”

This is especially true for travelers from overseas, for whom a host who responds quickly to any questions in a foreign land is an incredibly valuable presence. This often translates directly into positive reviews.

Right After Opening, It’s Important Not to Chase Short-Term Profit

Right after opening, rather than chasing profit, prioritize consistently earning positive reviews. Taking this long-term view will make it easier to stabilize your occupancy rate and revenue down the road.

Once reviews start accumulating, they become an indicator of trust that works in your favor when guests compare your listing to nearby properties, ultimately influencing future pricing adjustments and repeat bookings. Conversely, if you end up with a poor review right after opening, it can be very difficult to recover from that negative impression.

When there are only a handful of reviews and a negative comment stands out among them, your listing becomes much more likely to lose out when compared to other properties in search results, resulting in a tough start for the owner. To avoid this, it’s essential to keep the measures introduced above in mind from an early stage and be fully prepared when welcoming your first guests.

What Matters Most Is “Managing Guest Expectations”

To earn positive reviews right from the start, it’s effective to deliberately lower the bar for guest satisfaction—for example, by keeping prices modest or limiting the maximum number of guests.

By thoroughly following these basic principles, guests are likely to feel, “There weren’t any reviews yet, but it was more comfortable than I expected,” or “The host was incredibly kind and helpful,” and will reward you with a positive rating. If good word-of-mouth continues to build steadily after that, your occupancy rate will rise, and your vacation rental will smoothly get on track for success.

Here at Stay Buddy Co., Ltd., we have extensive experience and know-how when it comes to strategies for branding a property at launch and making a great first impression on guests. We provide comprehensive support for all the crucial initial steps—guest communication, operational systems, cleaning arrangements, and more—along with advice and hands-on assistance to help you build up positive reviews in a short period of time.

If your opening is right around the corner, or if you’ve just gotten started and aren’t sure how to gather reviews, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to help you get off to a smooth start and build toward stable, long-term revenue.