To answer this question, it’s important to first clarify your starting point—what challenges you’re facing—and your ultimate goals.

Ask yourself: which of the following most closely reflects your current situation?

• Revenue is underperforming relative to the home’s potential
• Quality issues are impacting guest satisfaction, reviews, or vendor performance
• Time demands are too high—whether you’re self-managing or constantly stepping in due to gaps with your current manager

If revenue is the issue:

Start by identifying what might be limiting your income. Consider the following diagnostic questions:

• Are bookings sparse or nonexistent during the slower months (November–February)?
• Is pricing managed manually or inconsistently?
• Are you relying on a single booking platform (e.g., only Airbnb or only a direct website)?
• Do returning guests account for less than 30% of your bookings?

If you answered “yes” or “I’m not sure” to any of these, there’s likely room to grow through a more sophisticated and dynamic pricing and marketing approach. For deeper context, you can reference our companion articles on **pricing strategies** and marketing strategies.

In our experience, owners who implement a modern, data-informed pricing and marketing strategy see at least a 15% increase in overall revenue.

If quality is a concern:

A well-maintained home and consistently high guest experience can have a major impact on financial performance—especially when it comes to guest reviews.

Many owners don’t realize that Airbnb’s rating system is heavily skewed. The true scale for performance is not 1 to 5 stars—it’s 4.5 to 5.0. A 4.5 or 4.6 rating usually places a property in the bottom 10%. Even a rating of 4.7 or 4.8, which seems respectable, often signals missed opportunity.

Based on national data from AirDNA, we found that homes with a 5.0 rating earn 20% more revenue than comparable homes rated just 4.7–4.8. See below analysis. For many homeowners, improving operations and enhancing the guest experience is clearly one of the highest ROI activities they can take.

If time is your biggest pain point:

If you’re self-managing, chances are you didn’t buy a luxury vacation home to spend your days responding to guest questions, coordinating vendors, or putting out fires.

And if you’re already working with a manager—but still feel the need to constantly follow up, double-check tasks, or fill in gaps yourself—something isn’t working.

A truly well-managed home should not only earn you more money, it should give you more time back. And while the value of your time can be hard to quantify, it’s worth factoring in—especially if you’re juggling a full-time job, other investments, or simply want to enjoy your property stress-free.

That said, we also understand there are many owners who genuinely enjoy being involved in the guest experience or operations. We count ourselves among them. For those owners, the time spent isn’t necessarily a cost—it can be a source of fulfillment. What matters most is that you’re choosing how to spend your time, not being forced to.

In summary:

• If you’re not leveraging dynamic pricing and modern marketing, implementing these strategies can drive a 15%+ lift in revenue
• If your guest experience and ratings are not the highest they can be, improving quality can unlock 20% or more revenue
• If time is your constraint, a well-run home should give you time back, or at the very least, allow you to focus on the parts of hosting you enjoy

Whether your goal is more income, less stress, or both—it’s possible to achieve with the right approach and the right partner.

Written by Anish Patel, Head of Owner Relations at Vinifera Homes (anish@viniferahomes.com)