How can I improve my listing?

Optimise your property for more bookings

The Travelnest team is expert in listing optimisation, and our recommendations can help improve your property’s performance across major booking platforms. Based on the information in your Travelnest account, we assess your Property Profile and provide tailored suggestions to maximise your visibility, bookings, and revenue.

Now, with our Property Experts, you also have access to trained professionals who can implement these recommendations on your behalf, giving your property an unfair advantage in the holiday rental market.

What areas can improve your listing

Our suggestions cover several areas and highlight key ways to optimise your property

Availability and calendar flexibility 

Properties that are more flexible tend to attract more bookings. The top 20% most flexible listings typically receive twice as many nights booked as the least flexible 20%.

• Minimum nights stay – Offering shorter stays of 1–3 nights helps your property appear in more searches. Week-long minimum stays can limit your bookings.
• Arrival days – Allow guests to check in on multiple days to avoid excluding potential bookings.
• Booking notice period – Reducing the notice period to just one day can attract last-minute travellers.

Manage minimum nights and arrival days in the Pricing and discounts section of your Property Profile.

Pricing

Booking sites recommend having 12–19 months of pricing in place to capture early bookings. Seasonal pricing also helps maximise profits during peak periods and attract guests during quieter months.

Set this up in the Pricing and discounts section using specific Pricing periods.

Alternatively, use our Smart Pricing feature for data-driven rates. To save time and avoid manually updating your prices, we highly recommend enabling Smart Pricing.

This dynamic, data-driven feature automatically adjusts your nightly rate for the next 365 days, ensuring your property remains competitively priced. It uses real-time market data to reflect demand, seasonality, and local trends — and could increase your revenue by up to 60%.

For more details, see our full Smart Pricing guide.

Photos

High-quality photos are essential. Listings with at least 24 landscape images receive significantly more enquiries than those with fewer than 10 photos. Include all key areas and angles: interior, exterior, lounge, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, views, amenities, and surroundings.

UK hosts can use on-demand photo services like Snappr for professional images. For more guidance, see our photo guide.

Headline and description

Your title and description are often the first things guests read. Make them compelling to highlight your property’s value and unique features. Check our guidance on writing an effective property description and creating an eye-catching headline.

House rules

Clearly specify your policies on children, infants, pets, parties, smoking, and accessibility. Incomplete information may prevent your property from appearing in searches. Where possible, allow children and infants to attract family bookings.

Update this in the House rules section of your Listing details.

Key features and amenities

Guests often search for specific amenities like WiFi, parking, a coffee maker, or a hairdryer. Ensuring your property lists these essentials improves search visibility.

Add or update amenities in the Amenities section of your Listing details.

Make sure you have every amenity ticked, and if you don't currently have things like a kettle, coffee maker and Wi-Fi, consider investing in these to attract guests.

Security deposit and other fees

Having a high security deposit can discourage guests from booking your property. Remember, guests must pay this in addition to your nightly rate, so a large deposit can result in fewer bookings.

You can add a security deposit in the Security deposit and cleaning fee section of your Pricing and Availability.

You are responsible for collecting security deposits from guests — Travelnest does not manage this on your behalf. We also recommend having comprehensive insurance in place for your property, as this can reduce the need for a large damage deposit.

How our Property Experts can help

Most hosts list a property. Our hosts list high-performing holiday rentals. Property Experts are highly trained professionals in property, hospitality, and sales who know platform algorithms, guest psychology, and revenue strategy.

They can:

• Make your listing irresistible – Optimise photos, titles, and descriptions to turn views into bookings.
• Boost visibility – Use insider knowledge of Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, and other OTAs to maintain top rankings.
• Remove booking barriers – Optimise pricing, policies, and booking flow to reduce drop-offs.
• Stay ahead of the market – Monitor seasonal shifts, demand, and competitor listings to keep your property competitive.

Why a property expert is different:

• Intensive training – Experts understand OTA algorithms, revenue optimisation, and guest psychology.
• Battle-tested experience – Years of working across thousands of listings and millions of guest interactions.
• Outcome-driven – They implement strategies, not just advise. Properties under expert management can earn up to 100% more.
• Unfair advantage – Access strategies and insights most hosts will never see.

Summary

Applying these recommendations ensures your listings are competitive, visible, and attractive to guests. Whether you follow the advice yourself or work with a Travelnest Property Expert, these steps help maximise bookings and revenue while reducing gaps in your calendar.

FAQ

Do I need a Property Expert to improve my listing?

No – you can apply our recommendations yourself. However, experts implement these strategies for you and can achieve faster, higher-impact results.

How many photos should I include?

We recommend at least 24 landscape images covering all key areas and features.

Can I allow children and still attract other types of guests?

Yes – Allowing children broadens your audience and ensures your property appears in family searches without affecting other travellers.

How do Property Experts increase my bookings?

Experts optimise all aspects of your listing, from pricing and policies to photos and descriptions, and monitor demand trends to keep your property competitive.

Will updating my availability and pricing really make a difference?

Yes – Flexible availability, shorter minimum stays, and seasonal pricing help your property appear in more searches and attract last-minute and early bookings.