Cohosting

Brand new to holiday letting and just need to know where to start? Here! This is my free Step 1 guide, so you can check legalities, pricing and what to expect.

Who are we?

If we’ve not met before, I’d suggest a bit of a mooch on the website: read the blog, listen to a podcast and get a sense of what we’re about.

Alongside my coaching business, I also work with my partner, Frazer, as professional cohosts for properties in Dorset and South Somerset (within 50 minutes of Sherborne).

In both businesses, I help owners creata profitable, well-run holiday lets. I am the leader in my field (have a look at my reviews here www.facebook.com/kaygibbsmentor)

Who is this for?

Cohosting tends to work best for properties that are larger, meaning that there is enough margin for you, us and the cleaning team to all take what we need. If yours is a room in a home or a small annexe, it may not work. That said, if you’re looking for a highly personal touch and compelte reliability, and willing to pay for it, it may still be a good match.

This is not for owners who want control over bookings or to communicate with guests themselves. Cohosting is about handing over the day to day running so you can sit back and enjoy the profits.

Cohosting works brilliantly if you are new to hosting, perhaps with a second home that needs to cover it’s costs, or if you’ve been hosting a long time but need a revamp and some new energy, or are ready to step back.

If you are comparing cohosts to agencies, you will find cohosts (and especially this cohost!) cost a lot more. Whether that is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. An agent is marketing your property; a cohost looks after your property as if it was their own. I will do that while also applying all I know as the UK’s leading holiday let coach, so you’re sure to optimise profit as well as feeling safe in the knowledge your place is well looked after.

Not every property is the right fit and I work best with owners who care about guest experience, presentation and long-term success.

I have cohosted everything from a one bedroom apartment to a five bedroom family beach house, and plenty in between. The single most important factor across those experiences has been the relationship between the owner and us, as hosts. We are looking for open, honest communication and trust, as well as an openness towards improvements.

Services

We work on the basis of full management. It doesn’t work to have us gaining bookings on one platform, while you work on another, for example. Everything from Facebook marketing to guest communication, from sourcing hamper items to liaising with cleaning teams will be covered. When you work with us as your cohosts you are hands off, and simply pay the invoices and take the profits.

We can also offer support with set up, sourcing photographers, linens and so on. There will be an addiitional set up fee for this.

Our guidebooks are mentioned in reviews over and over again; we both love this area and yours will be written with personal touches throughout, too.

Pricing is one of the key advantages to having us as cohosts. Holiday letting is my life and our businesses, so pricing is dynamic and in mind all the time.

Pricing

Most cohosting arrangements fall betweek 25-35%, depending on property size and anticipated rates. Additional fees are payable for set up time.

We will only enter into working with you if we are confident that we can at least match your current net income, after the additional fees you would be paying us.

Results

More bookings aren’t always the goal; better bookings that create more profit is the aim of the game. I focus on attracting the right guests, improving long term performance and, especially, repeat guests. I also seek to expand beyond Airbnb to Facebook, Google and (potentially, on a case by case basis, our own website).

Sounds promising?

If it sounds like there’s potential for us to work well together, drop Kay a Whatsapp on 07846 572848 and tell us a bit about your place.