10/13/2025
Let's get real about the most expensive "free" marketing in the world: your Airbnb listing.
You’re told it’s just the cost of doing business, but you're paying for it in ways that go far beyond the commission fees, which can already be as high as 14-16%. The real price of relying 100% on the big platforms is what you give up:
➡️ Control over your guests. You can't email that amazing family from last year with a "welcome back" offer because you don't actually have their info. The platform owns your most valuable asset: your customer list.
➡️ Control over your visibility. When the algorithm is your boss, your business is fragile. One overnight change can make your listing practically disappear, and you have zero say in it.
➡️ Control over your brand. Your unique property, with its own story and soul, gets crammed into a cookie-cutter template. You’re forced to compete on price because the platform makes it nearly impossible to compete on experience.
This is why a direct booking site isn't a luxury; it's an insurance policy. It's your own piece of digital real estate where you set the rules, build a real brand, and stop renting your audience from someone else. It's a foundational part of the Inhabit Method—making the shift from a simple listing to a resilient, direct-to-consumer brand that can stand on its own two feet. What’s the biggest challenge you face when you think about building your own direct booking presence? Let's talk it through in the comments. 👇