Airbnb has been spreading globally for quite some time now, but unlike early adopters such as France and Britain, Germany was a bit late to the game amongst European giants. As the number of hosts and guests there has risen, so has the number of industry-related service providers, such as cleaning companies and full-service property managers. This week we talked with the founders of Airgreets from Munich, about the youth-infused adoption of Airbnb in Germany, how they started the company, and where they see things going from here.
What would you say would be your favorite thing about offering Airbnb Management as a service?
That is definitely the smile in the face of our guests when coming into their home away from home. Our reliable and personal service creates a very special experience for travelers on Airbnb and it is a great feeling to see how we contribute to the success of their trip.
What would hosts typically say about Airgreets?
Hosts love us! Sounds conceited? I guess it is, But we have really received fantastic feedback from hosts (and guests) and are just super excited about bringing new hosts onto the Airbnb platform and welcoming guests from everywhere into their homes.
What hosts like in particular is that they don’t have to worry about anything, as we take care of literally everything for them. No hassle, just income.
On top of that hosts really appreciate the way we deal with their guests. From personalized communications and tips to welcome gifts, personal greets and on the ground presence in case of issues, they know their guests are taken care of at all times.
What is your typical offering?
Our typical offering is the full service package. We create and manage the profile, communicate with guests, manage booking inquiries and take care of on-the-ground activities like key exchanges and cleanings. Our idea is to take away all the effort from our hosts so that they do not need to be worried during their own travels and know that their home is in good hands.
In your opinion, how is the Airbnb market evolving in Germany today?
We believe it is going into the right direction. Undoubtedly Airbnb adoption rates in Germany have been lower than in other western European countries or the U.S., but we see that the trend is changing now. Especially on the traveling side Airbnb has reached the masses and younger generations prefer an Airbnb over a hotel when going on a trip. Also on the hosting side we see more and more people being ready to share their homes while traveling themselves. Germany attracts countless tourists, but also business travel has increased over the past years so that the potential for further Airbnb growth is enormous.
Moreover, German cities are starting to understand the advantages of home sharing and are introducing clearer regulations on short-term rentals. Overall, we are very excited about the development of the Airbnb market and are excited for a strong adoption of Airbnb over the next years.
Tell us your story. How did you start Airgreets?
The three of us, Florian, Julian and Sebastian, started Airgreets in 2016 out of a personal need we had during our previous jobs. We were all business travelers, often away from home with an empty apartment during the week. Since we were at home only 15-20 nights a month and saw the rent rising and rising, we were all keen on renting out our place during our travels. Since we didn’t have the time and experience to deal with all the management we were looking for a company offering such service in our cities, which we didn’t find. We quickly realized that this was a real gap in the market and decided to offer the service ourselves. And so we started Airgreets last year.
It looks like you have gathered yourself a real team of Airbnb fanatics. How does it work? Do your staff frequently travel to personally greet guests?
Absolutely! We have gathered an amazing team of greeters who welcome our guests in our hosts’ apartments. Most of them have traveled on Airbnb themselves, hosted on Airbnb or worked in the hospitality industry, so they know exactly what makes a travel experience great.