When Airbnb launched its co-hosting network in October 2024 with 10,000 co-hosts across 10 countries, many property managers saw a threat to their business model.
The network creates a direct pathway for individual hosts to offer management services that are traditionally held by professional property managers. It has grown rapidly since launch, with Airbnb’s Q4 2024 earnings report revealing that the program now includes more than 15,000 co-hosts managing over 100,000 listings. This dramatic expansion underscores why co-hosting has become a key priority in Airbnb’s 2025 roadmap.
While some fear this new marketplace is undermining the professional property management industry, we believe it is creating an unexpected opportunity for growth.Rather than seeing only the challenge, forward-thinking property managers recognize that Airbnb’s co-hosting network offers an alternative path to scaling their business by leveraging the platform’s reach and tools.
The co-hosting framework: What you need to know
At its core, co-hosting is Airbnb’s way of formalizing property management relationships on their platform, allowing owners to delegate responsibilities ranging from pricing and marketing to guest communications. Through Airbnb’s co-hosting marketplace, owners can find professional help directly on the site, with all the tools and transparency they need to make it work. This isn’t just a basic delegation of tasks. The network was designed with specific features for professional co-hosting relationships, including: automated payout sharing, customizable permission, and a dedicated earnings dashboard.
To qualify, co-hosts must maintain a guest rating above 4.8, handle at least 10 stays annually, keep cancellation rates below 3%, and maintain a response rate above 90%. While these standards sound strict, it’s worth noting they’re actually less rigorous than Superhost criteria, meaning the barrier to entry isn’t as high as it might seem.
This relatively accessible threshold is precisely what concerns many professional property managers. Industry experts have noted that the co-hosting network could make market entry easier for new players, potentially driving down property management fees. Others suggest it represents a fundamental shift in power dynamics that traditional management companies cannot afford to ignore. These concerns highlight the potential disruption to established business models in the property management sector.
The average rating for co-hosts on the platform is an impressive 4.86 stars—significantly higher than the 4.62 average for larger property management companies that Airbnb reports. This discrepancy raises the question: if co-hosts provide better service according to guest ratings, why would owners choose a traditional property management company?
The hidden opportunity
Despite these legitimate concerns, a closer examination reveals significant opportunities for established property managers. Here’s why:
Direct access to qualified leads
Co-hosting puts you exactly where your potential clients are looking. Short-term rental owners browsing Airbnb are actively seeking help, and as a co-host, you’re right there in front of them. It’s like having a storefront on the busiest street in town, with qualified leads coming directly to you. With over 40% of hosts reporting they would list more properties if they had help, there’s a substantial untapped market. For property managers, the co-hosting marketplace essentially functions as a lead generation platform. Rather than spending heavily on marketing or outreach, you can connect directly with owners actively seeking management services.
Leveraging trust through ratings
In traditional property management, building trust often means lengthy sales cycles with meetings, references, and time to prove your worth. But as a co-host with stellar ratings, you’re a verified, trusted professional with a public track record. Those stars beside your name translate directly into credibility, making it significantly easier to convert property owners into clients. Your performance on Airbnb becomes a powerful marketing tool, with public reviews and ratings visible to both potential clients and guests. This transparency can improve your booking rates and help you expand to more properties, creating a positive cycle of growth.
Regulatory and administrative advantages
In highly regulated markets, co-hosting offers unique advantages. Airbnb manages much of the administrative burden related to accounting regulations, tax compliance, and payment processing. This simplifies operations in complex regulatory environments, allowing property managers to focus on service delivery rather than compliance paperwork.
Building a multi-channel strategy
The co-hosting network can serve as an entry point for building deeper client relationships. Once you’ve established trust through the co-hosting arrangement, you can then help owners diversify their distribution across multiple platforms. This creates a pathway to expand from Airbnb-specific co-hosting to comprehensive, multi-channel property management—a natural upsell opportunity that benefits both parties.
Turning professional skills into market advantage
For property managers willing to embrace co-hosting, it’s an opportunity to leverage existing strengths in a new market. Rather than competing solely on price, you’re competing on capability and professionalism.
While guests often say they prefer individual hosts, the reality is they’re increasingly demanding professional-level service. This is where your professional expertise and technology stack become a competitive differentiator. Here are three key areas where you have a distinct advantage:
Communication
Using automated tools and saved replies ensures consistent, professional interaction with both owners and guests while maintaining those crucial marketplace metrics. Your established systems can consistently outperform individual co-hosts in response time and quality.
Data analytics
By leveraging your property management software’s analytical capabilities, you can optimize pricing strategies and operations in ways that individual hosts simply can’t match. This data-driven approach not only improves performance but also provides transparent, professional reporting that property owners value.
Operations management
Your established systems for cleaning, maintenance, and quality control ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery. While individual hosts might struggle with coordinating vendors and maintaining standards across properties, your professional processes and vendor relationships enable seamless operations at scale.
The path forward: Adaptation, not resistance
What’s most revealing about Airbnb’s co-hosting initiative is that some of the most successful participants are already managing dozens or even hundreds of properties. These aren’t amateurs—they’re professional operators who’ve strategically positioned themselves within Airbnb’s ecosystem.
The most forward-thinking property managers aren’t viewing co-hosting as a threat but as a strategic evolution of their business model. By embracing this platform, they’re:
- Gaining access to pre-qualified owners actively seeking management help
- Building credibility through Airbnb’s transparent rating system
- Establishing relationships that can expand beyond the platform
- Leveraging their professional systems in a marketplace that increasingly values quality
The short-term rental industry has always rewarded adaptation. From the initial disruption caused by online booking platforms to the professionalization of the sector through technology, successful property managers have consistently evolved with the market.
Co-hosting isn’t replacing professional management—it’s offering a new channel to demonstrate its value. Success lies in adapting your strengths to this framework rather than resisting it. The question isn’t whether property managers should engage with Airbnb’s co-hosting network—it’s how quickly you’ll capitalize on it before your competition does.
