Speed Is Not Service: What Our Research Revealed About the Lost Art of Discovery
In 2025, Airbnb’s shift to a 15.5% host-only service fee reshaped the short-term rental landscape, pushing more cost onto property managers and narrowing margins for both operators and homeowners. This sweeping change reinforced a clear reality: direct bookings are now essential to profitability and long-term sustainability.
To understand how well companies are positioned to capture and convert those direct leads, we conducted a secret-shopping study of property managers nationwide — spanning a range of markets, sizes, and business models.
And while the results of this research were plentiful, one of the clearest findings was this: while response times are strong, the quality of engagement remains missing in most direct-booking strategies.
Response Times – Most Teams Excel at Engaging Quickly with Guests
Frequency distribution of response time scores from our direct booking research.
When it comes to responsiveness, most companies performed well. Replies were generally prompt — guests who called received immediate assistance, while those using email or web forms typically heard back within a few hours. Generally, this quick speed of reply consistently influenced guest sentiment in two key ways:
Captured intent while it was strongest – Inquiries represented a moment of active interest; and quick responses were more likely to keep potential guests engaged before they turned to competitors or OTAs.
Built trust instantly – Guests equated prompt replies with professionalism and reliability — setting the tone for a positive relationship before they even considered booking.
Overall, the industry has met the expectation for speed and availability in today’s era of instant gratification — with nearly 75% of inquiries being acknowledged within the same day. However, when we looked past how quickly teams replied and examined the quality of their responses, the results told a different story.
Discovery Questions – Most Teams Sped Through Exploring Inquiries
Frequency distribution of discovery question scores from our direct booking research.
When it came to understanding guest needs, performance dropped sharply across every channel. The very speed that helped teams capture interest early on often worked against them later, as few took the time to uncover why guests were traveling or what they valued most in their stay.
Two-thirds of inquiries included no meaningful follow-up, with most limiting their questions to basic details like travel dates or guest count.
Forty percent of companies jumped straight to providing a quote without asking a single clarifying question to understand guest needs or priorities.
While 80% of companies excelled on at least one channel, only 20% showed consistency across multiple channels in asking thoughtful, discovery-driven questions that build guest connection.
We’ve all been there. Everyone at VRM Advocate has spent time on the frontlines of vacation rentals — and we know that the trends observed here are likely not the result of a lack of effort, but a lack of time. When inboxes overflow, it’s easy to prioritize speed over substance. But cutting corners to clear messages often creates more work in the long run.
It sounds counterintuitive, but when sales teams don’t take the time to understand their guest’s needs and truly sell each guest on the homes they recommend, conversion rates drop — meaning more open dates that persist, more guest inquiries that have to be tended to, and more effort that is required to fill the same calendars.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
With Airbnb’s host fee now at 15.5%, every booking that goes through an OTA costs property managers more. When sales teams don’t fully engage with inquiries, open dates sit longer — and those dates may very well be booked through Airbnb, taking a larger cut of the revenue with them.
Our Challenge to the Industry
The message to the industry is clear: speed fills inboxes. Curiosity fills calendars.
Every missed direct booking isn’t just a lost sale — it’s money left on the table. The next competitive edge won’t come from more automation or faster replies — it’ll come from human performance. From teams trained to ask better questions, uncover guest intent, and turn simple inquiries into lasting relationships.
VRM Advocate helps property-management companies build that advantage — training sales teams, redefining follow-up processes, and rebuilding confidence in direct-booking strategy.
Stop leaving revenue on the table — Connect with VRM Advocate today.