Direct Booking
Dominance.
Airbnb publishes a host-only service fee of 15.5% for most hosts, and the guest relationship stays theirs regardless. I build direct booking channels you own, so put you back in control of your revenue.
Airbnb publishes its host-only service fee: most hosts pay 15.5%, the rest typically 14% to 16%. On $40,000 of bookings that is roughly $6,200 a year, per property, plus the guest relationship you never get to keep.
The Portal Tax
A published fee on every booking, no guest relationship, and an algorithm deciding whether anyone sees you.
You're paying a massive commission on every booking, and you don't even get to keep the guest relationship. The portal owns the data, controls the algorithm, and can change the rules anytime, leaving your revenue at their mercy.
Your Buyer's Psychology
Guests research on portals, then look for the direct booking to save money.
Smart travelers use Airbnb and VRBO as discovery tools, then Google your property name looking for a way to book direct and skip the service fees. If you don't give them that option, you both lose.
The Direct Booking Engine
SEO-optimized property sites. Direct booking integration. Guest relationship ownership.
I build SEO-optimized property websites with direct booking integration that capture portal-driven demand, eliminate commission fees, and give you full ownership of the guest relationship from first click to repeat stay.
You're paying rent on customers you already earned.
Every portal booking is a tax on your hard work. The math is simple: redirect even a fraction of your bookings to a direct channel and the savings compound into serious revenue.
15.5%
Airbnb's host-only service fee
Airbnb publishes this: most hosts on the host-only structure pay 15.5%, with the rest typically 14% to 16% (Airbnb, "Airbnb service fees" help page, checked July 2026). On $40,000 of bookings that is about $6,200 a year, per property, plus the guest relationship.
Direct
A booking channel you own
A direct booking takes the fee out and gives you the guest's email, which is the part that compounds.
Repeat
Your best guest is a returning one
Portals make repeat business hard on purpose. Owning the relationship is the point.
Direct Booking vs. Portal Dependency
Own the relationship. Own the revenue.
Manage more properties. Not more spreadsheets.
I install n8n automation workflows that handle guest communication, owner reporting, and review generation so you can scale your portfolio without scaling your overhead.
Guest Communication Sequences
Pre-arrival instructions, mid-stay check-ins, and post-stay follow-ups, all automated, all personalized, all on brand.
Owner Performance Dashboards
Automated occupancy and revenue reporting delivered to property owners without you pulling a single spreadsheet.
Review Generation
Timed post-checkout review requests sent at the optimal moment, when the experience is fresh and the guest is still glowing.
Dynamic Pricing Alerts
Rate recommendations based on demand signals, local events, and seasonal patterns so you never leave money on the table.
You manage real property. Your digital property should appreciate too.
After 12 months, the codebase is yours. No lock-in, no proprietary traps, no "you'll lose everything" ultimatums. I keep your business by driving direct bookings, not by holding your website hostage.
You understand asset ownership. We operate the same way.