The Onboarding Process
How We Work
At Host’d, we believe hosting should be effortless for you and heartfelt for your guests. We combine thoughtful design, hands-off management, and local expertise with a smart tech stack - including dynamic pricing tools that keep your property working hard to deliver the best returns. With eyes on your home and every detail cared for, you can enjoy peace of mind while your investment shines.
The Onboarding Process explained…
1. WELCOME & PROPOSAL
We begin with a warm, collaborative conversation to understand your property, your goals, and your vision for what hosting could look like.
What we will share:
How Our Management Model Works
We operate with a 30% management fee - our success is directly tied to yours. This includes full-service hosting and clear, honest reporting. Our systems are built for transparency, efficiency, and care.
Is Your Home Ready for Short-Term Rental?
We’ll walk you through what makes a home not just guest-ready - but heartfelt welcoming. From layout and lighting to design details that delight, we assess what will help your space thrive..
The Host’d target audience
Our guests are thoughtful travellers - design-appreciative, connection-seeking, and respectful. They come for more than a stay; they come for story, experience, support and beauty.
Why Home-Owners choose Host’d
Heartfelt Hosting: Compassionate, high-touch guest care with a 30-year background in experience design.
Bespoke Interiors: Tailored design that maximises returns and elevates your home into something truly special.
Truly Hands-Off: We handle everything - from bookings to linens to late-night lockouts - so you don’t have to.
West Coast Wisdom: We know this land, this town, and this market. We host with soul and strategy to support not just the guest but the collective tourism community through well curated collaboration.
2. ONBOARDING YOUR PROPERTY
We take care of every detail to ensure your home is guest-ready, visually compelling, and set up for success - both creatively and commercially.
Design Consultation – Optional but recommended - Styling advice tailored to your property and target guests. We help you enhance your home’s charm and functionality to maximise returns..
System Setup – We establish your property’s digital home base: owner dashboards, revenue tracking, booking calendars, and maintenance logs - so you stay informed without lifting a finger..
Professional Photography – Beautifully styled and art-directed shoots to highlight your property’s best features. We prioritise warmth, light, and design that connects..
Copywriting & Listings – We craft emotive, search-optimised descriptions across platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, Google Travel, and our European agency partners—highlighting what makes your stay unforgettable..
Platform Integration – All systems and channels are seamlessly connected through our advanced property management software, ensuring accuracy, visibility and automation..
3. LAUNCH & GO LIVE
Your property is officially live - and beautifully positioned to attract the right guests from day one.
Listings Activated
Your home is launched across Airbnb, Booking.com, Google Travel, and our direct booking channels, plus shared with our network of trusted European and NZ travel agents.
Visual Storytelling
Professional photography and carefully crafted copy bring your space to life - highlighting the design details and personal touches that set it apart.
Seamless Guest Management
From the first enquiry to the final review, we handle it all: guest communication, calendar management, payments, and follow-ups - so you can relax knowing everything is in hand.
Connected Yet Hands-Off
You’ll stay informed with 24/7 access to your Booking Master and receive quarterly strategy updates tailored to your property’s performance.
Welcome to the Host’d Collection
Your home becomes part of our curated portfolio - heartfelt, design-forward stays that offer guests comfort, connection, and a little West Coast fabulous.
Coming Soon: Social Showcase
We celebrate your launch with a featured spotlight across Host’d’s social channels - capturing your home’s unique essence and introducing it to our growing community of design-loving travellers.
4. GUEST EXPERIENCE & CARE
We don’t just manage stays - we create experiences. Every guest is welcomed with care, comfort, and a sense of connection to your home and the West Coast.
24/7 Guest Communication – Warm, responsive support before, during, and after each stay. From last-minute questions to local tips, we’re always just a message away.
Professional Housekeeping & Linen – Impeccable cleaning, premium linen hire, and restocking of house essentials - all managed seamlessly to keep standards consistently high.
Maintenance & On-the-Ground Support – We coordinate with our network of trusted local trades to resolve issues quickly and maintain the integrity of your home.
The Host’d Touch – creating special touches that may work with your property like quality coffee offerings, our Host’d wine library, hand written welcome notes and the kind of hospitality that earns glowing reviews.
5. ONGOING MANAGEMENT & REPORTING
Hosting doesn’t stop at check-out - and neither do we. We continue to optimise, support, and communicate so your home performs beautifully and you stay in the loop.
Dynamic Pricing – We use PriceLabs to adjust your nightly rate daily - balancing occupancy, revenue, and market trends for maximum returns..
Owner Support & Strategy Updates – You’ll receive thoughtful quarterly reports that go beyond numbers—offering insights, recommendations, and seasonal strategies to keep your property thriving.
Real-Time Communication – We set up a private WhatsApp chat between you and our team so you can ask questions, share updates, or check in - whenever it suits you.
Clean, Clear Reporting – Monthly PDFs and spreadsheet masters are delivered in accountant-ready formats - transparent, detailed, and easy to understand.
Your Home, Your Terms – Want to book dates for yourself, friends, or family? No problem. You have complete control over availability with just a few clicks.
6. GROWING TOGETHER
The Onboarding Period (First 6 Months)
Every home needs time to find its rhythm. In the first six months, we focus on ironing out any quirks - gathering guest feedback, refining systems, and making small adjustments to create a seamless experience.
This is the period when reviews begin to build, and your property starts to establish its reputation in the market.
Building Momentum (Year One)
As those first reviews stack up, bookings start to flow more steadily. We learn what guests love most about your home and highlight those features in our marketing.
By the end of year one, your property has a strong foundation of trust and visibility.
Confidence & Returns (Year Two)
With that base in place, year two is where the magic compounds. Guests return, referrals increase, and performance often strengthens by 10–30% compared to the first year.
Your home becomes a reliable and well-loved part of the Host’d collection.
Continuous Evolution (Beyond)
Hosting is never static. We continue evolving your property’s appeal - refreshing interiors, testing new marketing approaches, and integrating guest feedback - so it remains both desirable and profitable year after year.
A True Partnership
Growth is a journey we take together. While you stay hands-off, you remain part of the story as your home matures into a soulful, high-performing stay that guests return to again and again.
7. SO, WHAT DOES ONBOARDING COST?
We believe in clarity, quality, and crafting strong beginnings. Here’s how the investment in onboarding breaks down:
Initial Meet & Greet – Complimentary – A no-pressure consultation to see if your home is a good fit for our collection, and for you to feel confident in our approach.
Property Onboarding – $599
This one-off fee includes:
- Curation of your home’s unique guest-ready narrative
- Listing copywriting for Airbnb, Booking.com, Google Travel & more
- Host’d Stage One Photography (mood & layout capture)
- Channel setup, calendar sync, payment gateway configuration.
- Setting up on Cleaning and Linen storage spaces.
PriceLabs Onboarding – $200
As part of our onboarding process, we charge a one-off PriceLabs setup fee. This covers the detailed work our Revenue Manager does to optimise your property in PriceLabs - including market research, reviewing regional trends, seasonality, and competitive pricing insights. It ensures your property is set up with the best possible foundation for dynamic pricing and strong market performance right from the start.
Professional Photography – Shared Investment – 50/50 split. Host’d designs and coordinate the shooting schedule and provide creative direction on the day to ensure your home is beautifully captured in the right light with a short term rental focus, selects, edits and uploads to all channels. The photographer’s hourly fee and the cost of the final images at $10per image are passed on to you as the owner.
Project Management - $85ph – For homeowners seeking hands-on coordination, we offer optional project management to oversee deliveries, trades, styling, and on-site prep. Peace of mind, beautifully managed.
Creative Direction - $160/hour - We bring a designer’s eye to the process - shaping mood, flow, guest experience, and visual storytelling with purpose.
Bespoke Sourcing – 30% sourcing fee
Need the perfect pendant light, lounge-suite, or vintage artefact? We source meaningful pieces that elevate your space, adding layers of charm and intention.
Together, these services ensure your home joins the Host’d collection looking and feeling its very best
8. SAMPLE TEMPLATES
To give you a sense of how we keep reporting clear and transparent we will share an example Master Booking Sheet & projected revenue with you upon signup.
