CHICAGO, IL, 4 February 2026 — New research from revenue management software PriceLabs reveals a widening quality divide in the short-term rental (STR) market: just 12% of Airbnb listings can be classified as ‘good’ by industry standards — yet those properties are 35% more likely to outperform their local market.
The findings come from the PriceLabs Listing Optimization Report, a detailed data science study examining what truly makes a strong listing and the measurable impact of quality on performance. The report highlights a widespread gap between what guests and platforms expect and what most listings currently deliver.
Despite increased competition and growing reliance on online travel agencies (OTAs), most listings still fall short on the basics. The research finds nearly 70% of listings are undermined by poor-quality images — often poorly lit, blurry, presented in a confusing order, or failing to highlight the features guests care about most. More than half (54%) had unclear or incomplete descriptions, while another 54% showed inconsistencies between written descriptions and photos.
Far from being isolated to a handful of destinations, the results were consistent across top STR markets worldwide. The study examined 10,000 listings across 10 world cities: Barcelona, Budapest, Cape Town, Charlottesville, Chicago, Destin, Dubai, Kissimmee, and Melbourne, using a scoring model trained on millions of listings worldwide.
Ranking pressure grows
Against this background, it’s no surprise that PriceLabs’ 2025 Global Host Report — surveying more than 1,400 hosts worldwide — found that 63% of hosts are worried about their property’s ranking on OTAs, particularly as these platforms continue to drive the majority of bookings.
With search algorithms increasingly prioritizing listing quality alongside price, availability, and reviews, even well-managed properties may be underperforming simply because their listings fail to meet evolving standards.
The upside for hosts is that AI-powered tools already exist to identify and correct these issues. Tools such as PriceLabs’ Listing Optimizer assess listings across content, images, and amenities, and recommend precise improvements.
Richie Khandelwal, Co-founder of PriceLabs, said: “Hosts often underestimate how much listing quality affects visibility and performance. What seem like small issues, like bad photo sequencing or vague descriptions, can have an outsized impact on whether a guest clicks, books, or scrolls past.
“As the industry becomes more competitive, quality is more important than ever. The best-performing listings are those that clearly communicate value, build trust, and align with what platforms are actively rewarding in search rankings.”
The full PriceLabs Listing Optimization Report explores these findings in more detail, offering practical insights into what defines a high-performing listing today — and how hosts can close the quality gap to stay competitive.
