Judging an Airbnb booking by its cover: how profile photos affect guest ratings

Abstract

Purpose This research aims to examine whether the facial appearances and expressions of Airbnb host photos influence guest star ratings. Design/methodology/approach This research analyzed the profile photos of over 20,000 Airbnb hosts and the guest star ratings of over 30,000 Airbnb listings in New York City, using machine learning techniques. Findings First, hosts who provided profile photos received higher guest ratings than those who did not provide photos. When facial features of profile photos were recognizable, guest ratings were higher than when they were not recognizable (e.g. faces too small, faces looking backward or faces blocked by some objects). Second, a happy facial expression, blond hair and brown hair positively affected guest ratings, whereas heads tilted back negatively affected guest ratings. Originality/value This research is the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to analyze the facial appearances and expressions of profile photos using machine learning techniques and examine the influence of Airbnb host photos on guest star ratings.

Do salespeople’s online profile pictures predict the number of online reviews? Effect of a babyface

“…Future studies could explore the impact of other visual cues on consumers’ evaluation of salespeople’s online profile pictures. For example, previous research has found that hair colors and facial expressions of Airbnb hosts’ online profile photos affect guest ratings (Jang, 2022). Moreover, scholars’ smile intensity in their online profile pictures on ResearchGate is found to be positively related to the number of citations per article and research followers (Kaczmarek et al , 2018).…”

A novel approach towards utilizing graph analyzing objects arrangement – case studies from Airbnb homes in New York and Boston

“…This study utilizes interior imagery from Airbnb listings, a resource increasingly leveraged in diverse research fields, including design (Rahimi et al, 2016), tourism (Jang, 2022;Nguyen et al, 2017), the sharing economy (Ert et al, 2016), and behavioral psychology (Ert & Fleischer, 2019;Zheng & Zhang, 2023). While the interior settings of Airbnb homes are crafted to enhance host-guest interactions, they are also expected to reflect native cultural elements and significant tourist attractions.…”