Couple who earn millions through 22 Airbnbs reveal why they’re quitting the platform

A couple, who have a staggering 22 properties on Airbnb, are parting ways with the popular platform due to wanting more control.

The California-based couple, Sara and Tony Robinson, are famed for sharing their helpful advice online with thousands of followers across YouTube and Instagram.

The pair, who call themselves the "Real Estate Robinsons", have reportedly racked up over $1.3m (£1.07m) in annual revenue. Most of this is said to have come from Airbnb.

Now, the Robinsons have revealed they want to quit the platform, along with fellow rental site Vrbo.

In a YouTube video titled "We're Quitting Airbnb," garnered almost 60,000 views, the couple announced the move and what they plan on doing next.

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We're Quitting Airbnbwww.youtube.com

The couple acknowledged that they "love Airbnb" and how much the platform "changed [their] lives" after allowing them to quit their day jobs at Tesla and iHeartRadio.

However, they admitted they were "absolutely terrified" that their business relied on the popular rental website.

"Right now, a hundred per cent of our bookings for short-term rentals come from either Airbnb or Vrbo," Sara explained. "We just keep asking ourselves, 'what if something goes wrong with Airbnb or Vrbo?'"

Going forward, they want more control over their properties and to end their "reliance on Airbnb and start working towards getting guests to book directly with [them]."

They aim to "slowly quit over time" while setting up their business.

The Robinsons outlined their plans to:

• Use email capture to get guests' email addresses when they log on to use the internet during their stay.
• Implement influencer marketing by offering influencers a free night stay for social posts in return.
• Set up new social media profiles to showcase the properties.
• Set up a blog to redirect people to their booking system.

The couple warned that it could be "pretty difficult" for a new host to obtain a "decently filled calendar right off the bat without using something like Airbnb and Vrbo."

However, they argued their strategies can assist hosts in creating a "platform you own yourself."

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