The emergence of revenue management capabilities in peer-to-peer platforms: the role of professionalisation

This study examines how Airbnb hosts develop revenue management capabilities defined as a set of resources, routines and coordination mechanisms used for managing sales for an Airbnb host and the role their degree of professionalisation plays in this process. A professional host is defined as an Airbnb provider managing more than one listing, while professionalisation degree as the growing number of listings managed by a host. The revenue management process is divided into seven key components: identifying goals, information and analysis, forecasting, decision and implementation, monitoring, key supporting elements, and interaction with guests. The research is based on qualitative data collected through 55 interviews in Milan, Italy. The Milanese context is notable for its high seasonality, prevalence of multi-listing hosts, and significant performance disparities based on professionalisation levels. The findings reveal marked differences between single hosts and those managing 10 or more listings, highlighting how professional hosts extract greater value from their properties compared to single hosts. This paper contributes to the growing recognition of professionalisation in the short-term rental market.