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Logo or host photo, what makes guests book on Airbnb?
In this episode of Get Paid For Your Pad, Eric Moeller and Kaye Putnam explore one of the most overlooked levers in short-term rentals: how you present yourself on your Airbnb profile. Should you lead with a polished brand identity or a personal host photo that builds trust instantly?
You’ll discover:
- The psychology behind guest trust on Airbnb profiles
- Why logos can help you scale but sometimes hurt conversions
- When showing your face creates a stronger booking connection
- How big STR brands balance host identity with brand identity
- The role of consistency in branding across multiple listings
We also dive into:
- Eric’s shift from “I’m Eric” to “We’re Freewyld”
- The risk of blending in as a commodity vs. standing out as a brand
- What professional operators are doing to future-proof their listings
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Freewyld (Eric’s STR brand)
- Freewyld Foundry (Revenue & Pricing Management for STR operators)
- Airbnb host profile strategies & case studies
📍 Ready to level up your STR business? Subscribe to Get Paid For Your Pad and explore more resources at FreewyldFoundry.com.
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Kaye Putnam | Freewyld
We had an interesting discussion with Jasper about Airbnb profiles and how to optimize them for our RPM clients. The big question was: should your profile photo be a human face or your brand logo? Today we are diving into why you might choose one or the other, and the consequences of that decision as an STR operator. Welcome back to Get Paid for Your Pad. I am joined by Eric from Freewyld and Freewyld Foundry.
Eric Moeller | Freewyld
I love this topic. It is not exactly a debate, but it definitely raises strong opinions.
Kaye Putnam
On one side, you can be completely brand forward. Think hotel brands like Marriott or Four Seasons. Guests do not know the CEO personally; they interact with the brand. In short-term rentals, though, there is a strong culture of being more personal. It is someone opening their home to a guest. You can go either way, and we will explore both. At Freewyld, we decided to lead with our brand. Eric, do you want to share why?
Eric Moeller
For me, it was about humanizing the experience. Guests want to know who they are staying with. But developing a strong brand is also powerful. It creates trust and awareness. With Freewyld, we wanted to cultivate a unique experience: disconnecting from technology and connecting with nature. To deliver that, we needed the brand to show up consistently, starting from the very first point of contact.
Kaye Putnam
From the start, we knew Freewyld was going to be a legacy brand, something that could exist worldwide and even outlast us. That is why brand forward made sense. But this is not the right choice for every STR business. Leading with the human aspect can actually convert better and reduce customer service complaints. Let us clarify what “brand” means: it is not just a logo or a color palette. It is the story and promise behind your business, what people can expect when they book with you.
Eric Moeller
Exactly. Everyone defines brand differently, but to me it is about the memory and feeling you create for your guests. Choosing brand over a host face means you are asking people to connect with an identity, not just an individual. That works if you have done the work to build trust into that identity. Otherwise, a personal host presence might resonate more.
Kaye Putnam
Yes. Think of your brand as a character. Is it just a generic “vacation rental host,” or does it have personality, opinions, and a specific point of view? Building that persona takes time and effort. For many hosts, especially those not planning to scale, it may make more sense to connect human to human rather than invest in a brand identity.
Eric Moeller
I agree. For example, “San Diego Vacation Homes” sounds professional, but it does not necessarily create a strong connection unless there is something truly unique about it. A personal host story can sometimes feel more authentic.
Kaye Putnam
Building a strong brand requires differentiation, and that means some guests will not resonate with you. If you are not willing to take that risk, or if you are not scaling, then being host forward might make more sense. There is nothing wrong with simply being a good business without developing a full brand identity.
Eric Moeller
Exactly. A local laundromat does not need heavy branding to succeed, they just need to deliver great service. But when you are trying to scale, branding becomes crucial. On Airbnb, though, a host photo can reduce negative reviews because guests feel connected to a person rather than a faceless brand.
Kaye Putnam
That is a great point. Branding does allow you to charge a premium and avoid being seen as a commodity, but it is a long-term investment. For us at Freewyld, the brand helps us earn direct relationships with guests. That is why we chose to go brand forward.
Eric Moeller
There are many ways to approach this. Look at companies like Rourke in the clothing industry, they built an entire adventure brand around a character. STR hosts could use a similar strategy, whether through themselves, a team member, or even a fictional persona.
Kaye Putnam
True. But if you go brand forward, you have to live up to your brand promise. One bad experience can damage your entire portfolio. That risk is lower when the connection is more personal.
Eric Moeller
We have seen companies fail with rebrands because they lost touch with their identity and audience. If you rebrand, it has to be true to your ethos, not just a new logo.
Kaye Putnam
Exactly. Brand building is long term. If you commit to a direction, you need to stick with it and not back down when there is pushback.
Eric Moeller
Right. At the end of the day, it is about intention. Do you want to build a brand identity or focus on being the best operator? Both can work, it depends on your goals.
Kaye Putnam
This decision touches everything: listing titles, profile names, guest communication, and even reviews. If reviews mention you personally, you are host forward. If they mention the brand, you are succeeding with brand forward.
Eric Moeller
I admire companies like AvantStay. From the beginning, they have been brand first, and they stayed consistent in quality. That is a big part of why they have scaled successfully.
Kaye Putnam
Yes, and they know their audience well. That intentionality is key. Sonder is another example, very design forward and positioned like a hotel brand.
Eric Moeller
Exactly. Each model has trade offs, but branding is what allows these companies to differentiate and build recognition.
Kaye Putnam
At the end of the day, branding is hard, but when you align your operations with your brand promise, that is when real growth happens. For example, Freewyld is now at 48% direct bookings this quarter, which shows the payoff.
Eric Moeller
That is exciting. For listeners: are you host forward or brand forward? Let us know on LinkedIn.
Kaye Putnam
Exactly. There is no one right answer, but be intentional with your choice. Otherwise, you risk confusing your guests or losing out on the benefits of either strategy.
Eric Moeller
We have a lot of exciting projects coming up with Freewyld, Freewyld Foundry, and RPM. If you are an operator doing over a million in revenue and need support, reach out to us.
Kaye Putnam
We are also building new tools like a quiz to help operators. Make sure you are on our email list at FreewyldFoundry.com.
Eric Moeller
And we will be spending time at Airbnb headquarters and hosting workshops in Vegas soon. Lots of exciting things ahead.
Kaye Putnam
Yes, we will be running live pricing audits and skill labs. Stay tuned for more details.
Eric Moeller
This was a great conversation. Thanks, Kaye.
Kaye Putnam
Thanks, Eric. See you next time.
