Think about any time you’ve ever screened applicants for a job that you were hiring for? Or inquired about someone prior to going on a date? Have you ever Googled someone to see what information comes up? Or if nothing else, read a restaurant review before deciding where you were going to have dinner that night?

Reviews, opinions and the perspectives of others matter. They have become key influences that shape our personal decisions across all facets of modern-day life. And Airbnb is no different.

Gaining comfort from the reviews of previous guests is a critical dependency to winning guests that choose to book your place. A host’s reviews and Airbnb reputation remain the principal driver of building this trust and credibility.

Since reviews can only be written after a confirmed reservation has taken place, they represent an opportunity to build a good reputation in the Airbnb community. Guests trust that any review they read is a reflection of the actual experience had by another member of the Airbnb community.

Reviews include a rating system that quantifies your performance as a host across both general and specific criteria. Would you feel reassured seeing the following if you were a guest looking for a place to stay…

Prospective guests will interpret all information you share on your listing through the lens of your prior reviews. Having good reviews will validate the trustworthiness of the representations you make. Having bad reviews will negate those representations, whether truthful or not.

There are a number of important reasons you need to have good reviews on Airbnb, all of which feed off one another to create a virtuous cycle:

As such, good reviews become a critical dependency to success on Airbnb. Taking the time to acquire positive reviews is an investment that will pay for itself many times over.

There’s a small game of “catch-up” to play for new hosts who don’t have the luxury of a long hosting track-record on Airbnb. Especially if you’re starting off as a new host, the most important thing you can do for your ongoing success is expediting the process of getting good reviews.

As a new host, consider strategically discounting your place to maximize bookings (and therefore reviews) as quickly as possible. The value of good reviews will far surpass the lost revenue you incur in the short-term to get those reviews.