The First 90 Days: What Happens When You Launch Your Rental Listing
Key Takeaways
New Airbnb listings receive temporary algorithm boost during first few weeks to help gain traction—this early visibility window determines your long-term search ranking
Properties using new listing promotions see 79% more bookings within 365 days compared to those without—the first 30 days set momentum for entire first year
Days 1-30 focus on securing first reviews: algorithm boost active, pricing typically 15-20% below market, goal is 3-5 bookings generating initial reviews
Days 31-60 involve review accumulation and pricing adjustments: algorithm boost fades, pricing moves toward market rate, target 8-12 total reviews
Days 61-90 require stabilisation and optimization: establish baseline occupancy (typically 45-65%), identify booking patterns, refine listing based on guest feedback
Properties launching with professional setup average 65-75% occupancy by day 90 versus 35-45% for DIY launches—the difference compounds throughout first year
Response rate within 24 hours affects search ranking—late responses during critical first 90 days permanently damage algorithm positioning
Want to see what your rental property in the Algarve should actually be earning?
Click here to get your free earnings estimate using real Algarve market data.
You've purchased your Lagos apartment. Renovation complete. Photography booked. Listing written. You're ready to launch on Airbnb.
You click "publish listing" expecting bookings to start rolling in. Then reality hits: crickets for the first week. A few inquiries trickle in slowly. Your calendar stays mostly empty whilst you watch similar properties in your building stay consistently booked.
This is the critical first 90 days every new Algarve rental experiences. What happens during this period determines whether your property becomes a consistent performer generating 65-75% occupancy, or struggles permanently at 35-45% occupancy wondering why similar properties outperform yours.
Here's what actually happens during the first three months—and why understanding this timeline prevents the expensive mistakes most new investors make during their launch period.
The Algorithm Boost Nobody Explains Properly
Airbnb's algorithm gives new listings a temporary boost in search results during their first few weeks. This helps properties with zero reviews compete against established listings. The boost lasts approximately 3-4 weeks, though Airbnb doesn't publish exact timings.
What this boost actually means:
Your brand-new Lagos apartment with zero reviews appears in searches alongside established properties with 50+ reviews. Guests scrolling through results see your listing on page 1 or 2 instead of page 8-10 where zero-review properties normally rank.
This temporary visibility creates your only opportunity to generate initial reviews before the algorithm treats you like every other property. Once the boost fades, you compete based purely on your accumulated reviews, response rate, booking frequency, and guest ratings.
The critical window:
Days 1-21: Maximum boost active
→ Opportunity: Secure first 3-5 bookings
Days 22-35: Boost fading
→ Opportunity: Generate 2-3 more reviews
Days 36+: No boost, compete normally
→ Opportunity: Maintain momentum from reviews
Properties that fail to generate 5-8 reviews during the boost period struggle permanently. Without reviews, you rank poorly after the boost ends. Poor ranking means fewer bookings. Fewer bookings means slower review accumulation. You're stuck in underperformance whilst properties that maximised their boost window maintain strong positioning.
Days 1-30: The Review Generation Sprint
Your first month has one priority: generate reviews as quickly as possible whilst algorithm boost is active.
What successful launches actually do:
✓ Price 15-20% below market to guarantee bookings during boost window
✓ Accept every reasonable inquiry building response rate metrics
✓ Respond within 30 minutes to all inquiries (response time affects algorithm immediately)
✓ Send review requests within 6 hours of checkout whilst guests remember details
Get your basics right:
At this stage, it’s super important to get your basics right. Make sure your photos are great, your communication is polite and fast, and your listing descriptions are accurate and alluring.
Learn as much about hosting as you can - for example, did you know that research shows approximately 50% of bookings in secondary/vacation markets occur when hosts add checkout instructions? This seemingly minor detail prevents issues that generate poor initial reviews.
The mathematics of month one:
Your Lagos apartment should generate €2,500 monthly at market rates. During month one, you're pricing at €100/night instead of €120/night to guarantee bookings. You're "losing" €600 in revenue.
But those discounted bookings generate 3-5 reviews establishing your listing. Properties with 5+ reviews book 60-80% more frequently than zero-review properties. Your €600 "investment" in initial reviews generates approximately €15,000+ additional revenue over the next 12 months through better search positioning.
Common month-one mistakes:
❌ Pricing at full market rate immediately → Calendar stays empty, boost window wasted, zero reviews generated
❌ Accepting only long bookings (7-14 nights) → Fewer total bookings mean fewer reviews generated during critical period
❌ Slow inquiry responses → Response rate drops below 90%, algorithm penalises you permanently
❌ Forgetting review requests → Only 10-15% of guests leave reviews without prompting versus 35-40% when requested
Days 31-60: The Pricing Transition
Month two involves careful transition from discount pricing to market rates whilst maintaining booking momentum.
What this transition looks like:
Week 5-6: Increase rates 5-10% from initial discount. Monitor booking pace. If inquiries stay strong, positioning is working.
Week 7: Increase another 5%. You're now approximately 5-10% below market. Review count should reach 6-8 reviews.
Week 8: Move to market rate or slightly above if reviews are positive and booking pace stays strong. Algorithm boost is completely gone—you're competing purely on metrics you've built.
Airbnb's internal data shows hosts who added checkout instructions in their first 90 days saw 5% reduction in reservation-related issues. During month two, when you're managing multiple turnover cycles, small operational improvements prevent review complaints.
The review accumulation target:
Week 5-6: 6-8 reviews
→ Booking Strategy: Maintain aggressive booking acceptance
Week 7-8: 10-12 reviews
→ Booking Strategy: Transition toward normal booking patterns
Properties reaching 10-12 reviews by day 60 establish strong algorithm positioning. They've demonstrated to Airbnb's system that guests book them, guests enjoy staying, and guests leave positive feedback. The algorithm rewards this by maintaining good search visibility even after the new listing boost disappears.
The operational reality emerging:
Month two is when you discover whether your systems work. You're managing multiple check-ins and checkouts weekly. Guest communication volume increases. Maintenance issues emerge (because they always do). Cleaner coordination becomes complex.
Properties with professional management handle this transition smoothly. Self-managed properties often start showing cracks: late responses, forgotten tasks, small issues becoming guest complaints. These operational problems appear in reviews during month two, affecting your long-term positioning.
Days 61-90: The Stabilisation Phase
Month three reveals your true baseline performance. Algorithm boost is completely gone. You're competing purely on accumulated metrics. This is what your property actually generates without artificial algorithmic help.
What baseline occupancy looks like:
Professional launch (65-75% occupancy by day 90):
12-18 reviews accumulated
4.7-4.9 average rating
Response rate 95%+
Calendar stays actively booked 2-4 weeks ahead
Inquiry-to-booking conversion 40-50%
DIY launch (35-45% occupancy by day 90):
5-8 reviews accumulated
4.3-4.6 average rating
Response rate 80-90%
Calendar shows gaps, books 1-2 weeks ahead
Inquiry-to-booking conversion 20-30%
The difference compounds throughout your first year. Professional launch generating 70% occupancy earns approximately €21,000 annually. DIY launch at 40% occupancy earns €12,000. That's €9,000 annual difference created entirely during the first 90 days.
What you're learning during month three:
✓ Booking patterns: Which days book first (typically Friday/Saturday), which struggle (Sunday/Monday mid-week gaps)
✓ Guest demographics: Who's actually booking (British families, German couples, Portuguese weekend visitors)
✓ Pricing sensitivity: At what rate do inquiries drop off indicating you've exceeded market tolerance
✓ Operational bottlenecks: Where your systems break (cleaner availability, maintenance response times, communication gaps)
✓ Review themes: What guests consistently mention (positives to emphasize, negatives to address)
The optimization decisions:
Month three is when you make strategic adjustments based on actual performance data rather than assumptions:
Should you adjust minimum stay requirements creating more short booking flexibility? Should you invest in specific amenities guests mention wanting? Should you modify check-in procedures guests find confusing? Should you adjust pricing strategy for mid-week versus weekend?
Properties with professional management make these optimizations systematically. Self-managed properties often don't recognise patterns or make adjustments, staying stuck at baseline performance indefinitely.
What Professional Launch Actually Involves
"Professional launch" sounds expensive and complicated. It's neither. It's systematic execution of known factors affecting algorithm performance.
Week before launch:
✓ Professional photography completed and uploaded
✓ Listing description optimised with relevant keywords guests search
✓ All amenities accurately listed (algorithm matches listings to guest filters)
✓ Pricing set 15-20% below market specifically for first 30 days
✓ Calendar opened showing full availability (algorithm penalises restricted calendars)
✓ Instant Book enabled (properties with Instant Book rank higher)
✓ Automated messaging sequences prepared for common guest questions
During launch month:
✓ Response times under 30 minutes during waking hours (8am-10pm)
✓ Every inquiry receives personalised response within 60 minutes
✓ 90%+ of reasonable inquiries accepted (high acceptance rate helps algorithm)
✓ Pre-arrival communication sent 7 days, 3 days, 1 day before check-in
✓ During-stay check-in message sent evening of day one
✓ Review requests sent within 6 hours of checkout
✓ Host review of guest posted within 24 hours (encourages reciprocal reviews)
None of this requires special expertise. It requires systems and availability. Most new investors fail launches because they're managing around day jobs. They check messages every 3-6 hours instead of every 30 minutes. They respond at their convenience rather than immediately. They forget pre-arrival messages because they're busy. They don't request reviews because it feels awkward.
These small execution failures accumulate into algorithm penalties. Response rate affects search ranking—and once you're penalised, recovering takes months.
Common Launch Mistakes That Permanently Damage Performance
Mistake 1: Full market pricing from day one
"I have a great property, why should I discount?" Because zero-review properties don't book at market rates. You waste your algorithm boost with empty calendar. By the time you lower prices weeks later, the boost is gone and you're competing as zero-review listing without algorithmic help.
Mistake 2: Restrictive booking policies
"I only want bookings of 5+ nights to reduce turnover." During launch, you need review volume. Three 2-night bookings generate three reviews. One 6-night booking generates one review. The three reviews establish your listing faster and rank you higher.
Mistake 3: Slow response times
"I'll respond when I have time, usually within a few hours." Airbnb's algorithm tracks response time and speed. Properties averaging 3-6 hour responses rank lower than 30-minute response properties. During launch, every inquiry matters because you have so few opportunities to demonstrate strong metrics.
Mistake 4: No review solicitation
"If guests enjoyed their stay, they'll leave reviews." Only 10-15% leave reviews without prompting. 35-40% leave reviews when asked within 6 hours of checkout. That difference—3 reviews versus 1 review from same 10 bookings—determines whether you reach critical mass during launch period.
Mistake 5: Incomplete listing details
"I'll add more amenities and description later." Algorithm matches listings to guest searches immediately. Missing amenities means you don't appear when guests filter for those features. Incomplete description means algorithm can't match your listing to relevant search keywords. You're invisible to potentially interested guests because your listing lacks detail.
Why Month Four Matters More Than You Think
Day 90 isn't the end—it's when your permanent trajectory becomes visible. Properties performing well by day 90 maintain and improve. Properties struggling by day 90 rarely recover without significant intervention.
The compounding effect:
Strong launch → Good reviews → Better search ranking → More bookings → More reviews → Even better ranking
Weak launch → Few reviews → Poor search ranking → Fewer bookings → Slow review accumulation → Stuck at poor ranking
Month four is when this divergence becomes permanent. Properties with 15-20 reviews and 70% occupancy continue attracting bookings because algorithm recognises them as successful. Properties with 8 reviews and 40% occupancy stay buried in search results because algorithm sees underperformance.
Recovery from weak launch:
Can you recover? Yes. Is it easy? No. Recovery requires:
Significant price discounts (20-30% below market) for 4-8 weeks generating booking volume
Aggressive optimization of every ranking factor (photos, description, amenities, response time)
Perfect operational execution preventing any negative reviews during recovery period
2-3 months minimum before results appear
Most property owners lacking strong launches either accept underperformance permanently or hire professional management to execute recovery. Either option costs more than doing launches properly initially.
Conclusion
Your first 90 days determine whether your Algarve rental becomes a consistent performer generating 65-75% occupancy and €20,000+ annually, or struggles permanently at 35-45% occupancy earning €12,000. That €8,000+ annual difference traces directly to launch execution.
New listings receive temporary algorithm boost lasting 3-4 weeks. Properties maximising this window through strategic pricing, fast responses, and review generation establish strong positioning. Properties wasting the boost through full market pricing, slow responses, or operational mistakes spend months or years recovering.
The difference between professional and DIY launches: systematic execution of known ranking factors. Response times under 30 minutes. Review requests within 6 hours of checkout. Pricing 15-20% below market for first 30 days. Calendar showing full availability. Instant Book enabled. Every detail affects algorithm positioning during your critical launch window.
At Casa Oeste, we specialise in new property launches across West Algarve. Our launch protocol includes professional photography coordination, listing optimisation, strategic launch pricing, 24/7 inquiry response during first 30 days, automated guest communication sequences, and systematic review generation. Properties launching with Casa Oeste average 65-75% occupancy by day 90 versus 35-45% for comparable DIY launches.
Beyond launch, we handle ongoing optimization: pricing adjustments based on booking patterns, listing updates incorporating guest feedback, operational refinements preventing review complaints, and continuous algorithm monitoring ensuring strong search positioning.
Planning to launch an Algarve property in next 90 days? Let's discuss your specific property and launch timeline. We'll show you exactly what professional launch involves with an expert property management company, what occupancy and revenue to expect realistically, and how launch execution affects your first-year performance. The difference between strong and weak launches compounds throughout your entire ownership period—getting it right initially saves months of recovery effort later.
Want to see what your rental property in the Algarve should actually be earning?
Click here to get your free earnings estimate using real Algarve market data.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, if you want bookings during your algorithm boost window. Zero-review properties don't book at market rates regardless of quality. Your discount isn't lost revenue—it's investment in reviews establishing your listing. Properties generating 5-7 reviews during month one through strategic pricing earn approximately €15,000+ more in year one through better search positioning than properties that priced at market, generated 2 reviews, and spent 6 months recovering.
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You can, but you're wasting your new listing algorithm boost. The boost lasts 3-4 weeks whether you use it or not. Properties that wait for organic bookings often generate 1-2 bookings during boost period. Once boost ends, they're competing as zero-review listings without algorithmic help. This extends launch period from 90 days to 6-9 months whilst you slowly accumulate reviews at poor ranking.
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Bad reviews during launch are devastating because you have so few reviews total. One 3-star review among three reviews gives you 4.0 average. One 3-star among ten reviews gives you 4.7 average. This is why professional launches emphasize operational excellence during first 30 days—you can't afford mistakes when each review weighs heavily. Focus on preventing issues through detailed communication, property inspection before launch, and responsive problem-solving when issues emerge.
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Research analyzing Airbnb rankings found properties with Instant Book enabled rank higher in search results. Airbnb prioritises Instant Book because it aligns with their seamless booking experience goal. During launch when you need every advantage, Instant Book helps significantly. You can disable it later if needed, but enabling it during launch period when algorithm boost is active maximises your visibility.
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Airbnb's algorithm explicitly tracks response rate and speed. Properties responding within 24 hours maintain good response rates. Properties averaging under 1 hour responses get algorithmic preference over slower responders. During launch when you're establishing metrics, every inquiry matters. Losing 2-3 bookings during month one due to slow responses means 2-3 fewer reviews during your critical boost window.
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You can still recover, but it takes longer. Properties with 10-12 reviews by day 60 establish momentum carrying into month three. Properties with 5-7 reviews need continued aggressive tactics (pricing discounts, high acceptance rates) through month three or four to reach review critical mass. The launch period effectively extends from 90 days to 120-150 days whilst you build metrics the algorithm requires for strong positioning.
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The difference is systematic execution. Professional managers respond within 30 minutes because it's their job, not something they're fitting around other commitments. They request reviews systematically because it's in their process checklist. They optimize listings based on experience launching dozens of properties. DIY launches fail primarily due to execution gaps—forgotten tasks, slow responses, missed optimizations. These gaps accumulate into algorithm penalties costing thousands in lost revenue.
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Check fundamental factors: Is pricing actually competitive or are you overestimating market? Are photos professional quality or amateur? Is location genuinely desirable or are you in area with weak demand? Does listing description include keywords guests search or is it generic? Sometimes properties struggle because fundamentals are wrong, not just launch execution. If you've executed launch properly but bookings don't improve by week 6-8, consult with local property manager who can evaluate whether issue is execution or fundamental positioning problem.
About the Author
Matt Deasy is the founder and CEO of Casa Oeste: a property expert with more than 20 years of experience in international tourism and 15 years living in the Western Algarve. Having renovated multiple properties across Portugal, Matt brings a practical, boots-on-the-ground perspective to every article.
He is the author of two books on relocating and investing in Portugal: Portugal Beckons and Your Portuguese Property Beckons, both available on Amazon.
Through Casa Oeste, Matt helps homeowners unlock the full potential of their Algarve properties with expert management, renovations, and market-led insights.
