An Airbnb host anywhere in the world can now place a request to have one of the startup's contracted photographers visit and photograph his or her property.
Resulting photos will come with a "verified" ribbon that the startup asserts will equate to more bookings for the host. A host with Airbnb-verified photos will get booked 2.5 times more frequently than a host without verified photos, and, on average, the host will gross $1,025 in bookings per month, the startup contends.
Airbnb considers its growing photography division essential to its future growth. Why? More bookings and more host earnings will translate to more revenue for the company. A company spokesperson also tells Mashable that Airbnb is motivated by an interest in guest safety, a commitment to host success and a desire to have the highest quality product.
Prior to Thursday's launch, Airbnb had been piloting its photography service for more than year. Its fleet of more than 1,000 professional photographers has shot more than 13,000 properties in 383 cities.
