Think of Airbnb as Tinder for lodging.
Considering that photos of homes’ interiors have a large influence on bookings, an online lodging service Airbnb plans to incorporate an automated system that will reportedly scan photos to determine how attractive they are to potential guests.
“We are trying to promote listings with more attractive images,” said Maxim Charkov, the search lead at Airbnb.
At some point, Airbnb may also provide a digital interior designer that will help hosts enhance listings and spruce up homes to increase bookings. “Maybe you should improve your images; maybe you should provide these amenities that are popular. We want to bring the insights back to the host”, Charkov said.
Airbnb already uses a predictive behavior algorithm to match up potential renters and guests. That technology has boosted matches by 4%, according to the company. The decision comes as Google and Facebook, among others, have taken steps toward analyzing photos that users post on the Internet for clues about brand affiliation. On the other hand, Tumblr also announced in August that it’s working with Ditto Labs to do the same thing over its website.
The company hopes this concept can better compete with hotel chains, which are more adept at presenting slick photos of their lodgings to entice customers.