How to Build Airbnb Comp Sets Manually Using Incognito Search

Revenue management tools have become incredibly powerful.

Platforms like PriceLabs, AirDNA, and STR Insights allow operators to analyze:

• Occupancy trends

• ADR

• RevPAR

• Booking windows

• Market supply

• Seasonal performance

But even with all of those systems available, there is still one technique many experienced revenue managers continue to use regularly:

Manual Airbnb searches.

In a Revenue Academy training session, Emile Sakhel and Adam Blake explained why manually researching Airbnb listings through incognito searches remains an important part of STR revenue management and comp set building.

Sometimes the best market insights come from seeing the platform exactly the way guests see it.

Why Manual Comp Research Still Matters

Automated dashboards are useful.

But no dashboard fully replaces human observation.

Revenue management tools rely heavily on:

• Filters

• Categorization

• Scraped listing data

• Platform integrations

• Automated assumptions

That creates limitations.

Some properties:

• May be tagged incorrectly

• May not appear inside dashboard filters

• May position themselves differently visually

• May outperform because of branding or presentation

• May dominate Airbnb search visibility despite average pricing

Manual research helps operators identify these gaps.

As Emile explained during the session, there is never just one way to approach revenue management.

The best operators combine:

• Automated data analysis

• Manual market review

• Guest-perspective research

• Real-world search behavior

That combination creates a more complete understanding of competition.

Why Incognito Searches Are Important

One of the biggest recommendations from the session was using Airbnb in incognito mode.

This matters because Airbnb personalizes search results.

If operators stay logged into their own account:

• Their own listings may appear higher

• Previous search history may influence results

• Saved listings may affect recommendations

• Cookies may distort visibility

That creates a misleading view of the market.

Using incognito mode provides a cleaner look at:

• Real guest search results

• Organic listing visibility

• Competitive placement

• Search ranking behavior

As Adam explained during the session, revenue managers often close and reopen incognito windows repeatedly to avoid cached browsing influence.

The goal is to simulate the experience of a completely new guest searching the market for the first time.

How Revenue Managers Use Manual Airbnb Searches

Manual Airbnb searches serve several strategic purposes.

1. Building Better Comp Sets

Revenue managers often search Airbnb manually to identify:

• Listings with similar design

• Comparable guest experiences

• Similar locations

• Matching amenities

• Equivalent property positioning

Sometimes a property feels highly competitive from a guest perspective even if dashboard filters do not surface it automatically.

This helps operators build more realistic comp sets.

2. Understanding Search Visibility

Search visibility matters heavily in STR performance.

Manual searches help operators understand:

• How far down their listing appears

• Which competitors dominate visibility

• How crowded certain date ranges become

• Which listings stand out visually

• What amenities competitors emphasize

This perspective is difficult to fully understand through dashboards alone.

3. Evaluating Slow-Season Competition

During weak demand periods, search visibility becomes even more important.

As discussed in the session, operators may use incognito searches during slow dates to evaluate:

• Inventory saturation

• Competitor pricing pressure

• Visibility changes

• Market positioning

This helps determine whether pricing adjustments may be necessary.

Sometimes operators discover:

• Their listing is buried deep in search results

• Competitors are heavily discounting

• Certain property types dominate visibility

These observations can influence revenue strategy decisions.

Airbnb Search Behavior Reveals Guest Priorities

One of the biggest advantages of manual Airbnb research is learning how guests experience the marketplace.

Guests do not analyze dashboards.

They browse:

• Photos

• Titles

• Amenities

• Pricing

• Location positioning

• Search rankings

That means comp analysis should include more than just numbers.

Revenue managers should ask:

• Which listings stand out visually?

• Which titles attract attention?

• Which amenities appear repeatedly?

• What types of homes dominate page one?

• What booking experience feels strongest?

This creates a much more realistic understanding of competition.

Manual Research Helps Identify Missed Opportunities

During the session, Adam also explained how operators sometimes discover overlooked market trends manually.

For example:

• Certain amenities may become common in listing headlines

• “Pool” or “Mountain View” may appear repeatedly

• Specific design styles may dominate search visibility

• Certain guest segments may become more targeted

These trends may not yet appear clearly inside automated dashboard filters.

Manual observation helps operators identify:

• Emerging competitive patterns

• Listing presentation trends

• Search behavior shifts

• Guest demand signals

before competitors fully react.

Manual Comp Sets Can Work Alongside Dashboards

The session also demonstrated how manual Airbnb research can integrate with tools like PriceLabs.

Operators can:

• Discover listings manually through Airbnb

• Copy Airbnb listing IDs

• Import those listings into comp set dashboards

• Combine manual research with data analysis

This creates a hybrid approach that combines:

• Human observation

• Dashboard analytics

• Revenue metrics

• Guest-perspective analysis

Rather than choosing between automation and manual review, advanced operators use both together.

Revenue Management Requires Perspective

One of the strongest themes throughout the training was perspective.

Dashboards show data.

But Airbnb searches show behavior.

The best revenue managers understand both.

That means regularly viewing the market:

• Like a guest

• Like a competitor

• Like a strategist

• Like a revenue manager

The operators who consistently outperform competitors are often the ones paying closer attention to how guests actually interact with the marketplace.

Final Thoughts

Manual Airbnb comp research may seem simple, but it remains one of the most valuable habits in STR revenue management.

Incognito searches help operators:

• Build stronger comp sets

• Understand search visibility

• Study competitor positioning

• Identify market trends

• Improve pricing strategy

• Analyze guest behavior more realistically

Dashboards provide critical data.

But sometimes the most valuable insights still come from opening Airbnb and searching like a guest.

Key Takeaways

• Manual Airbnb searches remain valuable for revenue management

• Incognito mode creates a more accurate guest perspective

• Search visibility strongly impacts STR performance

• Manual research helps improve comp set quality

• Guest behavior matters as much as pricing data

• Dashboards and manual research work best together

• Revenue management requires both analytics and observation