The Impact of Host Reputation and Online Reviews on Airbnb Listing Prices: Evidence from Tokyo
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Airbnb listings differ in quality, which guests cannot fully judge before booking. This study examines the associations between Superhost status, review scores, review volume, and Airbnb nightly listing prices in Tokyo. It uses the June 30, 2026 Inside Airbnb dataset. The sample has 24,314 reviewed listings with positive prices and complete data. A hedonic ordinary least squares model uses natural log price, with controls for property features, room type, minimum stays, availability, and neighborhood fixed effects. Standard errors are clustered by host. Superhost status is linked to prices about 8.3% higher. A review score that is 0.1 points higher is linked to prices about 1.5% higher. For established listings, an approximate doubling of reviews is linked to prices about 3.8% lower. All three estimates account for the other included variables. The findings show distinct price associations across these three reputation signals in the reviewed Tokyo sample, but the cross-sectional data do not establish causal effects.
Author: Yuetong Zhao
Institution: Temple University
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7224017180