Pricing power starts with mastering occupancy pacing.
Operators who understand pacing know when to raise or lower rates, long before the competition reacts.
Last Updated: Dec 1, 2025
Most hosts price reactively, chasing competitor rates or relying on platform suggestions. The true commercial lever in any market is occupancy pacing: knowing if your rental is booked ahead or behind actual demand. Operators who master pacing adjust pricing early, fill calendars efficiently, and maximize revenue. Understand what pacing is, how to interpret it, and how to act on it for predictable uplift.
What is occupancy pacing and how does it impact pricing?
Occupancy pacing measures how quickly your calendar fills for upcoming months compared to where it should be at various lead times. It signals real-time supply and demand, tracked at 30, 60, and 90-day intervals. While Airbnb’s calendar, dynamic pricing tools, and multichannel dashboards show this pacing, high-performing operators extract actionable insight from these signals.
Guest behavior and booking windows differ by market and channel. For example, VRBO guests often book further in advance than Airbnb guests, so one channel may be overbooked while another lags. Algorithms on listing sites factor in some pacing, but cannot capture the full demand profile or your property's unique attributes. While competitor data is useful, pacing provides the most direct measure of demand for your property.
For a deeper view of the mechanics behind this topic, the pricing pillar walks through the full daily pricing model and the guardrails that matter.
Why does understanding pacing matter so much?
Pacing shows if your booking curve is too steep (booking out too quickly and likely underpriced) or too flat (not attracting demand and likely overpriced) during every phase before check in. This goes beyond simply matching competitor prices or using Airbnb’s Smart Pricing. Correct pacing interpretation can yield thousands in additional revenue during peak periods and protect against costly gaps in slower seasons.
Operators who read pacing accurately set the pace for the market. Spotting a booking surge at the 60-day mark, you can raise rates before competitors respond. If occupancy lags several months out, modest price reductions or targeted promotions restore competitiveness with minimal revenue loss. Failing to interpret pacing exposes you to underpricing or, conversely, missed bookings and eventual distressed discounts.
Pricing becomes far more effective when paired with the market trends pillar for real demand signals and the direct booking pillar for clean rate control across channels.
Occupancy pacing remains integral to core revenue drivers. Effective dynamic pricing relies on accurate pacing data. Multichannel distribution demands integrated pacing analysis to provide a unified demand perspective. Pacing is also vital for listing optimization and strengthens direct booking strategies, enabling faster rate responses than OTAs. Mastering pacing gives operators a decisive advantage across all StayStrategy pillars. Let pacing guide your pricing for improved results.
How to read, act on, and profit from occupancy pacing
Benchmark current occupancy at 30, 60, and 90 days out against both historical performance and market averages. Identify consistent patterns of over or underbooking relative to demand cycles.
Segment pacing by channel. Compare booking windows for Airbnb, VRBO, and direct sources to determine where you may be overexposed or missing advance demand.
Act on pacing data by adjusting prices at least twice weekly. Raise rates when bookings accelerate beyond typical pacing for each window, and lower or incentivize when occupancy falls behind.
How StayStrategy can help you.
StayStrategy builds a revenue system centered on pacing. We configure dynamic pricing models tailored to each property's unique booking patterns, optimize multichannel distribution, and actively manage your listing position for both algorithmic visibility and real guest search. We accelerate direct bookings, protecting rate integrity and capturing demand ahead of visible market shifts.