Listing craft
Longer descriptions, more money
There is no goldilocks curve.
+70% for the longest
Based on
15,622 active 2BR listings
Key finding: Across 15,622 active two-bedroom listings, the ones with the longest descriptions (2,000 or more characters) earned about $36,000 while the shortest (under 200 characters) earned about $21,000, a 70% gap in favor of longer.
The short version
We expected a sweet spot, a point where a description gets too long and revenue starts to drop. There was not one. Revenue rose steadily with length, and the longest descriptions won outright. For an operator, this is one of the cheapest changes you can make. Writing more costs nothing but time, and the listings that used the space made more money.
The data
The pattern is simple and it points in one direction.
Shortest descriptions, under 200 characters: about $21,000 in revenue.
Longest descriptions, 2,000 or more characters: about $36,000 in revenue.
That is a 70% gap between the shortest and the longest.
Revenue rose steadily with length across the full range. No middle peak, no drop-off at the top.
These are the only numbers in this study. We are not breaking them down further, because the finding does not need it. Longer just wins.
Why it works
A description is where you answer the questions a guest would otherwise have to ask, or worse, guess at. Short descriptions leave gaps, and gaps create doubt. When you describe the layout, the neighborhood, the parking, the kitchen, and who the space suits, you remove reasons to hesitate. Longer copy also gives search and ranking systems more to work with, which can help the right guests find you. The listings that told the full story simply gave people fewer reasons to click away.
What to actually do
Open your current description and count the characters. If you are under 2,000, you have room to grow.
Describe everything a guest would want to know: the space, the beds, the kitchen, parking, the area, and the type of trip it fits.
Answer the questions guests usually message you about, and put those answers directly in the listing so they never have to ask.
The honest caveats
This is a correlation, not a controlled test. It shows that listings with longer descriptions tended to earn more, not that adding words alone caused the increase. Hosts who write thorough descriptions may also run better listings in other ways. The study covers active two-bedroom listings only, so treat it as a strong signal rather than a guarantee. Padding your description with filler is not the point. Useful detail is.
Methodology
The finding comes from 15,622 active two-bedroom listings, using IntelliHost and Key Data figures from 2026. We grouped listings by description length and compared revenue across those groups, holding bedroom count fixed at two so we were comparing similar properties. Revenue rose monotonically with length, from about $21,000 at the shortest end to about $36,000 at the longest.
Frequently asked questions
How long should my short-term rental description be?
Aim for 2,000 characters or more. In this study of 15,622 two-bedroom listings, the longest descriptions earned about $36,000, roughly 70% more than the shortest.
Is there a point where a description gets too long?
We did not find one. Revenue rose steadily with length across the full range, with no drop-off at the top, so the longest descriptions performed best.
Does writing a longer description guarantee more revenue?
No. The finding is correlational, so it shows longer descriptions tend to earn more, not that length alone causes it. Still, it is a low-cost change worth making with genuine, useful detail.