Combien faut il vraiment de logements pour vivre de sa conciergerie ?

Many people on the internet suggest that you need 10, 15, or even 20 properties to make a living from a concierge business. However, it is possible to earn a living with fewer than 10 properties. The key is not the number of properties you manage, but rather what you do with them. Sébastien Maurich, an entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience and 10 years in Airbnb concierge services, explains this approach. He started his first concierge service abroad a decade ago, sold it, and then created another one in his city, managing up to a hundred properties. This experience gives him a solid understanding of the subject. Let's look at the real figures. These calculations are based on a medium-sized city like Le Mans in Sarthe, and are applicable to medium or small cities. Larger cities would naturally yield higher figures, but the focus here is on realistic, attainable numbers rather than selling an unrealistic dream. For T2 or T3 type properties, the average rental price is around €60 per night. While this can be higher during peak season, it’s a good base figure. A conservative occupancy rate of 65% is assumed, although the goal is usually 70-75%. The commission for the concierge service is set at 25%. In France, commissions typically range from 15% to 30%, with 25% being the recommended target once established. When starting out, aiming for 20% is more common, but 25% is an achievable goal, and has always been successfully charged. To justify a 25% commission, it’s crucial to offer significant value to property owners, going beyond just cleaning and message responses. The services provided must be of high quality, ensuring the owner can rent their property at a higher price because they are working with a serious provider. Using an Excel file, which can be obtained by sending a direct message on Instagram with the word "simulateur," the financial breakdown for 10 properties is as follows: A gross turnover for 10 properties is €11,700. The Airbnb commission, at 15.5%, amounts to €1,814. The concierge service’s 25% commission, calculated after the Airbnb commission is deducted, comes to €2,471. This is the amount you would invoice. Cleaning fees are not included in this calculation, as it's assumed travelers pay these, and this income is used to cover cleaning staff or contractors, essentially being a neutral operation for the concierge. Fixed business expenses include channel manager fees, operational management software (like Guesty), insurance, and accountant fees (if operating as a SAZU or SAS). These are estimated at approximately €380 per month. This results in a gross profit of nearly €2,100 per month for the company. After corporate taxes and various optimizations, such as distributing dividends, taking a salary, or deducting personal-professional expenses (like mileage allowances or covering phone, computer, and internet costs), the net income can be significantly optimized to reduce social contributions and overall taxation. Many people entering concierge services from traditional employment expect a salary of €2,000 per month, but it's possible to achieve this net income through a combination of a smaller declared salary and other tax-efficient deductions, avoiding high social charges. For 10 properties, a realistic net income, after all deductions and optimizations, is around €1,500. This is a reasonable and attainable figure. However, this assumes basic management. With better optimization, this income can be doubled. Here are several tips to optimize earnings: 1. **Focus on higher-value properties**: While starting with small studios is understandable, as they constitute 50-60% of the market and meet high demand, quickly transition to larger or more exceptional properties like T3s, T4s, houses, or villas. These offer significantly more value. For instance, someone managing five beautiful properties can earn as much as someone managing 30 smaller, unoptimized ones, with much less management effort. 2. **Target exhausted Airbnb owners**: Instead of solely seeking new owners looking for concierge services, focus on those already managing their properties on Airbnb but are struggling. These owners are often tired, facing tax issues, or confused by changing legislation. You can identify them by poor reviews regarding check-ins, slow responses, or poorly maintained apartments. They are more likely to delegate quickly and already have a rental history, accelerating the launch of your partnership. 3. **Optimize pricing beyond peak seasons**: Revenue management isn't just about increasing prices during high season. Mondays and Tuesdays, and often Sundays, are harder to rent. Instead of leaving these days empty, systematically lower prices for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. It’s better to rent at a lower price (e.g., €35-€40 instead of €60-€70) than to have no rental at all, as this increases the occupancy rate and, consequently, the overall turnover, on which your commission is based. 4. **Offer flexible contracts**: Many concierge services use one-year contracts, which can be a deterrent for owners. Instead, offer contracts with a short cancellation period, such as 30 days. If an owner is satisfied with your service, they won't leave. If they are unhappy, it's better to end the partnership. This flexibility removes a significant barrier for owners who fear being stuck with a poor service provider. 5. **Cultivate repeat guests**: Instead of constantly seeking new travelers, focus on retaining existing ones. Many travelers, especially business clients, return to the same city. By maintaining a professional relationship and informing them about your other properties (e.g., via your website), you encourage repeat bookings. A returning traveler is more valuable than ten new ones because they are loyal and might even book directly, allowing you to avoid platform commissions. Returning to the initial question: How many properties are needed to live comfortably? With six properties, managed basically, you might net less than €1,000 after taxes and charges. However, by implementing the optimization tips discussed, you could double that, potentially reaching €1,800 versus €900. With eight properties, a basic approach yields around €1,200, but an optimized approach could bring in €2,400. For 10 properties, the basic income is €1,500, but with optimization, it can reach €3,000. With 12 properties, it could be €3,600. Even with 20 properties, without much effort, you might reach €3,000. But with a highly optimized selection and management, you could realistically achieve €6,000 after all taxes and social charges. Ultimately, 10 well-organized properties, utilizing these tips, can generate €3,000, which is comparable to what someone with 20 unoptimized properties might earn. The example of the person with five well-optimized properties earning as much as someone with 30 unoptimized ones highlights this difference. Without optimization, you might need 20 properties to achieve a decent income, but with the right methods and strategies, 8 to 10 properties can yield the same result. It's preferable to manage eight well-run properties than 20 poorly managed ones, which is unfortunately common among many concierge services. This goal is attainable within a much more reasonable timeframe, possibly within six months. To get the simulator mentioned, send a direct message on Instagram with "simulateur." If you need assistance in building your concierge business, including contracts, prospecting strategies, pricing, and legal tools, you can schedule an appointment.