[Jd]

I just did a quick compare and it looks like VRBO serves the high-end of the market exclusively, with stuff in Manhattan starting around $180/nt, whereas Airbnb starting at $80/nt. That in and of itself should tell you that probably people who only serve the high-end clientele are going to do better on average (e.g. in reviews), yet the market is much larger if you can serve both mid-to-low and high-end, and as far as I can tell Airbnb is doing both.

Which is to say, Airbnb says you have to have do due diligence yourself (which some people won't do, and will have bad experiences), whereas VRBO filters for you, but you will end up paying more on average.

That's to say, if asking which business model is better, I think you have to go 100% with Airbnb. Giving users more power makes them like you better in the long run, and even if there are more flakes, there will also be 10x more enthusiasts (potentially even celebrities which become investors/advisers). Customer enthusiasm isn't something you can immediately capture via looking at reviews, but I think the market is closer to the truth in its valuation then you are in your "call out."