Timeshare resales online are proving to be the long-awaited solution for timeshare title transfers — whether they’re timeshare sales or timeshare rentals.

Say you don’t necessarily want to stop timesharing altogether, but you’re tired of the resort you’ve been going to for a few years and want to shop around. How would you find out about other resorts? And if you found something you liked, how would you sell what you had to get what you wanted?

You can’t put a sign in the window, like you might with an old car: “timeshares for sale, call 555-5555.” You have to put what you’re selling where people who are interested are going to see it. To sell timeshare effectively, you’ve got to get it under people’s noses, and not just any noses, the right people’s noses. People who really really want to buy your type of timeshare.

It takes a lot of work to get those people who are looking to look in the right place. That’s why we have an entire company dedicated to it. SellMyTimeshareNOW.com makes sure that each timeshare sale is seen by people who really want to buy your timeshare, or campground membership, or even a timeshare houseboat!

Typically many people who buy timeshare deal with a big timeshare company that sells new property owned by a developer. But by-owner timeshare promotion companies, like SellMyTimeshareNOW, are using the internet to redefine the ways people buy, sell or rent timeshare vacation homes and condos.

David Koenig, a business writer with Associated Press/Dallas, recently interviewed Elizabeth and Robin Wood, owners of a second home in Florida. The Woods were in the market to rent out their Vero Beach property during the months they were not using it themselves. Their first step was to hire a local real estate agent to look for renters. They also paid $300 to list their home on various specialized websites. The arrangement with the real estate agent included a 25 percent commission to the agent on any rentals, even the ones the Woods found online.

According to Elizabeth Wood, who recently parted ways with her realtor, “every tenant came through my listings on the web.” Of course, this meant that the property owners were still paying the realtor the commission even though he or she had actually played no part at all in the transaction.

The Woods’ story is not unusual; instead, it is a perfect example of how the internet is changing the way people make a vacation home or timeshare deal. More and more satisfied timeshare vacation property owners are bypassing the heavy handed timeshare promotion done by development companies. They are buying or renting their timeshare vacation property directly from the owner through a company that specializes in timeshare promotion and advertising of by-owner timeshare resales and rentals.

When you are interested in renting or buying timeshare, deal directly with the person who owns the property. There is no reason for a vacation home owner or timeshare vacation property owner to pay commission to a third party real estate or timeshare company.

On the world wide web, companies like eHarmony, Monster Job and eBay have already changed so many of the ways we interact and conduct business. It really is no surprise that well-informed vacationers recognize the benefits of an online vacation home or timeshare deal that eliminates the need for commissions paid to a middleman.

Beware of timeshare resale companies that refuse to disclose their location. If they won’t post their physical address on their site, or if they hide behind a PO Box… they’re probably up to no good!

(Author’s note: for the purposes of today’s post, I’ll be using the term "transparency". According to business-in-asia.com’s Business Glossary, "transparency" is defined as:

"The concept of making trade-related administrative processes easier to follow, including opening them to public scrutiny and subject to clear methods of challenge or amendment.")

As stated in earlier posts, my goal for this weblog is to provide quality timeshare tips and advice for timeshare owners instead of promoting my own company. However, for today’s post, I would like to use my own company as an example to make a few observations about the current state of the timeshare resale industry.

I’ve often remarked that the timeshare industry is changing for the better. When big hotel brands entered the timeshare marketplace over a decade ago, these ushered in an era of greater accountability and honesty in the timeshare business. True, this multi-billion dollar industry attracts its share of scammers, but so does any other lucrative business. Essentially, the entire industry is undergoing a massive change in business practices, from the top down.

Though corporate policy is decided at the highest level, it can take a while for all these changes to filter down to the base of the pyramid, where most timeshare owners feel the difference. This is why, even while the entire industry is reaping the long-term rewards earned by years of sound business practices, it is an ugly fact that the timeshare resale sector has been the one segment of the industry LEAST receptive to these positive changes. Each day ARDA and other groups within the timeshare industry are taking new measures to put an end to "antiquated" high-pressure timeshare sales tactics. At the same time, hundreds of boiler-room operations across the world dazzle their prospects with false promises, badger their victims when they don’t rise to the bait, and eventually take the money and run.

Timeshare owners and resale companies have at least one thing in common: we’re both sick and tired of the deceptive practices in the timeshare industry. As a resale company, we compete with some of the most nefarious scam artists this side of organized crime. It frustrates me that these people actually get a share of the timeshare resale market while at the same time dragging the entire industry through the mud.

It is time to put an end to these lousy business practices once and for all. One way we can do this is to educate first-time timeshare buyers about the timeshare industry. Common sense dictates that a well-educated consumer is much harder to scam. The same consumer will inevitably respond well to honesty and fair treatment. This mode of thinking has caught on in some circles of the timeshare sales community, and I think that it is time to apply it to the resale sector too.

Another way to promote better business practices is through integrity, transparency, and honesty. For instance, a timeshare company that refuses to disclose its physical location probably has reasons for being duplicitous. If a company does not post its physical address on its website, or hides behind a post office box, there’s probably something funny going on. Maybe it’s a one-man operation conducted from a basement somewhere. We’ve all heard stories about fraudulent "businesses" based out of a cell in a maximum-security penitentiary. The bottom line is, if something that claims to be a timeshare resale company will not give out its actual physical location, do not give it any money!

In the interest of promoting openness, honesty and transparency within the timeshare resale industry, we post our physical locations and contact information on our main site. I propose to take this a step further and show our readers a few pictures of our offices-

Here’s a picture of our sales offices, located at 11 Merrill Industrial Drive in Hampton, New Hampshire.

Here’s another exterior shot – the front of the Centre Square office building, where our New Hampshire sales office is based.

Finally, here’s a shot of our customer service offices in Altamonte Springs, Florida – deep in the heart of timeshare country. Looks like our customer care team is enjoying some good weather!

That’s not all. Here’s how to get to our offices!

First, assuming you’re coming from Boston, here’s how to get to our New Hampshire offices. Then, if you’re ever in the Orlando area, why not visit our Altamonte Springs offices?

In summary, transparency is the order of the day. It is the only way for a company to attain any degree of credibility in the modern age. This is especially true of online businesses, who by their nature can be subject to the scrutiny of millions of people all over the world at any time. Our business model is centered around long-term success in a modern business climate. Not only for ourselves, but also for our advertisers. It is in our best interests as a company to provide openness and accountability to both potential clients and long-term advertisers.

Want to sell timeshare quickly, with as few hassles as possible? Here’s key information for anyone who wants a successful timeshare sale.

In the marketing business, the successful promotion (and the subsequent sale) of a product or service boils down to three things: location, location, location! Even in the field of online business, this adage still applies; in fact, now more than ever! The key is to expose your product to the greatest number of people who are specifically searching for your product or service. When selling timeshare, why not position your advertisement so it will reach the largest possible number of prospective timeshare buyers?

Consider this: many people have tried to resell timeshare through the newspaper, using either online or print ads. While these publications can certainly reach a large number of people, they simply don’t reach enough prospective timeshare buyers to even justify the cost of placing the ad. The traffic that newspapers receive is simply not targeted. All kinds of people read classified ads for all different reasons. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were pages of classified ads just dealing with timeshare? The good news is, these exist. The bad news is, though these attract a more targeted readership, they receive minimal traffic because nobody knows where to find them. Various timeshare forums exist, and veteran timeshare owners will often recommend online classifieds services that deal with timeshare. However, if you aren’t a long-standing member of the "international timeshare elite", how do you find out about these services? In many cases, they are practically invisible to people searching the web, largely because they are not going out of their way to attract attention to themselves. Why should they? They already enjoy a good reputation with people in the know.

In this day and age, is word-of-mouth advertising really the most effective way to promote a resale timeshare?

In this business, we frequently encounter people who list their properties with an online classified-advertising service specializing in timeshare. These are usually "self-serve" sites which usually charge a minimal monthly rate of around $20.00. Again, because they specialize in timeshare, these websites are frequented regularly by a small number of timeshare owners, so they receive targeted traffic. What most people find challenging is that using a service like this does not give them the broadest possible exposure for their property. The timeshare market is booming, with millions of eager first-time timeshare buyers searching the net every day! People who sell timeshare are looking for a more aggressive timeshare resale company who can promise to drive the most qualified, relevant traffic to its website. Sure, an online classified ad site is cheap, but can it really get the job done?

Most high-profile timeshare resellers charge a one-time, upfront fee of several hundred dollars to advertise a timeshare. Why does this cost so much, in comparison with the small monthly fee charged by a timeshare classified site? The lion’s share of this money that a resale company charges (if the company is reputable and actually does what it promises) goes toward driving qualified, relevant traffic to the site. This means more exposure, which ultimately translates into a faster timeshare sale with fewer hassles. You aren’t just marketing your timeshare to an assorted few seasoned timeshare owners already hip to the inside track, you’re breaking out into a huge new market filled with millions of people actively seeking to buy their own timeshare!

We encourage our clients to obtain the maximum amount of exposure for their property. If it is cost effective to pay $20.00/month to advertise their timeshares in an online timeshare classified page, we say "go for it!" However, know that you are by no means limited to just one timeshare resale company. We’ve even had clients who enlisted our services in addition to those of a competing timeshare reseller, effectively pitting two companies against one another to see who can sell timeshare fastest!*

Though timeshare classified advertisers exist, a high-traffic, highly visible timeshare reseller that continually invests in web site optimization is your best bet for a successful timeshare sale. Here’s some tips on what to look for:

• Do a search for a specific geographic area, or a specific resort on Google or another major search engine, for example "Fairfield Branson at the Meadows" or "buy Arizona timeshare resales". A company that comes up on the first page (ideally number one for any search results page) is a strong company to go with.
• Make sure the company ranks well for basic terms like "timeshare resale" and "buy timeshare". Most people who are searching for timeshares start with vague search terms (unless they are looking for time at a specific resort or geographic area). The higher the ranking, the better.
• If a company depends on sponsored results (also known as "pay-per-click" advertising because it costs money every time someone clicks on the link), know that it is spending large amounts on maintaining visibility. It is only cost effective to do this for a few terms. Most companies can spend upwards of $10,000/month on pay-per-click. A company that depends on paid listings is likely not to do well across the board when it comes to natural, or "organic" listings. Paid ads are best used to complement natural results. Look for a company that doesn’t have to resort to paid advertising to maintain its search visibility.
• Check out how your ad will look- sometimes, an ad can get lost in a heap of other ads competing for attention on the same page. Ideally, the ad for the timeshare you want to sell should have its very own page. It is especially nice if this page is well optimized for search terms relevant to that property (example: "El Cid La Ceiba" is a search term used by people looking for timeshare at this resort), so it ranks with good visibility when someone searches for it.
• I have to reiterate that it is absolutely vital that, before you give your credit card information to any company, check to see if they have a record with the Better Business Bureau! If so, how many complaints have they received? How were they resolved? Is this company a BBB member in good standing? Be wary: timeshare companies with an appalling BBB record will sometimes create new websites with slightly different domain names, so they can pretend to have an unblemished history. In reality, it’s just the same shoddy product with a fresh coat of paint.

If you want to promote your timeshare resale property before the largest possible number of timeshare buyers, please consider SellMyTimeshareNOW. We employ the very latest and most successful internet marketing strategies in order to bring a fast, safe, and trouble-free timeshare sale to our clients.

*SellMyTimeshareNOW offers this money-back guarantee for all timeshares advertised on our site: if you sell your timeshare through a competitor’s services before we can sell it, present us with a proof of the sale within thirty days and we will refund your money, with no exceptions.

Typically, closing the deal on a piece of real estate property means paying legal expenses. Discover why, if the proper conditions are met, you do not need to hire a lawyer to help settle the closing.

Anyone who has ever bought a home knows that an attorney who specializes in real estate is a natural part of the closing process. Therefore, it is logical to assume that a timeshare transaction requires a lawyer to facilitate the close of the sale. What most people don’t know is that there is no reason, legally or otherwise, to hire your own lawyer to oversee a timeshare sale.

With any large purchase, the intercession of a third-party intermediary is helpful to both the buyer and seller. In real estate transactions, a lawyer’s involvement is just one of several systems in place intended to assure both parties that the sale is taking place "by the book". A real estate lawyer provides many services, including the review or preparation of the purchase agreement and negotiation about the terms, determining who should hold the deposit, the preparation of the deed and power of attorney (if needed), dealing with any title issues that the bank attorney may raise, attending the closing and reviewing any documents which the seller is required to sign, escrows, special arrangements to correct the title, and many other functions vital to a successful and stress-free sale process.

Timeshare, though it is still deeded property, is a different case in many respects.

There are a variety of timeshare closing companies available to help close a timeshare sale. These companies are staffed by attorneys, and are capable of handling the entire process from start to finish. Often a timeshare resale company will be able to recommend a closing company to a buyer. A good closing company will be approprately licensed and bonded, and must be capable of handling and preparing deeds, escrow of funds, estoppel certificates, closing statements, and recording fees- all for a flat rate. This means you don’t have to hire your own lawyer to sell your timeshare.

SellMyTimeshareNOW has long-standing relationships with the timeshare closing companies we recommend. Because of these partnerships, we have saved our advertisers untold additional expenses. For more information, you are invited to visit our seller FAQ page.

Timeshares are not traditional real estate. Here are some things to consider when determining the value of your timeshare.

In the public mind, timeshare is often viewed as being no different from traditional real estate. While some similarities exist, a timeshare is a different item altogether.

Many people who have sought a way to sell their timeshare have encountered companies which charge an "appraisal fee" for a real estate broker to appraise the property. Assessed at the beginning of the sale process, this is often a high cost, and usually followed by a commission on the back end of the sale.

These days, many people still feel that a licensed real estate broker is a necessary part of a timeshare resale transaction. For those people, we would like to highlight a few facts:

- It is not necessary for a timeshare property to undergo an appraisal by a licensed real estate broker. If you bought your timeshare from a developer, your property was never appraised. There is no reason to pay for an appraisal now.

-An estimated 50% of the initial cost of a new timeshare property covers the cost of marketing the timeshare; presenations, gifts, and other special incentives are covered by the initial cost. This is why timeshare resales generally cost about 50% of a resort developer’s original asking price.

-In order for a timeshare appraisal to be official, a broker must be licensed in the state where the timeshare is sold, the state where the timeshare actually is located, and the state where the broker’s office is. If a broker cannot meet any of these criteria, this would tend to detract from the value of the appraisal.

-Paying a commission on the back end of a timeshare transaction creates an incentive for a salesperson to inflate the asking price. Because a commission is a percentage of the sale, certain brokers may set the value of a property disproportionately high in order to increase the value of the commission. A timeshare which is not priced competitively is not likely to sell.

From our Seller FAQ page:

"Many brokers and timeshare resellers unethically insist on the buyer paying upfront for appraisals or a comparative market analysis (CMA). You simply do not need an appraisal or CMA to sell a timeshare. It is not traditional real estate. Your timeshare property was not appraised when you purchased it and does not need to be appraised to sell it now. When speaking with timeshare resellers or brokers, if you are told you need an appraisal or CMA, use extreme caution. The bottom line is if you want to be successful in selling your timeshare property, you need to be priced well under what the resort is selling the same unit and week for."

If you are interested in finding out the current market value for your property, SellMyTimeshareNOW offers Market Value Surveys for timeshare resales and rentals. This is a service we provide free of charge because we believe that no-one should ever pay for a timeshare appraisal.

Here you can find some common pitfalls encountered by people who want to buy or sell timeshare, and some resources to use when determining which timeshare resale company is right for you.

In our line of work, it is frequent that we encounter people who have been treated unfairly at various stages of timeshare ownership. Often, the property has already been advertised for months with several online timeshare resale companies, but the seller may get no offers. Some companies charge an up-front fee for their services PLUS a commission on the back end. To increase the commission, sales reps will often inflate the value of the property beyond reasonable market value. What this means is that an overpriced timeshare will languish in an obscure part of the reseller’s website for an indefinite period of time. If it finally sells, a large chunk of the proceeds goes toward the commission. This is a time-consuming, aggravating, and expensive way to sell timeshare.

Other resellers might not charge a commission on the back end of a sales transaction. This sounds good to a prospective seller, but what if a company has no incentive to deliver a fast sale? Unfortunately, many online timeshare resellers are focused on getting a fast buck from each client who signs up. Their business models are oriented toward making a big profit in the short term, with little regard for anything else. Some of these companies really don’t care whether or not a property ever sells! Their only concern is the customer’s money. After the up-front fee has been paid, again we see timeshare properties gathering dust on some webpage that no-one can find.

Worst of all, some companies do not actually exist. A prospective seller will get a call from someone pretending to be a rep from a phony company. When the seller falls for this ruse, the "sales rep" takes the money and disappears.

Naturally, because of the poor treatment they have received at the hands of other companies, at first many of our existing clients were hesitant to enlist our services. These people have learned to take a more cautious approach to the timeshare industry, but at a very high cost- often thousands of dollars!

How can a timeshare owner tell if a resale company will do what it promises?

As with everything else on the internet, the information is available, it is just a question of finding it.

-Any company that is doing business regularly will have a record with the Better Business Bureau. The BBB lists any complaints made against almost every business, so by comparing records, you can quickly determine which company is right for you. Can’t find a company’s record at the BBB site? Either the company is brand-new, or it doesn’t exist. Our Better Business Bureau record is of almost immeasurable value to us because we are determined to be in the timeshare business long-term. We care about our customers because we believe that time will either promote a business, or expose it. Our exemplary customer service ensures that SellMyTimeshareNOW will continue to be a member in good standing of the Better Business Bureau. A company that refuses to provide quality customer service in this highly competitive business will inevitably fail.

-Many companies offer their own traffic statistics documenting the flow of visitors to their sites. While this is admirable, we feel that impartial, third-party traffic statistics give us greater credibility. For this purpose, we use a company called Extreme Tracking. Here can be found detailed information on our traffic. Another third-party resource is Alexa, long considered the standard by which sites are ranked according to traffic. As our company has grown, our Alexa rank indicates that we have constantly been driving more and more traffic to our site, and that in a short time we have become a major player in the timeshare sales industry.

We believe that you should demand proof before you spend money to advertise your timeshare. We are so confident in our ability to achieve success for our clients that we choose to let the facts speak for themselves. Regardless of how you ultimately choose to sell your timeshare, you owe it to yourself to investigate the claims of any company.