Timeshare

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!*

Tips for Selling Timeshare

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.

In foreign countries, laws regulating timeshare resorts, timeshare sales and other real estate purchases can be very different from US laws.

Recently, I read an article about timeshare owners who were pressured into buying timeshare from  timeshare resorts in Mexico. They wanted to buy a timeshare for the sole purpose of renting it out. However, not only did the contract they signed specifically forbid them from renting the property, the rental company that they were referred to did nothing to help them rent this timeshare. Though the terms of this agreement seem self-contradictory, many people each year are, in effect, scammed at timeshare resorts by unethical timeshare salespeople using similar ploys.

Laws pertaining to the regulation of real estate (including timeshares) differ drastically in all parts of the globe, and this can create leverage for dubious timeshare sales agents to exploit. For example, in the UK, the cooling-off period (a period of time during which a timeshare transaction can be cancelled for a full refund after it is completed) is ten days. In Mexico, it is five days. Recognizing this, the US State Department warns potential timeshare buyers not to sign a contract which penalizes the buyer for canceling the timeshare sale within five days.

In addition to carefully reading through any agreements, people who buy timeshare directly from a resort should familiarize themselves with local laws that may affect the terms of sale. For instance, Mexican law prohibits the ownership of property by foreigners within 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) of any border, or within 50 kilometers (about 31 miles) of a coastline. Typically a Mexican bank holds the property in trust, and a trust beneficiary enjoys the rights of ownership. This is why rental timeshares and right-to-use agreements are the predominant ways in which Americans enjoy Mexico timeshares. This is not to say that anyone who wishes to use timeshare in Mexico will undoubtedly undergo a bad experience; rather, it is more accurate to suggest that anyone looking to buy timeshare in a foreign country should pursue as much research as possible before entering into an agreement.

In regard to the article under discussion, I am inclined to wonder if things would have turned out quite differently for the timeshare owners, had they investigated their options in the timeshare resale market. Before they were approached by the resort developer’s sales team, they may have been pleased to find out that they did have the option to buy a resale timeshare directly from a timeshare owner, saving a considerable amount of time, money and hassle in the long run. Local regulations aside, even after they were duped into buying this property, they might have discovered that a reputable online timeshare reseller could have given them a chance to rent this property (like they intended to do from the beginning) or resell the timeshare outright. Sadly, as events unfolded, they became the latest in a long line of timeshare buyers badly treated by the resort industry.

If you are thinking of entering the timeshare market, please consider SellMyTimeshareNOW. We are committed to providing quality service and a high degree of marketing visibility to our advertisers.

Buying timeshare resales is a smart alternative to buying timeshare directly from a developer.

The timeshare resale industry, though maligned by the misdeeds of many timeshare resale companies, has allowed many people the opportunity to experience the benefits of owning timeshare while paying far less than the original asking price of the property. If you are working with an honest and reliable timeshare resale company, a world of vacation possibilities is at your fingertips.

In earlier posts, I detailed some of the pitfalls encountered by people buying and selling timeshares online, and some ways to tell if your timeshare resale company can deliver what it promises. Because of rampant fraud, the timeshare industry has suffered bad press. In particular, the portion of the industry devoted to timeshare resales has lost a great deal of credibility. It seems that half the sites out there are trying to defraud people of their money, their timeshares, or both.

Fortunately, with major hotel chains investing in lucrative timeshare developments, the timeshare world has been infused with a healthy dose of respectability. Marriott, Hilton, and other giants of the hospitality industry have brought about a significant paradigm shift, causing a renewed interest in the concept of timeshare. Resort developers, in order to compete in a business climate dominated by established hotel brands, have de-emphasized making a fast buck in favor of actually providing the quality service and luxury amenities that the timeshare-owning public demands. By giving timeshare owners what they want, large resort development companies have seen record gains in recent years.

Though it is true that the entire industry has been affected by these changes, the resale side of the timeshare industry has been the slowest to respond. While companies who plan for long-term success have set new standards for the resale community, there still exist unscrupulous timeshare resellers whose only concern is collecting the fees they charge. However, since the advent of the internet, consumers have become more aware, more canny about who they are willing to do business with. Using online resources like the Better Business Bureau is the best way to determine whether any online business can deliver on its promises.

Once you are satisfied that a timeshare resale company is honest as well as effective, an impressive array of vacation possibilities is at your disposal. However, the real beauty of resale timeshares lies in their cost-effectiveness.

Timeshare resort properties produce large profits, but consumers aren’t easily sold. Consequently, roughly half the cost of each new timeshare covers the cost of marketing the property. For example, a brand-new 200-unit resort development would earn $153,000,000. Shockingly, about $76,000,000 of these earnings is spent on sales commissions and enticements for people to sit through lengthy timeshare sales presentations.

• One person out of every 200 responds to telemarketing and direct mail campaigns advertising new timeshares.
• The expense of free gifts such as hotel bills, meals and theme park tickets (to lure prospective timeshare buyers into one of those infamous sales presentations): $200.00 – $500.00 for each attendee.
• People whose sole reason for enduring a timeshare sales pitch is to receive the free gifts (such people are sometimes referred to by the unflattering term of “professional mooch” by certain unsavory characters in the timeshare resort industry): 1 out of every 4.
• 1 out of every 10 people who are in attendance at a timeshare sales presentation actually buy the property.

It is easy to see why buying a new timeshare directly from a resort developer is so pricey. However, on average, buying a timeshare resale week from an owner costs $5,000, in contrast to the $14,800 asking price of a resort developer. You pay almost 1/3 of the original price of the timeshare property!

Timeshare resales are available all over the world, often costing a small fraction of a developer’s original price. Whether you’re looking to buy, rent, or sell timeshare, SellMyTimeshareNOW can help you.

For those with a taste for the unusual, timeshare houseboats are available at a variety of destinations all over the world.

Timeshare vacations are not only limited to huge resort complexes. Some timeshare owners prefer to spend their week aboard a luxuriously appointed houseboat. With amenities similar to those found in traditional vacation condominium properties, a houseboat could be just the thing if you’re seeking an alternative to an “ordinary” vacation.

Timeshare owners are accustomed to two options: either spending their week in a vacation villa, or in a large resort complex hemmed in on all sides by more or less identical units. Sure, there are a few timeshare developers that offer a truly different vacation option, but for the most part, a timeshare owner has to choose between a villa and a condo. Granted, these properties are all located in the most desirable vacation destinations in the world, and these properties come fully loaded with all the finest amenities, but the fact still lingers. Isn’t the whole point of owning timeshare to get away from it all? What about the concept of flexibility, one of the major selling points behind any timeshare property? Timeshare owners who are looking for a truly unique experience on their next vacation are often hard-pressed to come up with a fresh alternative.

Fortunately, there is a solution. One of the most interesting developments in the world of timeshare is the concept of timeshare houseboats. Timeshare owners are often able to exchange their banked time (or points) for a week aboard a luxurious houseboat. Below are several options for vacation houseboat rental:

• Alvecote Marina, in Straffordshire, England offers houseboat lodging deep in the heart of the English countryside. They offer either stationary “Canaltime” houseboats, or, for more active timeshare owners of a nautical bent, there are “Narrowboats” available. In a Narrowboat, it is possible to take a leisurely cruise through the waterways of central England, stopping at Leicester, Birmingham, Nottingham, or several other destinations. Each boat is fully equipped with fresh linens, kitchen facilities, and all the amenities one would expect from a luxury condo rental.
• Stigler, Oklahoma is home to the Royal Host Club on Lake Eufala, which offers timeshare aboard high-end houseboats. These boats can have up to four bedrooms, and are fully modern craft which boast air conditioning and fully-equipped kitchens among their amenities. Sportfishing, canoeing, swimming, and hunting are just some of the reasons why people choose to buy timeshare on Lake Eufala.
• Sometimes, it is possible to buy timeshare aboard a Turkish gulet. A gulet is a wooden-hulled boat, averaging between 70-80 feet in length, and usually staffed by a crew of four. One can expect 4-6 private cabins belowdecks, and a galley where delicious food is served daily. These beautiful yachts ply the waters of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Often, a cruise will stop at a number of picturesque sites of historical interest on the Turkish mainland or outlying islands.

Houseboat timeshares are sometimes hard to find, but they are available on the timeshare resale or rental market. For those seeking an out-of-the-ordinary vacation, a timeshare houseboat may prove to be the answer. SellMyTimeshareNOW offers an inventory of houseboat timeshares for sale or rent in addition to our standard inventory of timeshare resales and rentals.