What amount can you expect when selling your timeshare? Typically, the benchmark is the price at which they are currently selling at presentations. Assuming your buyer, including those recently offered at presentations or members of your club who already own a timeshare week, your offer should be lower than the equivalent at the presentation. We recommend setting the price a few thousand lower than the presentation price.

But what if sales at the resort have already ceased? Then it's worth looking at timeshare prices in a similar club, with the same level, status, and awards, in the same tourist zone or roughly with a similar list of internal resorts, with similar infrastructure, seasonal frames, and membership fees.

There are factors that can objectively affect the price of a timeshare on the secondary market. They are very similar to the factors affecting property prices:

- the condition of the resort and its infrastructure;

- the size of the annual maintenance and resort management fee;

- the popularity of the region;

- the uniqueness of your offer;

- the number of offers competing with yours.

It's not worth heavily discounting the price. This often arouses inexplicable caution from buyers. People suspect that something is wrong with the membership: debts, deteriorating quality. Even if you write in the comments that you are in dire circumstances and urgently need money, many will feel uncomfortable and will not take advantage of your sad circumstances. It's better to make some special offer in the comments. Write that you are willing to consider counter offers.

Our specialists will help you:

·       evaluate your property,

·       formulate an offer and determine the price,

·       select and edit photos,

·       supplement with description and impressions,

·       translate accurately into English,

·       submit an application,

·       register the offer with an agency,

·       conduct negotiations up to the signing of the contract,

·       track the transfer until you receive the money from the sale.

Is it possible to sell a timeshare privately? - Yes, it's achievable.

Is it difficult to sell a timeshare privately? - Yes, it’s not easy.

In Help Line International we strongly support those who are trying to sell the timeshare privately, without assistance of a third-party - resale agencies.

To facilitate private sales, we offer:

·       Complimentary consultations for timeshare sellers regarding potential obstacles, sales procedures, and ownership membership transfers.

·       Verification of membership status, confirmation of absence of debt on annual membership fees, and verification of absence of encumbrance.

·       Free consultations for potential timeshare buyers regarding club membership rights and obligations, transaction security, subsequent ownership, and ownership transfer specifics.

·       Provision of a comprehensive timeshare purchase and sale agreement for both buyer and seller.

·       Escrow services to ensure secure transfer of title and funds for the timeshare.

·       Full transaction support.

Let's delve into why only a few manage to resell timeshares privately.

Here are the key elements of successful private sales:

1) Finding a potential buyer is the primary challenge. Having a personal connection, such as a relative, friend, or colleague familiar with your enjoyable timeshare experiences, significantly eases this process.

2) Detailed descriptions that highlight the attractiveness of your timeshare are crucial to generating interest among potential buyers.

3) Comprehensive knowledge of both usage and legal aspects of your timeshare is essential to address potential buyer inquiries effectively.

4) Crafting a robust timeshare purchase and sale agreement is necessary, as legal assistance can be costly and may not always be readily available.

5) Ensuring safeguards in the event of deal fallouts is imperative to protect both parties' interests.

6) Managing the ownership transfer process involves understanding transfer procedures, associated costs, and document submission protocols, which can vary between clubs.

Selling privately presents challenges, prompting many sellers to opt for agencies staffed with experienced professionals.

So, if you would like to sell your timeshare privately, we are here to assist you. You should seek a buyer among your close circle of acquaintances with whom you have shared your great timeshare experiences. If you haven't found a buyer among your close friends and relatives, consider looking for one among your acquaintances who travel frequently.

Craft your timeshare story to be engaging and picturesque. Provide a clear explanation of why you are selling your timeshare. We suggest informing the buyer that you own multiple timeshares and are selling one due to reduced holiday usage. Otherwise, the buyer may become confused and seek out agencies online. If your buyer has any questions about timeshare usage, feel free to contact us. We will support your sale, instill confidence in your buyer, and offer to organize their first timeshare holiday, as well as assist with any future holiday arrangements.

If you haven’t found buyers among your distant circle of acquaintances, consider vacationing at your resort. There, you may encounter individuals considering purchasing a timeshare after enjoying a delightful holiday. If you encounter such individuals, offer to sell your timeshare to them privately at a discounted price. Otherwise, they may prefer to purchase from the on-site marketing company or a resale agency that offers more assurances and buyer support.

One of the most challenging aspects is not having all the membership information that a buyer might require. This can raise doubts, potentially deterring them from buying from you. Questions from buyers can be unexpected, such as: What guarantees are there that the club won't unexpectedly fold? Can owners change the management company if dissatisfied? What happens if the resort is damaged by a natural disaster? What is the property assignment procedure for timeshare owners? Who maintains records of timeshare owners, and what occurs if it goes bankrupt? Are timeshare owners liable for guest damage to the apartment? You may not have all the answers, but professional sellers and we do. Assure your buyer that you will provide the necessary information, although this may not always satisfy those seeking immediate responses.

If you cannot find a buyer among relatives, friends, and acquaintances, refrain from openly advertising on the internet or in newspapers. Doing so may make you vulnerable to scammers if you openly publish your contact details.

Another challenging aspect is drafting a purchase and sales agreement that protects both the buyer and seller. We can assist you with this.

You also need to understand the procedure for registering the new owner and transferring membership rights. You can rely on us for transaction support. We will liaise with the management company to confirm the absence of debt, ascertain the requirements and costs of ownership transfer, provide the purchase and sales agreement, assist with escrow services to ensure the secure transfer of membership rights and funds from the buyer to the seller, and oversee the completion of the transaction. Naturally, there is a fee for each service or a package of services, as well as follow-up assistance. It’s up to you to decide which services you want us to provide.

In summary: Selling privately is challenging but feasible.

There are a lot of timeshare resorts in Italy, but not enough.

Following the timeshare boom in Spain, timeshare came to Italy in the early 80s. The timeshare resorts started spreading over the entire Italian coastline, in all ski regions, and close to numerous places of attraction and cultural heritage sites. But that's where the similarities end.

Like any other country new to the timeshare industry, Italian authorities faced the task of describing timeshare legally, creating regulations to ensure control over the industry, and ensuring the safety of buyers and owners of this property.

It was decided to classify timeshare as a type of real estate. As a result, Italian timeshares can be considered one of the most reliable types (you purchase a share of real estate), but at the same time, they are the least flexible and the most complicated in structure.

Traditionally, the founders of timeshare resorts are Italian developers, the resorts are managed by Italian management companies, sales were handled by Italian marketing companies, and they sold mainly to Italians. These timeshares are extremely convenient specifically for Italians, and timeshare resorts have only begun to integrate into the international tourism system in the last 15 years.

Italians traditionally preferred to holiday within their own country. Fortunately, there are endless places to enjoy. Italians bought timeshares mostly to visit their home resort. The peak season weeks of Mid-August and Christmas were extremely popular and sold out first. Having sold out of these peak weeks, resorts had difficulty selling the rest of the year. That’s when the marketing companies turned their attention to holidaymakers from other countries, as their holiday season may differ from Italy's.

Today in Italy, there are 138 timeshare resorts affiliated with the RCI exchange system and 103 resorts affiliated with Interval International.

Timeshare resale in Italy is considered one of the most difficult in Europe. The reason is that even after so many years, there are still no specialized timeshare resale agencies.

Attempts have been made to create online billboards, but without providing assistance with timeshare ownership transfer and negotiation between buyer and seller, they just did not succeed.

Timeshare Resales fall on the shoulders of real estate agencies since timeshare in Italy is a type of real estate. But reselling timeshares through real estate agencies is extremely difficult.

The main reason is that real estate agencies do nothing to promote timeshares and do nothing to attract potential timeshare buyers.

Timeshare advertisements are placed together with holiday home offers, making them almost impossible to find among the numerous real estate listings. There is no way to search only for timeshares, there is no way to segregate them, there is no such option in the search filters.

There is no way a potential buyer could find, for example, all the timeshares available for resale in Sardinia, or in Sicily, or in ski resorts, or in Tuscany like a buyer would normally be looking for.

The buyer is usually looking for timeshares in a specific region. They want to compare offers by price, by the location of the timeshare resort on the map, and by the infrastructure of the resort.

Instead, the buyer should search on the real estate website for the timeshare by exact address. The timeshare ad only describes the apartments themselves and has poor quality photos (of course, can’t imagine somebody making good pictures on holiday of how the bedroom or the kitchen and bathroom looks like, or even less chances of somebody inviting a professional photographer to do this). What is missing in these ads is the most important thing to influence the timeshare sales – there is no description of the timeshare resort infrastructure. A timeshare is valuable over the purchase of the holiday home by having on-site resort amenities such as a large swimming pool, children's pool, a gym, a playground and children’s animation, bars and restaurants, a private beach, free bicycles, horse riding, surfing, storage rooms and drying rooms for ski equipment, ski lifts, spa, tennis courts, golf, and much more. If you deprive the timeshare advertisement of all these attractions and at the same time do not provide a link to the timeshare resort website, then you are left with unattractive photos of walls, beds, kitchens, and a crooked view from the balcony.

But that's not the only problem with selling a timeshare through a real estate agency.

The area is full of small real estate agencies. You would easily find a few in each tiny little town. The chances that your buyer will walk into exactly the agency where you placed your sales offer tend to zero.

And then, all these agencies publish information only in Italian, and in most situations, they don’t even have agents who could communicate with foreigners in any language other than Italian. This means that your offer for sale will remain inaccessible to foreigners who would probably be very happy to buy a timeshare in Tuscany, Sicily, Sardinia, the lakes, or the Dolomites.

What can we recommend to timeshare owners in Italy to achieve the resale of their timeshare?

Owners of Italian timeshares should list them with international timeshare resale agencies which specialize only in selling or renting out timeshares. At this moment the leaders in this area are English agencies, of which we currently highlight Travel & Leisure Group Ltd (https://www.travelandleisuregroup.ru) and Timeshare Online (https://www.timeshareonline.eu/index.php)

The timeshare market in Asia Pacific is considered the youngest. Historically, it was developed and refined for European tourists, who were invited there by European timeshare sellers. One of the pioneers in the region was the Royal Resorts group, which is now part of the Karma Group empire. Founded by an enterprising entrepreneur who climbed the timeshare sales ladder in Tenerife, from a street consultant inviting tourists to presentations to a sales director who invested all his money in a resort in Goa, India, it is now the most well-known group of resorts in the region. These resorts are located in India (Goa, Kerala, Bangalore, Jaipur, in the North), Thailand (Phuket), Indonesia (Bali, Lombok, Java), Australia, as well as in Germany (Bavaria), Italy (Tuscany), the United Kingdom (London, Isles of Sicily, Birmingham), Greece (Crete, Mykonos), and France (Saint-Tropez, Normandy).

After Goa, timeshare resorts appeared in Thailand and almost immediately in Bali. The timeshare industry in Southeast Asia in the late 90s resembled Tenerife in the early 80s, not only in terms of market uncontrol but also because the new market attracted the same players who were pushed out of Europe by the strict legislation introduced at the time. However, the market did not turn wild because local entrepreneurs in these countries actively entered the industry. And as it is known, order is quickly established under such conditions.

One feature of most Asia Pacific resorts is that foreigners cannot own land, and therefore timeshare resorts, by their legal structure, are either limited membership clubs or long-term leases for up to 35 years. Such a shorter form of timeshare has also formed different resale requirements. The point is that many timeshare owners, after active use for 15-20 years, if for various reasons they had to stop using the timeshare, do not spend time selling the remaining 10-12 years of use and simply abandon it or write it off to the resort. Moreover, unlike timeshares that qualify as real estate (in Italy, France, partially in Spain), club membership type does not accumulate multi-year dues and then collects them but simply excludes from membership due to non-payment of one or two membership dues and does not chase after anyone.

This does not apply, of course, to very valuable and expensive Asia Pacific resorts. Memberships such as Marriott, Absolute... Karma, which cost from €15,000 to €20,000 per week on the primary market. They are not abandoned but an effort is made to return some of the money. They are very popular on the secondary market because there are those who really liked these clubs but who are sorry to pay the full price for them.

And here in resales, the same ubiquitous English agencies dominate, among which we highlight as the most successful Travel & Leisure Group Ltd (https://www.travelandleisuregroup.co.uk ) and Timeshare Online (https://www.timeshareonline.eu/index.php ). There was actually no expansion into the Asia Pacific market. The main buyers in the region are the English, Australians, and Europeans, who are fluent in English. When Indians started actively buying timeshares, the situation in the resale market did not change, as English is practically the first language for the middle class in India. There is a high level of trust in English companies in the region. This prevented local timeshare sales agencies from competing. Especially since it is always difficult for young companies to compete with those that have over 20 and 30 years of experience in the market, which have a clear strategy and responsible approach.

But this is also a wonderful opportunity for timeshares from this region to gain access to international buyers worldwide, but primarily to Europeans.

It is also worth noting that timeshares from Southeast Asia are practically not popular in America. This is understandable, for regular travel, Americans choose Florida, California, Mexico, and the Caribbean, where air travel is well established and very cheap. And to the fabulous Bali, Thailand, Goa, and Vietnam, you can go through exchange.

We deliberately put two regions in parentheses in Asia Pacific  - China and Japan, where timeshares are quite developed and popular but which are very closed markets and are aimed both at their compatriots and their own resorts, thereby falling out of the interest of foreign buyers and timeshare owners.

In Conclusion: If you own a timeshare in India, Thailand, Australia, Vietnam, in Bali, etc., it is reasonable to resell it through English agencies, of which we currently highlight Travel & Leisure Group Ltd (https://www.travelandleisuregroup.co.uk ) and Timeshare Online (https://www.timeshareonline.eu/index.php)

Of all the Scandinavian countries, the most active buyers of timeshares are the Finns.

Finland is indeed a unique country when it comes to timeshares.

The timeshare boom in Finland coincided with the economic boom of Finland as a whole and was not related to foreign visitors, as was the case in other countries.

Finnish resort developers, having studied the concept of club vacations, promoted it as domestic tourism and property ownership.

Finnish legislation is unlike any other: Each cottage at the resort is registered as a separate company, which is part of a consortium of companies (club). When you buy a timeshare, you acquire shares and become a shareholder of a separate company, and your rights are securely protected, just like the rights of a shareholder. Your membership fee is a contribution from shareholders to cover the company's expenses. Dividends are received in the form of a week's stay in apartments.

The resort group Holiday Club Finland Oy is the industry leader in timeshares, with high quality standards, covering all the most attractive regions of Finland, Sweden, and Norway, and even expanding to Spain and the Canaries. The company is very prominent. It successfully promoted corporate business at one time. This is when large organizations acquire several weeks of ownership to provide vacations for their employees.

Finnish timeshare business is characterized by such clarity and transparency that in 2010, the Finnish government bought the company Holiday Club Finland Oy as a highly profitable enterprise.

What could give an even higher rating of reliability and quality to the timeshare market than the participation of the state itself as an investor?

However, this event radically changed the strategy of Holiday Club Finland Oy. The project in St. Petersburg and several other countries was shut down because the Finnish government logically decided that it was better to attract neighbors to purchase property in Finland, thereby developing its regions, ensuring the influx of foreign funds, and enjoying taxes in its treasury, rather than boosting the economy of other states.

Thus, the Saimaa project near the Russian border developed, where one of the main developers became Holiday Club Finland Oy.

What about the resale market?

It is very weak and very Finnish. Finns primarily buy timeshares in Finland and also in the Canary Islands, at resorts traditionally cooperating with the Scandinavian market.

Residents of Scandinavia have a special taste. They prefer modern eclecticism. Resorts satisfying the tastes of the British, Spaniards, and Eastern Europeans are rarely to their liking.

Holiday Club Finland Oy and several Finnish resorts resell their timeshares through their own sales structures. However, it is possible to sell at a price of only 60% of the resort's rates. Your week will be added to the list of offers seen by all consultants, and if it is in demand, it will be sold fairly quickly. There is also an additional price list of the resort used for the exchange of others' timeshares. To get your offer on this list, you must be willing to give up your timeshare for only 40%.

Not much? We agree with you. But it is reliable and hassle-free and does not require advance payment of fees or advertising costs.

This is very beneficial for the resort, which keeps prices high.

Another way to resell a Finnish timeshare is to contact a real estate agency. It should be noted that in Finland, mostly small local agencies operate, offering real estate and, accordingly, timeshares "in the area." There are several such agencies in every small town, and you need to sign an exclusive contract with them.

In general, the chance that your potential buyer will visit this particular agency is more elusive than real. The exception is the sale of a timeshare at the Holiday Club Katinkulta, where in the town of Vuokatti you will have a chance to sell the timeshare of this club through a real estate agency due to the extreme popularity of the club and this tourist region.

What about those whose timeshares are not in Finland?

They turn to international agencies such as Travel & Leisure Group Ltd. (https://www.travelandleisuregroup.co.uk ) and Timeshare Online (https://www.timeshareonline.eu/index.php ), Confused About Timeshare Ltd., World Wide Timeshare Hypermarket, and others with a unified database across Europe and a multilingual call center or network of national branches, and most importantly, with a bright, attractive, and information-filled website.

Those who are dissatisfied with the low prices described above also turn there.

Travel & Leisure Group Ltd. has had a Scandinavian department since 2001, which at some point accounted for as much as 50% of all sales. Even though most Finns and Swedes are fluent in English, communicating in their native language is always easier.

In summary: The Finnish market is very narrow even for those with Finnish timeshares, and its prices are beneficial for buyers rather than sellers. If Finns themselves turn to English resale agencies, there is no need to create difficulties for yourself out of nowhere. Then you would have to translate the contract from Finnish to Russian in such a delicate situation. Well, you wouldn't sign a contract when not everything is necessarily in your favor.

For a long time, it didn't occur to marketing companies that Spanish timeshares might interest Spaniards. They sought buyers for Spanish resorts in England, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and even Italy. Unexpectedly, 15-17 years ago, Spaniards became active timeshare buyers. They were invited to presentations, and Spanish sellers representing resorts emerged.

As a result, all resale companies opened offices on the Costa del Sol coast. But hopes for Spanish buyers in the resale market didn't materialize. Spaniards continued buying timeshares only at presentations.

On one hand, Spanish offices had many clients who visited rather than called. This was crucial because face-to-face conversations took twice or even three times longer than phone calls. Most were families who had just signed timeshare contracts at presentations and deposited money. They came to clarify and check if their purchase was too expensive. Even when offered better buying conditions significantly cheaper than at presentations, they needed to return to the club where they bought at presentations to cancel the contract and get their money back. There, they were convinced that buying from the resale market wouldn't give them additional benefits like contractually promised free weeks, flight vouchers, free 3-year RCI membership cards, plus the reassignment took a lot of time. Plus, all the extra worries and hassle, etc.

At some point, resorts learned to assert their rights to deal with customers in 80%-90% of cases. Many resale agencies closed within a year or two of struggling. Some large companies like Travel & Leisure Group Ltd. and World Wide Timeshare Hypermarket Ltd. continue to support these low-profit, less effective resale departments in Spain.

At the same time, in recent years, this niche in Spain has been filled by suspicious or blatantly fraudulent companies offering different resale conditions supposedly from Spanish companies on Spanish territory. Every year, a significant number of these companies are caught by Spanish law enforcement agencies, but after a while, new ones appear with slightly modified conditions for customers and a mandatory guarantee of quick and effective resale. The peak of attacks on Russian timeshare owners by Spanish fraudulent companies was from 2008 to 2016 when several major resorts couldn't protect access to their customer databases. As a result, club members, even those who had never been interested in selling, received letters and calls from Spain with very "chocolate" conditions. If you have been a victim of such scammers in the past, they may already be under investigation today. Please contact law enforcement for information or seek assistance from specialists (that's us).

Spaniards today mostly choose large international agencies such as Travel & Leisure Group Ltd. (https://www.travelandleisuregroup.co.uk ) and Timeshare Online (https://www.timeshareonline.eu/index.php ), Confused About Timeshare Ltd., World Wide Timeshare Hypermarket, etc., with a unified database across Europe and a language call center or network of national branches, and above all with a bright attractive and information-rich website.

In conclusion: We do not recommend wasting time contacting Spanish agencies because at best, you will end up as a customer of a regional branch of a large international company, complicating your relationship with the agency with the Spanish language. At worst, you may fall victim to scammers or one-day companies.

In the previous article about resale markets in different countries, we provided detailed insights into the market. As of today, according to specialists, British agencies are considered the most reliable and effective for selling European timeshares. Let's discuss why.

Let's start with historical background. The UK is the birthplace of timeshare in Europe. After its successful launch in America, timeshare sellers became interested in the old continent, particularly in the UK, which shares much with the US besides language. The first British resorts emerged one after another based on historic estates, aiming to attract both patriotic Britons and Americans fond of antiquity.

The concept of holiday property ownership required swift development of legislation regulating relationships between buyers and sellers, as well as between club members and resort founders and management companies.

While the emergence of timeshare resorts and the primary timeshare market progressed rapidly, the secondary timeshare market developed gradually, experiencing trial and error in various forms (from presentations to home visits by agents). Over the years, common rules of the secondary market have remained largely unchanged, as the most effective advertising and sales methods were established.

The activity of timeshare resale agencies in England is governed by the strictest timeshare legislation in Europe. Despite the controversial reputation of timeshare in the UK, with criticism of sales pressure and aggressive techniques during presentations, as well as historical bankruptcies and fraud before legislation was introduced, Britons continue to be the most active timeshare buyers.

This is partly due to the UK's financial policy supporting pensioners in buying second homes (including fractional ownership, a type of timeshare), and the climate encouraging Britons to holiday in Spain, Portugal, Malta, Cyprus, Morocco, etc., with budget airlines making these trips accessible. Additionally, beyond media horror stories, every Briton knows several families who own and enjoy timeshares, contributing to its normalization.

But most importantly, the UK boasts the most effective and stringent timeshare legislation today, protecting buyers' and club owners' interests and regulating companies' behavior in the market. Thus, acquiring a timeshare in the UK is the most reliable and secure option.

Experience and knowledge have accumulated in the country. Besides small companies that appear and are absorbed periodically, three major players operate in the market:

The most notable figure in the resale market is Travel & Leisure Group Ltd (https://www.travelandleisuregroup.co.uk), known to us due to our partnership since 1997. Travel & Leisure Group Ltd or Travel & Leisure Advisory Services (TALAS). Once upon a time, RCI and II allowed advertisements in their magazines, and Travel & Leisure Group Ltd featured in every issue. Therefore, older sellers and buyers tend to choose them. Travel & Leisure Group Ltd's methods may seem traditional, but they yield results. To this day, Travel & Leisure Group Ltd advertises in newspapers, both international and local editions. They also advertise extensively in the in-flight magazines of airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet, targeting individual tourists, often families, who search the internet for the best deals. Another interesting strategy is their stand at the largest London exhibition center with high traffic, offering attractive deals not only for purchasing but also renting apartment weeks. Travel & Leisure Group Ltd is also the official partner of prestigious European groups like Club La Costa, Marriott Vacation Club, Diamond Resort, etc. This endorsement by the clubs directs clients, not only sellers but also buyers interested in buying weeks in their own club, towards Travel & Leisure Group Ltd.

The second interesting participant in the secondary market is World Wide Timeshare Hypermarket Travel & Leisure Group Ltd. At one point, Hypermarket even rivaled Travel & Leisure, for example, sponsoring shows about timeshare on a tourist satellite channel. However, Hypermarket eventually lost its priority position and now ranks third among agencies. In reality, it has ceded its ground to young, enterprising competitors like Confused About Timeshare Ltd. It may be conditionally called young; the agency has been in business for over 15 years, and its founder has worked in timeshare for over 25 years. However, this agency pursues an ultra-modern advertising policy, utilizing all online advertising and social media opportunities. Consequently, their audience is significantly younger than Travel & Leisure's. These are families and travelers who independently book their vacations online and use search engines for any purpose.

In conclusion, if you want to reach the widest audience of buyers, in our opinion, the most advantageous approach would be to choose Travel & Leisure Group Ltd (https://www.travelandleisuregroup.co.uk ) and Timeshare Online (https://www.timeshareonline.eu/index.php ). These are the agencies we would like to draw your attention to because, based on our experience, other players in this market significantly lag behind in efficiency or prevalence.

With this article, we begin a series of articles about market differences and national timeshare resale agencies.

The American and European timeshare markets are fundamentally different. Fundamentally because they have serious legislative differences, marketing differs too much, and the actions of buyers themselves vary.

American buyers primarily purchase timeshares in resorts located in USA, the Caribbean region, Mexico, and other South American countries. The most popular are timeshares in the Hawaiian Islands, the lake district of Utah, the area of numerous amusement parks in Orlando, and the tip of Florida Keys and in California. And, of course, there are well-known hotel groups that have their own timeshare complexes – Marriott, Hilton, Melia, Ritz Carlton, and others.

If the timeshare you want to sell is located in USA (South, North, Central, and in the Caribbean), it's worth considering the American market for resale.

- Do Americans really not buy timeshares in Europe?

- They do. But, of course, not as much as on their own continent. Americans purchase timeshares exclusively if they are in the region where their roots are, to visit distant relatives or not lose their roots. For this, they choose timeshares in ancient English estates, French castles, Tuscan and Ligurian villas. Only such exclusivity can justify the purchase of cramped apartments by American standards.

American apartments are almost twice the size by standards compared to European ones. Also, it should be noted that exchanging (intercontinental) a European timeshare for an American one will always cost twice as much, and if an American family does not plan to holiday in Europe annually, it is still preferable for them to own an American timeshare. For a complete picture, add extremely cheap domestic flights in USA and their diverse geography.

American (including Canadian) agencies are very similar to real estate agencies; for their work, they must obtain a real estate sales license, which requires mandatory education – the course is quite expensive and lengthy, the exams are serious, but the responsibility of the agencies is high financially.

There are agencies that, like in real estate, do not take upfront payments, but they also do not advertise timeshares. In this case, the buyer is someone living nearby or someone who knows this agency, who is more interested just in case if they have timeshares for sale. Most often, they offer secondary weeks of resorts located nearby. Their already small number of sales decreases annually because buyers go to global internet resources.

Most agencies take money upfront for advertising, as well as a percentage of the sale. In some cases, they also sign an exclusive contract. The cost of advertising is two to three times higher than European prices. This doesn't bother Americans, who are used to paying high fees to specialists.

Americans set prices on average 25%-30% lower than primary market prices. Americans don't need to be explained that the secondary market is lower than the primary one and that it's impossible to sell for the same amount as bought, unless at least 30 years have passed of "inflations-devaluations-tourist booms of the region," etc. High prices on the secondary market are rare – it's usually an overconfident owner who considers their timeshare extremely exclusive. This won't take them far. The prices listed on the website and in price lists do not include agency fees of 5%-10%, as well as expenses for checking and re-registering the timeshare and taxes.

Also, don't forget that although tens of thousands of timeshares are sold and bought annually in the USA, the number of timeshares listed for sale is many times higher. Among them are not very popular resorts and at extremely low prices.

We actively cooperate with American companies when buyers approach us for famous resorts on American continents and also carefully monitor changes in this market.

Let's summarize: the timeshare that can be sold on the American market is primarily a timeshare of an American resort in a popular tourist area. If you want to sell a timeshare in Tenerife or Costa del Sol, taking it to America is a waste of money and time. There's plenty of similar properties there, but more modern and more comfortable.

We are often asked when is the best time to sell a timeshare, whether there is seasonality in sales, and when are the best chances. We have been tracking international timeshare resale markets for over 20 years and have certainly noticed certain patterns.

Traditionally, the most successful months for timeshare sales have been and remain the winter months, with December leading the pack. Year after year, December sees the highest number of timeshare purchase agreements. There are several reasons for this.

December is the time for gifts, and frequent buyers are family members purchasing timeshares for their children and loved ones. These are often happy timeshare owners who select timeshares in the same club or at the same time they already own.

The second active group of buyers are those who have encountered problems with tour operators or found independently booked accommodation too expensive and have decided to take charge of their future vacations. These buyers are more complex, they take longer to consider options and consult before making a decision, but they tend to make more expensive purchases.

The third category is corporate buyers or organizations. At the end of the year, some organizations seek to reward their employees with vacations, and timeshares are very convenient for this purpose, as the employee can choose where and when to go during the year. In some European countries, companies receive tax benefits for organizing employee vacations, making it doubly advantageous to purchase timeshares before the end of the calendar year for tax reasons. Organizations typically purchase blocks of 6-20 weeks of timeshares at various resorts in different regions or within the same resort group in different countries. It takes some time to form a block, and prices have to be reduced to fit within a certain budget.

The next surge in purchases is closer to the Easter holidays, when Europeans again encounter extremely high prices for hotel and apartment stays and start thinking about how to save without sacrificing quality. These buyers have attended presentations but for some reason did not buy, although they liked the timeshare concept. Often they did not like the pushiness of the consultant. These buyers are looking for timeshares 30%-50% cheaper than at presentations, but still stick to a presentation budget. They are negotiable. These are traditional buyers from March to early August.

But there are new trends that are fundamentally changing the market rules. These are primarily buyers who during the presentation, "under the table on their smartphone," find resale agencies to compare prices. This is not just a trend of the last five to seven years, it is gaining momentum. There are known cases where a buyer, without leaving the presentation, negotiates with a resort representative and a resale agency employee online.

Why do these buyers have such a strong influence on the resale market today? Because they buy not during holidays or trips, but when they are being sold timeshares at the resort. And as you know, many resorts hold presentations year-round. This means that your buyer can show up at any time.

And finally. Until recently, October was a quiet month in the resale market. But the last 2-3 years have changed that too. October buyers are those who have received an extremely high bill for timeshare payment, are dissatisfied, and would like to switch to another resort where the membership fee will be lower or the timeshare usage will be more profitable. Often these buyers purchase not 1-2 weeks of timeshares, but 3-4. But they also meticulously review resorts and ask a lot of questions.

If you want to find out when timeshares are sold more actively, specifically for your resort, week number, or apartment size, ask this question directly to our specialists +39 306 588 188 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Is it possible to List Timeshare for Resale with More than One Agency at the Same time?

Certainly, it's possible! In fact, it's advisable if your goal is to accelerate the sale.

Typically, we select one agency based solely on financial considerations. But if budget permits or if there's no fee for listing with multiple agencies, it's smart to list with several and see who sells fastest.

How many agencies can you list with simultaneously?

There are no restrictions, but exercise prudence.

Decide which agencies to engage: international or national?

Recently, we published a series analyzing the timeshare resale market in the USA, UK, Italy, Spain, Finland, and Southeast Asia. Among these, only agencies in the USA and England can be considered international.

Another criterion is the reach of potential clients. It's unwise to list with multiple agencies that use the same resources to generate buyers. For example, clubs recommend their members use Travel & Leisure Group Ltd, Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket, or Confused About Timeshare Ltd. As for agencies leading in digital technology, there's Timeshare Online and Confused About Timeshare Ltd. So, it's best to exclude Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket from your selection since you won't find unique clients there. Instead, allocate your budget to Travel & Leisure Group Ltd and Timeshare Online. You may also consider adding Confused About Timeshare Ltd if you want to expand your reach by 15-20%.

Why are there no exclusive contracts with agencies?

Exclusive contracts did exist in the past, but they were harshly criticized by the European timeshare community 25 years ago. Under community pressure, European agencies removed exclusivity clauses from their contracts.

What is the agencies' position on listing with multiple companies?

Agencies aren't thrilled when you list with them and their competitors.

Primarily, they're concerned about potential price undercutting. If a buyer sees the same offer at multiple agencies, they'll buy where it's cheapest. Agencies don't want to engage in a price war that reduces their commissions. Secondly, there's a technical concern: when an agency negotiates with a buyer, and the buyer sells their timeshare through another agency in the meantime, it's frustrating for the first agency. They'd prefer exclusivity.

However, when there are few sellers, particularly of luxury timeshares, agencies become interested in having a seller who has listed elsewhere give them a chance to offer it to their buyers.

In the battle for sellers of popular or luxury timeshares, and to avoid price undercutting and buyer wars among agencies, a clever maneuver has been devised. Major resale players agreed to refund the listing fee to the seller if they sell through another agency at the same or higher price, provided that agency is a member of the European association. This condition achieves several goals:

- Attracts sellers who have listed with one agency to list with two or three.

- Balances sales chances and prevents price wars.

- Combats smaller non-association competitors engaging in borderline fraudulent operations.

Over the years, only one company has retained this agreement (refund of the listing fee if sold through another RDO-member agency at the same or higher price): Travel & Leisure Group Ltd. They also offer a refund of the listing fee if you sell, making their terms financially attractive.

Why are some agency contracts limited by time and sales to other agencies?

If an agency proposes an exclusive contract for a certain period, it implies a guarantee of sale within that specific timeframe. However, it's understood that such a guarantee is entirely irresponsible! Selling a timeshare is even more complex than selling real estate: you can't be certain that there will always be a buyer for every offer. Unpredictable circumstances, where property in an extremely popular location doesn't sell despite a very low price, are all too common. Moreover, controlling compliance with the client's exclusive selling rights is practically impossible.

How and who can verify if I'm selling timeshares through multiple companies?

No one can! Therefore, there's no point in having a clause about exclusive sales conditions through a specific agency. Unless the seller himself reveals that they've listed elsewhere, it's impossible to find out. Guessing if an advertised listing on a website is yours is also impossible. Only the agency and you know the application number. Characteristics published online cannot definitively identify your timeshare, especially since hundreds of other families may own properties with the same number of points in the club. The same applies to owners of floating weeks in floating apartments. Even if you're selling fixed weeks, the agency publishes only week numbers, not apartment numbers, meaning it could belong to any of the 50 or 200 other owners of similar weeks but in different apartments.

What happens if I breach the exclusive contract and sell through another agency?

Assuming that nobody besides you and another agency knows about your sale through another agency, and considering that only you, the agency, the club, and the registrar (notary or trustee) are aware of the sale, and none of these parties can disclose this confidential information under strict European laws, then your breach won't be known to the first agency and cannot be subject to any sanctions. That's precisely why all reputable agencies have abandoned this pointless requirement, as it's impossible to monitor its compliance. Besides, you can change your mind about selling at any time or transfer the timeshare to your relatives or friends, so no one can demand that you sell.

What if I find a buyer myself while my timeshare is listed with an agency?

You won't face any consequences for this! Based on careful analysis of all available resale contracts, we can confidently say that there's only one situation in which an agency may demand compensation for incurred losses. This situation arises when the agency finds a buyer for your timeshare, negotiates all final details with you, the buyer pays a deposit, and you and the buyer sign sales contracts. If you then suddenly refuse to sell or sell to another party, you may be required to pay expenses ranging from £250 to £550, but only if such an obligation is included in the timeshare sales contract.

How does the club feel about me wanting to sell my membership?

Your desire to sell the timeshare in the club is viewed neutrally. Concerns may arise only if you're selling under certain circumstances. If it's due to financial difficulties, the club may be concerned that you won't be able to pay your annual membership fee. Also, in very old clubs, there's a rare tradition of posting your timeshare sale offer on the club's notice board upon your request. This is a very small chance, especially for owners of fixed weeks, that another family of owners or vacationers at the resort will see it and want to contact you. Therefore, we still recommend not wasting time and instead turning to specialized agencies. We recommend: Travel & Leisure Group Ltd (https://www.travelandleisuregroup.co.uk ) and Timeshare Online (https://www.timeshareonline.eu/index.php )