Timeshare resale agencies are independent entities that aim to profit from facilitating transactions between timeshare owners, typically private individuals, and potential buyers. Their operations closely resemble those of real estate agencies, with one key difference: they do not arrange viewings of the properties for buyers. This is because potential buyers usually have prior experience with the resort in question or already own a week or points there. These resale agencies do not conduct presentations or employ primary sales techniques; instead, they work exclusively with buyers who are already familiar with the timeshare system. After receiving a request from a potential seller and agreeing on the terms of sale, they add the listing to their portfolio and seek to attract buyers through various media outlets, including newspapers, magazines, the internet, and television. A contemporary trend involves the creation of Timeshare Online Stores and participation in travel television channels.

A resale agency may offer services for the transfer of timeshare ownership (certificates) with the relevant authorities or simply introduce the seller to the buyer.

Why Are Resale Agencies Necessary?

The need for specialised timeshare resale agencies arises from the unique marketing strategies required to attract potential buyers, their specific knowledge of various types of timeshares, and the intricacies of transferring property rights. Beyond facilitating the sale and ensuring guarantees for both parties, these agencies provide valuable advice on pricing, develop strategic marketing plans, and ensure compliance with legal requirements, thereby ensuring a smooth sales process.

Can Agencies Increase the Value of Your Timeshare?

A timeshare sales consultant possesses the expertise to effectively showcase the value of your timeshare to potential buyers. Drawing on their experience, they set competitive prices that reflect current market trends. They employ targeted marketing strategies to attract the right audience, increasing the likelihood of securing a higher sale price. Their negotiation skills are akin to those of chess players, always planning several moves ahead to maximise the final outcome, as reflected in the value of your timeshare.

Are Down Payments Necessary When Selling a Timeshare?

Quite the opposite. Under no circumstances should you pay a down payment or partial commission to a sales agency. Reputable, long-established agencies that adhere to industry standards do not request any upfront payments or commissions. These agencies operate on commission, which they earn from the buyer upon completion of the sale. This is standard practice, much like in the real estate industry.

Do I Need to Gather Any Documents or Кeferences to Sell Through an Agency?

No specific references are required to list your timeshare for sale. What you need to provide is accurate information about your property (such as the club you own with, the type of timeshare—fixed or floating—details of the property, season or membership category, apartment size, or the number of points). Your timeshare must be active, and at the time of sale, there should be no outstanding debts associated with it, or the terms for their repayment should be agreed upon. These conditions can be negotiated once a serious buyer is found. Additionally, proof of payment for bills is not necessary when listing your timeshare for sale, as any unpaid bills may arise during the sale process. If you have lost the original documents, there are mechanisms in place for verifying and re-registering ownership using a specialised document package available at each club.

What Expenses Does the Timeshare Seller Incur?

The only expense a timeshare seller typically incurs is the cost of advertising. This fee allows the property to be included in the agency’s marketing campaign and promoted alongside other timeshares through all available professional channels. Advertising costs often include the placement of a live online advertisement for your offer on the agency’s website for a set period. Some agencies also allow for personalised ads, where you can share your own engaging story about the resort or the trips you’ve taken using your timeshare, or even include your own photos of the resort or apartment.

How Transparent Is the Transaction Process?

The timeshare sales process should be fully transparent. Specialised agencies offer a straightforward process, guiding you through every step with the precision of an experienced navigator. From the initial listing to the final signature, they provide comprehensive support to sellers. Their meticulous handling of the transaction, adherence to resort requirements, and compliance with government regulations ensure a safe and transparent sale. With complete transparency, you can confidently monitor the sale of your timeshare, knowing that every detail is carefully managed.

How to Choose an Agency for Selling?

Use your intuition and common sense when choosing an agency. Opt for a large, international agency with a strong reputation and high rankings in search engines, as the internet is now one of the most important tools for generating potential buyers. You might also consider a recommendation from your resort. Resorts often know which agencies handle the re-registration of ownership documents efficiently, which is a key indicator of successful sales. If a resort receives complaints from its timeshare owners about a particular agency, it is unlikely to recommend them, as the resort has no commercial interest in doing so and is primarily focused on satisfying the needs of its club members. In the timeshare resale sector, partnering with industry leaders can significantly improve your chances of a successful sale. If your resort has a preferred agency partner, it’s worth considering their services. Listing with an agency that has established relationships with leading resorts and companies offers numerous benefits for both buyers and sellers. These connections enable swift resolution of any queries or details crucial to a potential buyer's decision-making process. Additionally, the well-established relationships between the agency’s administrative and legal teams and the resort are invaluable for conducting the sale and transferring the timeshare ownership securely and legally.

What Benefits Does Buying Through an Agency Offer to the Buyer?

For a buyer looking to purchase a timeshare, navigating the resale market with a professional agent is the safest and most efficient approach. Agencies protect buyers from misrepresentation and hidden fees, and they provide a comprehensive overview of ownership options, from flexible points programs to affordable freehold weeks. Purchasing a timeshare through an agent ensures that buyers have all the necessary information to make an informed decision, leading to greater satisfaction with their timeshare ownership.

Finding the perfect timeshare can sometimes be a lengthy process due to the vast number of listings online that need to be sifted through. However, with a professional agent by your side, you gain access to additional, unpublished listings. Resale agencies maintain extensive databases of sellers with timeshares that are not currently publicly listed. By communicating your requirements to an agent, they can tap into this internal database, using finely-tuned filters to connect you with sellers offering your ideal property.

Timeshare resale agents and consultants have a deep understanding of the various categories of timeshare properties and points systems, as well as different ownership options. Timeshare ownership is more than just acquiring real estate; it’s about fulfilling holiday dreams. Understanding the nuances of using property or points is crucial to maximising the value of your investment. These specialists can explain how to utilise points effectively, offering flexibility in choosing destinations and accommodations. They guide you through the sea of options, from peak season availability to the ability to accumulate weeks and points for future adventures. With their expertise, you can select a timeshare system that best aligns with your travel preferences, providing an inspiring holiday ownership experience.

Buying a timeshare is an investment in future holidays, and making an informed decision is essential. Specialists can help compare the long-term value of timeshare ownership with traditional holiday expenses, ensuring that the purchase aligns with your specific financial and lifestyle goals. With their guidance, you can finalise a deal that not only fits within your budget but also enriches your life with countless holiday memories—this is what characterises a truly successful timeshare purchase.

Lastly, all the transparency and reliability discussed for sellers apply equally to buyers, who also require protection for their financial and legal interests—something that can only be guaranteed by purchasing through a specialised agency

Help Line International has been in business for over 25 years. It was originally created to assist timeshare buyers and owners to solve any problems related to their timeshare ownership.

In 1996, the company opened its first office in St. Petersburg to help the local residents and residents of the Leningrad region, but due to our cooperation with such international companies like RCI, Interval International, Travel & Leisure Group, Club La Costa, Nexus Leisure; RMI, Costafield Management, Heritage Resorts International, and others, we were contacted for the assistance by clients living in other cities of Russia, such as Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, as well as from small cities from all over the country up to Far East.

In 1999, we opened an office in Moscow for the convenience of moscovites and visitors to the capital and to provide valuable personal timeshare consultations.

By that time, we also had many clients from Ukraine and Kazakhstan, and we planned to open offices in Almaty, Kyiv and other cities. However, the potential of high technologies, online and telephone communications allowed us to withhold from opening new offices and concentrate on providing highly qualified services from the main office. In 2003 we even winded up out Moscow branch.

The Italian branch has started from our partners request to help them out with the increased volume of the Italian clients. The reason to ask for our assistance was connected to the fact that our company director for family reasons has been living in Italy since 2010.

What began as a service to support timeshare purchase and sale transactions for Italians back in 2019 has developed into a full-fledged project to help Italians with any timeshare issues in general.

Our Italian office works not only for Italian clients.

In our Italian branch also our Ukrainian clients found help and service, as well as all other Russian-speaking timeshare owners and buyers living throughout Europe, as well as in the most distant countries of the world from China, Thailand, Japan and Australia, to the USA, Mexico, Chile and South Africa.

The main areas of work of our Italian office are:

- assistance in choosing a timeshare sales strategy, conducting or supporting timeshare purchase and sale transactions,

- legal and administrative issues of using a timeshare.

Although tourist support and assistance in organizing timeshare travel are less popular services in our Italian office, due to the fact that Europeans have few problems with booking timeshare apartments or purchasing air travel. However

Our tourist destination in Italy has its own specialty - renting out timeshare apartments for weeks.

Our Legal & Admin department helps:

- to reinstate the owner’s membership in the club;

- resolve conflict situations with the management company;

- transfer the ownership to members of the family and relatives;

- deals with timeshare inheritance, etc.;

The Timeshare Resale Department would:

- work out and developing a strategy for promoting your timeshare on the secondary market;

- helps to list timeshares for resale in the international specialized agencies and online stores, provide the follow up assistance for the resale;

- assist with the ownership transfer of the timeshare property when the seller has already found a buyer, as would help to formalize and complete the timeshare transaction.

Our Tourist department:

- helps to organize a timeshare holiday of any type (booking a timeshare week in your club or resort group, assist with the exchanges, extra and bonus timeshare weeks etc.);

- help with choosing the best destinations and routs, assist with booking the flights with the regular, charter and low-cost airlines;

- assist with any requests for RCI, Interval International, 7 Across;

- rent or rent out the timeshare holidays weeks;

- book the fly-buys or any type of timeshare promotional holidays, etc.

You can contact the Italian department in Italian, Ukrainian or Russian by phone. + 39 030 658 8188, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

On February 4, 2024, RCI celebrated its 50th anniversary. We join in congratulating our valuable partner.

The story of RCI's successful journey can be read HERE

We would like to share the history of relations and successful cooperation between RCI and our company Help Line International.

When RCI opened its office in Moscow, Russia in 1996, they encountered confused timeshare buyers who were demanding refunds for their timeshare purchases from RCI, thinking that they had purchased from RCI and not from the marketing companies.

We were the only timeshare experts to come to rescue RCI from these wrong accusations.

In 1996 we worked very hard with RCI and gave our valuable assistance to the newly opened Moscow office of RCI.

We have been working together with RCI eversince.

We took over the hard task of explaining to the timeshare buyers or owners that the exchange company had nothing to do with their money at the stage of purchasing timeshare, since it receives an application for registration in the exchange system and a very small fee at the very last stage, when new club membership is already registered and the ownership certificate is issued to the new member.

We were explaining the confused timeshare buyers the procedure of purchasing timeshare, but also we offered to help them track their money and get them the ownership documents directly from the Resort Developer if the marketing company disappeared. For this purpose, we developed special programs where the costs of obtaining documents for members after their financial losses were minimal and affordable.

We negotiated special terms with RCI for timeshare buyers who were harmed by the lack of legislation and lost some or even all of their money buying a timeshare from indecent marketing companies.

Together with RCI, we worked together to restore the good name of timeshare in Eastern Europe.

Thus, in 1997–1999. We have registered more than 200 members with RCI under special conditions. Many of them take holidays with RCI and travel round the world even today. In total we have registered over 600 new members with RCI, most of whom would not have become members without our help as they lost money on the purchase deal as it has not been completed.

Another important service we have provided to RCI was the travel arrangements such as flights, tourist visas and insurances which RCI could not offer their Russian and Ukrainian members as they did not have at that time the local travel licenses.

Timeshare exchanges without flights, tourist visas and insurances did not have any value to the members as other tourist agencies would refuse providing them to the RCI members.

Our unique Travel Club was fully travel licensed and had very good deals with the charter airline companies, were subscribed to the services of many Consulates to provide visas and had contracts with Insurance companies to act as their agents to holiday makers.

We happily provided the above services to RCI members as well till they were able to set up their own travel club in Moscow.

If we did not provide the travel service to the RCI members in these early years of timeshare in Russia I am afraid that hundreds of families would have given up their membership.

RCI has given us the status of their official “Help Line” and recommended us to its members if they had questions about timeshares not related to RCI:

- disagreements with the Club Management Company,

- issues related to maintenance invoices,

- reinstatement of club membership,

- transfer of timeshare ownership to another family member or a buyer,

- legal advice and consultancies on any timeshare related issues.

One of the most successful projects was “We want you to get back.” The aim of the project was to help the members who are willing to use RCI exchange system but they lost their membership for nonpayment of maintenance fees and the resorts refuse to reinstate them.

Together with RCI and the leading European timeshare Developers we have put together a special deal for those clients in order to provide them with the new very good ownership at a special price and thus become again an active RCI members.

RCI has contacted such lapsed members by mail and provided them with our contacts and we took over all the sales and admin.

Another direction of collaboration with RCI was always looking after the upset clients who mostly for the reason that they were misled or mis-sold in the first place had difficulties of taking the timeshare holidays. We would take their request and assist them with all the holiday arrangements including the communication with their resort and arrangement of exchanges and extra weeks and thus teaching them how to use the product.

We stay the close partners with RCI even now. We help Russian timeshare owners who are RCI members pay for their membership, exchanges, and extra weeks to continue enjoying their RCI travel.

We wish the next 50 successful years to our valued partners and excellent colleagues!

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.