Ethical Timeshare Resale: Taking the High Road

Part of being a Timeshare Resale Professional is keeping abreast of industry news and developments. My internet browser's tool-bar is full of RSS feeds, blog feeds, and various news aggregators that scour the web picking up any "timeshare" related stories. From reporting the latest developments in
mortgage lending at major developers, to announcing new projects and initiatives, the time each day I spend reading about the industry has proven invaluable when advising clients, or planning marketing initiatives.

Unfortunately, timeshare news over the last few months has overwhelmingly centered on the unethical practices of some resale companies (apparently mostly located in South Florida) - I use the term 'resale companies' loosely, as the term itself implies something is being 're-sold.' Judging by stories like this one, the only thing being sold by these companies is false hope. While I sympathize with timeshare owners that have been caught up in these schemes, I question the judgment of anyone who takes anythingon blind faith in 2010. The vast majority of the time, a few minutes spent on due diligence would have prevented the fraud.

While I'm sure that controversial stories about scams inevitably draw more readers, it would be nice to see a story about timeshare resale companies that 'say what they mean, and mean what they say.' So, I decided to write one... The fact is that many of the advertising, marketing, and real estate companies involved in helping owners sell timeshare operate legally, morally, and ethically. The 'good guys' don't get a lot of press, and while it would be great to list all the timeshare companies that make positive contributions daily, this blog post could quickly swell to the size of Atlas Shrugged! That said, I'll focus on the timeshare resale company I know the best: the one I work for.

The market for timeshare resales was fairly robust during much of the 2000's, with owners able to sell at, or near, what they paid originally. As the 'credit crunch' arrived on scene, reduced consumer spending took its toll on resale values, while at the same time, cash strapped owners who would have kept their timeshares in better times, flooded the market with a never-before-seen number of resales. The perfect storm? Sort of, but timeshare is nothing if not resilient. As consumer spending rises, so will timeshare resale values - or they should. I can't help wondering how much the 'daily timeshare resale scam warnings' will influence a would-be buyer's perceptions. One thing is sure, there are less timeshare buyers to be had, and competition to reach these buyers is intense.

### Beating the Odds

Early last year, the Directors of our company agreed on a 'battle-plan.' We agreed that it would take extraordinary measures to stay competitive, but we also realized that the few timeshare resale companies that survive the storm - that outlast the recession - would be the undisputed leaders of the industry. Our approach was simple. First, determine how best to reach potential timeshare buyers, and single-mindedly pursue that market. Second, cut waste, cut expenses, cut anything not absolutely necessary. Third, build a marketplace that's credible, visible, and functional. We released an all-new website designed
forpotential buyers. We launched 'branding' campaigns, ran ads for our clients' resorts, and began this blog. Within the year, we reached a target market of over 3,000,000 consumers - more than 1,000 impressions for each of the 3,000 properties in our inventory!

The True Believers

When a client pays us to advertise and market their timeshare, that's exactly what we do. Our clients count on us to be 'good stewards' with their advertising dollars - to get more value for them collectively, than they could purchase on their own, anywhere! While there may be scams in the timeshare resale industry (or any other industry,) there are also true believers. I'm proud to be one of them, and I won't give up. I won't give up working to sell timeshares, I won't give up working to raise resale values.... and I'm not the only one. There are other good men and women, at other good timeshare resale companies, that feel the same way I do. We'll be here, quietly working for the timeshare owner; relentlessly pursuing better resale values, relentlessly pushing the timeshare market forward...
For us, it is an honor to work in this industry.