The Timeshare Secondary Marketplace: The Rest of the Story

Market Differences

Aside from the obvious, there are two major differences between traditional real estate ownership and resort vacation ownership. First, traditional real estate is a necessity item and vacation ownership is a luxury item. Second, in traditional real estate, the consumer seeks the product, and in timesharing, the consumer is enticed to the product. These two facts alone allude to the difficulties of selling timeshares.

In traditional real estate, there is both a primary market where the residential or commercial developer takes the risk of marketing and selling; and a secondary market where the individual owner bears the burden of marketing and selling. Owners in the secondary market often choose a real estate professional for assistance. These two markets comprise the total traditional real estate marketplace. Both are clearly understood, accepted within the industry and readily accessible to the consumer.

Traditional real estate is usually a local (neighborhood) market and has a distinct marketing advantage over the timeshare market. According to the National Association of REALTORS