Everyone who has ever sold a piece of property faces the dilemma of whether to sell it himself or herself or through a realtor. It can sometimes be a difficult decision to make, especially if you are looking to make a decent profit on the sale of the timeshare. It may be somewhat like a house in the makeup, but you have several people buying into it, and if you have a great many partitions open, selling through a realtor may not yield much of a profit after commission.

Depending on your experience and the amount of time you have to devote to selling the timeshare, as well as how many owners the timeshare has existing, it may be economically feasible to use a realtor for a number of reasons.

•    Advertising is included in their commission.
•    They have access to large networks to reach interested buyers.
•    You do not have to worry about doing any of the paperwork.
•    Communication is between you and the realtor, so you do not have to deal directly with the buyer. This frees your time to take care of other business.
•    A realtor is better able to pre-qualify buyers.

For the timeshare manager or seller, having a realtor take care of everything can be a blessing. Of course, for the companies who make a business of selling timeshares, this may not be feasible since their wide-range marketing and networking efforts tend to reach a great deal of people already with the weekend getaway packages. However, for the sole owner who has little time or the timeshare owner who is trying to sell the remainder of his timeshare, it is a better choice.

Selling through a realtor does not come without its disadvantages though.

•    Commissions that reduce the seller’s profit
•    Lack of direct communication with the buyer (can be good or bad)
•    Lack of knowledge about what the realtor is telling the buyer
•    Time delays in renegotiating contract
•    Unable to accept direct bid while under contract to realtor

For the busy timeshare seller, having a realtor take care of all sales and negotiations can be helpful. This is especially beneficial to the individual owner trying to sell timeshares, as he may be busy with other projects at the same time. In addition, in spite of the disadvantages, a realtor knows the market better than anyone else and can negotiate the best price based on what the market will bear at that time.

t is sometimes difficult to separate the interested buyer from those who are just gathering information or even those who did not have anything else to do with their day and were “curious.” The seasoned salesperson has learned by experience which person is likely to be seriously looking. One of the key elements in becoming a good salesperson is learning to be able to do that so that you do not appear to be pressuring anyone so that they leave thinking you are the pushiest salesperson they have ever met.

The interested buyer is most likely one who appeared interested throughout your presentation. He may have questioned things you said during the presentation and has recorded notes for later referral. This potential buyer will probably approach you after the presentation with many questions about the property, and appears interested in all of the amenities. He may even question you about policies on reservations for your weeks and if there are other locations available that he can use.

The interested buyer has already completed his homework and knows what to expect from a timeshare in general terms; he just needs information about what you or your company can offer than may differ from others he has seen. It may not take much to make the sale, but you want to treat the buyer with care. He may be looking at our timeshare program because he is not happy with the one he has, so you want to have your eyes and ears open so that you can sense his wants and needs.

When you have an interested buyer, it will not be necessary to call him after the presentation. Certainly, it is acceptable to make one telephone call to your attendees to see if they received all of the information they needed, but do not continue to call unless you are asked to do so. If the couple is interested, they will contact you to receive more information and arrange to buy the timeshare. Remember, there are others within your network of potential buyers, but if you spend too much time on those who may not be interested, you neglect those who are. Your plan of action should be as follows:

•    Extend the invitation
•    Accept the reservation
•    Make your presentation
•    Acknowledge and meet briefly with attendees
•    Make one follow up call

Time shares are one area of real estate that people like or hate. Time shares have often gotten a bad reputation, especially since there are a variety of types of time shares and they are usually grouped under the name time share when being described as a bad idea. Before deciding against a time share, a person should look into the types of time shares. They may be surprised that not every time share is the same. They may even find one that suits them.

Time shares are real estate investments where a group of investors all own the property. The time share is shared amongst the group with each individual allotted a specific time when they get to use the property. Most time shares are used as vacation spots. The upkeep and maintenance responsibilities are also shared among the time share ownership group. There are many variations on the time share.

Types of time shares differ in many ways. Some have different ownership rights while others have different usage rights. The differences may seem subtle, but they can also mean the difference between a time share working well for a person and not working for a person. The following outlines each type of time share and the main characteristics of each.

- Fixed week time share: Each buyer owns the rights to the property for a specific set time period and date each year.

- Floating time share: Buyers choose when they want to use the timeshare. Unlike the fixed week time share, this type of time share is not contracted out.

- Right to use time share: This type of time share is not owned by the individuals, instead the “buyer” actually rents the property for a specific time each year. A contract stipulates when and for how long the rental agreement stands.

- Points club: This is where various groups of time share owners participate in a points earning club. These points can be used to use timeshare property of group members based on reservations.

Time shares are not the useless real estate that some make them out to be. In fact, if a person does not want to get tied down to a piece of real estate there is the right to use time share option. Time shares are a great for people who vacation on a regular basis. Even if it isn’t to the same spot a time share like the points club time share, might still benefit them. There is a time share for everyone, so the best advice for anyone considering a time share is to look into the options before writing it off as a bad investment.