SAN FRANCISCO, CA — (Marketwired) — 10/30/13 — Vacatia.com (), the new, trusted online marketplace for buyers and sellers of vacation ownership interests, today announced a fast and easy way to find amazing “resale” deals when purchasing timeshares and fractionals in top vacation resorts and branded properties. Vacatia, which just opened its marketplace in September, has launched a new “” feature that highlights listings that offer the best shared vacation ownership values in some of the most sought-after resort destinations. Considering the average new timeshare purchased at a resort costs roughly $20,000 while the average resale timeshare costs $5,000, buyers are finding that it is a good time to through Vacatia.
Vacatia is dedicated to bringing the shared vacation ownership experience to a new generation of buyers and sellers of timeshares who want the same convenience, transparency and freedom to search and transact that they enjoy in other sectors of the sharing economy, including newly established peer-to-peer networks for short-term car sharing and housing rentals. Vacatia is creating the first comprehensive transactional platform where visitors can research, and execute on, the purchase of timeshares and fractional interest at great prices, as well as cost-efficiently market and sell their shares in properties to the largest possible audience of interested buyers. As transparency, efficiency and secondary market liquidity become the norm in the timeshare economy, resale prices are bound to increase over time and sales in the entire timeshare ecosystem will benefit.
“Vacatia is delivering a Timeshare 2.0 platform to buyers, sellers and the vacation ownership industry,” said Vacatia CEO Keith Cox. “There-s currently a big surplus of timeshare resale inventory around the world, creating a unique period of incredible values for people who want to own a piece of a vacation property. To make it even easier to discover the many deals out there, we-ve asked licensed sales agents to curate special areas on the site like – and -,- where shoppers can quickly discover amazing values. -Hidden Gems- is my favorite deal category, focusing on smaller resorts in less marketed destinations.”
Along with the new “Deals” feature, Vacatia is also launching a helpful “How-to” tool for both prospective and of timeshares. This new step-by-step guide walks visitors through the entire process of purchasing and selling a timeshare. The tool will aid visitors in signing up for an account and finding the right timeshare or setting up the listing of their current property for sale. With the “How-to” section of Vacatia.com, users will have assistance all the way through to the final transaction, making the process of purchasing and selling a timeshare easy and hassle free.
Vacatia is expanding its inventory, currently offering more than 13,000 listings in North America, representing over $100 million in timeshare and fractional resale inventory. Listings include leading destinations operated by top hospitality brands and independent developers, such as , , , , , and others.
Vacatia.com-s newly launched timeshare “Deals” feature highlights some of the outstanding values included in the site-s North American inventory. For example, a seller is offering timeshare ownership of one week per year in a one-bedroom condo at the for just $495, plus an estimated annual maintenance fee of $980. An ownership in a two-bedroom, two-bath suite at the , is being offered by a seller for just $650, plus an estimated quarterly maintenance fee of $1,130. Buyers can also find a yearly one week vacation in a two-bedroom villa at the for just $500 plus $755 in yearly maintenance fees.
Shared vacation ownership, or “timeshare,” was the pioneering concept behind the sharing economy, allowing people to buy an interest in the vacation property of their choice and even exchange for time in other destinations around the world. It-s an affordable and popular way to get more out of your vacation and buy into the second home dream. In fact, some 5 million American families currently own timeshare interests. However, with many aging Baby Boomers now wanting to after years of enjoyment, there is currently a large and growing surplus of resale inventory. Vacatia addresses this challenge by providing an open and trusted marketplace to connect buyers and sellers and appealing to the next generations of buyers.
Potential sellers simply go to and list their timeshare and fractional interest with tools and guides specifically designed to make it easy to post the necessary information, photographs and other relevant content. Vacatia charges no upfront fees. Sellers are charged a platform fee solely upon the successful close of escrow for the sale of their shared ownership interest.
Vacatia makes it easy for potential buyers to browse through thousands of listings (including detailed descriptions and photos of destinations and resorts) and comparison shop by price, location, time of year, usage plans and other factors, and then negotiate and transact safely through Vacatia and its licensed partners and affiliates. The site includes “Resort Verified” and “” listings to highlight the most complete listings, as well as providing preferred access to Vacatia.com for established timeshare brokers and providers of title, escrow and closing services with significant experience in the shared ownership industry. Vacatia is also offering a free, one-year exchange membership from established exchange companies for buyers who purchase on Vacatia.com, allowing them to exchange their vacation experience for one in another location or on a different date.
“We-re excited about the initial response we-ve received from buyers and sellers alike,” said Cox. “We-ve just opened for business and we-ve already seen a stream of inquiries, offers and people buying timeshares. Our goal is to continually bring better content, accurate information, new features and more inventory to our marketplace to make shared vacation ownership an experience that is simple, convenient and accessible to everyone. New features like rentals, consumer financing, owner reviews and more are coming soon.”
Based in San Francisco, Vacation Listing Service, Inc. is the parent company of , the new online marketplace for shared vacation ownership. Vacatia addresses the vital need for greater transparency, convenience and liquidity in today-s timeshare and fractional ownership markets. It offers consumers, brokers, agents, developers, homeowner associations and resort managers a new and better way to connect, negotiate and transact in the timeshare and fractional ownership resale market. VLS is powered by an unparalleled team of proven innovators and senior executives from the vacation ownership, travel, real estate, hospitality and e-marketplace sectors.
Press Contact:
GlobalFluency
Kevin Sugarman
650-433-4170
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