Get the Best Trade Possible By Learning the Tricks of the Trade

What is Timeshare Exchange and What is Trading Power?

Many timeshare owners and first-time buyers wonder, what are exchanges and what is trading power? There are 3 major exchange companies, which have created agreements with multiple resort developers to allow owners at one resort, or with one club to exchange with owners at another resort or who possess a different week number. Currently, RCI offers over 6,000 different resorts across the globe to trade your interval with.

Just as in the rest of life, with timeshare exchange, you can only get what you give. Your resorts’, or intervals’, trading power is the measure of how easily you can trade your time for another location or week of the year.

Understanding the Basics of Trading

Trading your week or points for another location can be easy if you have a desirable week. Generally the owner pays their exchange company yearly membership dues, as well as an exchange fee based on whether or not the reservation being traded for is domestic or international.

When calling the exchange company to trade, the owner will ‘deposit’ their week into the system, prior to finding the reservation they want. Many points-based ownerships offer what’s called ‘confirm-first’, which allows the owner to search the exchange company’s inventory prior to depositing their points.

Tell Me More About Trading Power

Trading power is one of the most important, yet overlooked, considerations when first time buyers are looking to buy a timeshare. Each resort carries a rating from each of the exchange companies, which gives you an idea as to how easily you will be able to trade, but there is more to trading power than rating.

If you choose to purchase an ownership in a very desirable location or at a desirable time, for example a week in Hawaii in the summer when the kids are out of school, you will have access to many more trades than buying something less desirable. Possibly a week at a ski resort when the slopes are more like a slushy than fresh powder, would not trade as well as one in peak or ‘red’ season.

How Did Trading Come About?

Trading of timeshare weeks has existed as long as fractional ownerships have been around. In today’s market, we see many points-based ownerships that have tried to alleviate the fees involved in trading. Even with these points-based clubs, which have networked multiple resorts together that an owner can travel to using their points, many owners still use trading to help get better availability or access to international resorts.

Tricks of the Trade

There are many tricks to get the best trade, that can be learned by going through the process. Thankfully you don’t have to do it alone. Feel free to contact one of our licensed agents, and we can consult with you regarding the best way to use timeshare exchange to extend the power of your vacation ownership.