Your resort development company, resort management company, or homeowners’ association may be affiliated or familiar with licensed real estate professionals or attorneys in your local resort area who handle timeshare resales.
You may also find licensed real estate professionals or attorneys in the classified ads in local publications.
An excellent source for determining the status of an individual’s real estate license is the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO). The consumer page of their website allows you to verify licensing information for 42 U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions, and also provides links to all the state and provincial real estate licensing entities, their laws, and rules: http://www.arello.com.
Before you sign a resale listing contract, get references and check with the Better Business Bureau for additional information. Be sure to understand all proposed costs and services. Ask questions and read the contract carefully before making a decision. Be prepared to pay a higher commission, typically in the 10 – 30 percent range, than you typically pay for a traditional real estate property transaction in order to adequately compensate the broker. Beware of anyone who requests a substantial “up front” fee for services he/she hasn’t yet performed.
