TS Today - Creating a Vision for the Future of Vacation Ownership Issue #159 May/Jun 2018 | Page 20

TimeSharing Today
Page 20
May/Jun, 2018
Apples in the basket
Fire pit.
The cost is the equivalent of a
year’s maintenance fee, plus legal fees
for deed preparation, transfer of title,
and recording: a total of $825 for a one-
bedroom unit-week, $925 for a two-
bedroom unit-week. “If I can fi nd some-
one to pay the legal fees and take over
the week, the exiting owner saves about
$300,” DiPaola says.
“At least I’ve balanced out the non-
performing inventory with an active
rental program,” she notes.
Rentals bring in more money, but
also more headaches, including higher
turnover, and guests who don’t care
about the resort and leave a mess in
their units.
Magic Tree rentals are available on
Booking.com, Expedia, Travelocity, and
other online travel agencies. ARC has
SiteMinder software that monitors pric-
ing and availability at nearby properties
and adjusts Magic Tree’s rates accord-
ingly. DiPaola and Patricia Clark, guest
services supervisor, also keep close per-
sonal track of the rental market.
“You have to know what people
around you are charging, and you have to
be a good salesperson,” Clark says. “Any-
thing is bargainable depending on how
many apples you have in your basket.”
However, Scott MacGregor, ARC’s
president of US operations, warns that re-
lying on rentals to generate revenues from
weeks without active owners constitutes
“competitive marketing in a bad way. We
want to get that inventory sold and keep it
in the hands of fee-paying owners.”
Aggregator role
In addition to its management role,
ARC is an aggregator, moving owners
from failing properties to strengthen
more viable ones.
At Magic Tree, ARC has purchased
Pool area at night.
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