Selling a Divi Timeshare

Divi Resorts is one of the premier providers of vacation accommodation in the Caribbean, with seven Divi timeshare resorts featuring hotspots Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, St. Croix and St. Maarten. Beginning with a hotel on Aruba in 1969, the company is one of the largest timeshare operators in the region. The Caribbean is always on the mind for tropical vacations, so owners planning on selling a Divi timeshare have an impressive product to inspire buyers.

Divi Timeshare vs Vacation Club Ownership

Divi operates two distinct ownership programs, week ownership and vacation club membership. After Divi began selling its club program in 2015, the company no longer focuses on selling timeshare weeks, which makes the resale market essential for buyers looking for a guaranteed fixed or floating week in a specific resort.

The Divi vacation club program allows members to vacation across several destinations through a Pure Points program where points can be used as a type of vacation currency to book stays at varying times of the year, days of the week or size of accommodation.

Because these programs are so different, it is important for sellers to understand exactly what they own and the specifics of their ownership when they enter the resale market.

For instance, week ownership is a right-to-use ownership, which means the owner has the right to use the unit rather than owning a deeded interest in the property. These are sold in limited year contracts, so there is an expiry date on the ownership which impacts the resale value depending on the remaining time on the contract.

Network and Exchange

A unique benefit of owning a Divi timeshare is that resorts are affiliated with both the Interval International and RCI timeshare exchange programs. Usually, resorts are affiliated with one or the other and, while II is the preferred affiliation program for Divi, owners can become members of both and give themselves more global exchange options than usual.

It may sound strange to promote the ability to vacation at places other than the resort you’re trying to sell, but flexibility in vacation choices is a major advantage of timeshare ownership and a big selling point. This allows week owners to even exchange to another Divi resort if they choose a different destination.

Club members can participate in the Divi Exchange Network which gives them exchange options to stay in II-affiliated resorts as well as Divi resorts within the network.

All Inclusive Can Help When Selling

Divi Resorts offer all-inclusive plans with most of their resorts, which can be a big help to buyers looking to manage their vacation costs. While the cost of these plans are in addition to the purchase price of the timeshare or club membership, prepaying the daily food and beverage costs rather than working it out on the fly can be a real budgeting benefit. Especially for families who don’t want to keep up with every soft drink purchase for their kids.

The Divi resorts with all inclusive options are Divi Dutch Village (Aruba), Divi Village Golf & Beach (Aruba), Divi Flamingo Beach (Bonaire), Divi Carina Bay (St. Croix) and Divi Little Bay (St. Maarten).

The Divi resorts without all inclusive options are Divi Phoenix Beach (Aruba) and Divi Southwinds (Barbados).

Divi timeshare owners should mention the availability of all-inclusive options as a selling point, although not in specific detail (since this can change) but as an overall concept if this is applicable to your resort.

What is the Value Proposition?

This is the primary question sellers need to answer when selling their timeshare. Fortunately, Divi resorts are terrific and in some of the most sought-after vacation destinations in the world. But anyone can book a trip to the islands, so what makes Divi special?

This is where increasing hotel accommodation costs can actually help, since vacation ownership has always been promoted as a way to lock in future vacations at today’s rates. As hotels up their rates to keep up with the pace of inflation, the selling price of a timeshare is dependent on the owner and they can judge the market and competitively price their ownership.

Even with an estimated annual maintenance fee around $1,000, taking the discounted resale price into account and prorating the total amount over 10-15 years gives a buyer a great deal on a yearly vacation compared to comparable hotel rates.

Don’t forget the advantages of condo living compared to hotel accommodation. Multi-room units with added space, privacy and amenities are huge selling points.

Considering the money that can be saved by buying on the resale market, selling a Divi timeshare can be positioned as an excellent deal, especially compared to the prices charged at the resorts.

Can I Contact Divi for Help?

One of the first steps the timeshare industry suggests is contacting the resort or developer first when selling a timeshare. However, in the case of Divi, the company does not have an in-house resale department so they cannot help you sell your Divi timeshare or club ownership.

One avenue they have created is a referral program using third-party Featured Resellers. Timeshare Broker Associates is a designated Featured Reseller for Divi Resorts, approved by resort management to provide resale assistance for owners looking to sell their timeshare.

Owners who contact Divi directly will be referred to third-party resale brokers such as us because of the no-upfront fee policy, which is a requirement for nearly every timeshare company doing business with resale providers.

Divi understands that brokers and licensed agents experienced in the resale marketplace are better positioned to help sellers transition out of their ownership and make some money in the process. This is one of the reasons that they refer sellers to resale specialists.

Keep in mind that this is slightly different from possible cancellation or take-back programs. Owners looking to get out of their ownership can try contacting Divi, but these programs are usually for owners in financial stress or suffering from health-related problems. In these cases, owners receive no monetary compensation, which is why most owners evaluate selling their timeshare first so they can at least recoup some of their initial purchase price.

Selling a Divi Timeshare on the Resale Market

There are basically three ways to sell a Divi timeshare on the resale market. The first would be to try selling it yourself using your own resources. The second is to sell it using a third-party online advertising company. The third is to use the resources of a licensed timeshare resale brokerage company.

Regarding of which method you choose, be sure to confirm your ownership first before entering the resale space. As we mentioned earlier, Divi offers both timeshare and vacation club ownership, and even the timeshares weeks can be fixed or floating weeks. Confirm what you own with Divi directly to give yourself the best chance to sell.

Once you have your details confirmed, you’ll have a decision to make:

Selling on Your Own. This means promoting your timeshare yourself, since it doesn’t help if no one knows you want to sell. Try contacting friends or family, perhaps ones that have previously vacationed with you at your Divi timeshare.

You can use social media like Facebook or Instagram to get the word out or take an ad in traditional outlets such as newspapers or magazines. But ask yourself if this is where buyers actually look for timeshares? If not, then you’ll want to move on. Especially since this method means you’ll also have to handle the negotiating, paperwork and choosing a closing company.

Using an Advertising Company. This is the next logical option, similar to using an online outlet such as a Cars.com to sell a car. Look for an advertising company specializing in timeshare resales since they understand the marketplace much better than the online garage sales like Craigslist.

While these companies can create sales opportunities, the owner is still responsible for negotiating the sale since these companies are only tasked to advertise and not handle the sale. You’ll also need to deal with the paperwork and the closing company. But the biggest issue is having to pay your ad fee upfront, since these companies are selling ad space like any other type of outlet such as a newspaper.

Working with a Resale Broker. As we said earlier, this is the preferred method for Divi Resorts, as Divi refers owners because brokers do not charge upfront fees to sellers. Brokers hire licensed agents who are licensed real estate agents and work on commission, so they get paid after the sale is closed.

Brokers are legally able to price timeshare properties for resale, unlike advertising companies, so agents will provide a market analysis to price the timeshare, negotiate the sale and handle the purchase and sale paperwork. Once an agreement is in place, the agent works with a trusted closing company to close the sale. All an owner really needs to do is agree to list, approve the sale and sign the paperwork.

Divi timeshare and Divi Vacation Club owners have an amazing product to sell, since nearly everyone has, at one time or another, dreamed of Caribbean vacations. If you need more information or have any questions, contact us by leaving us a message here or call us on 877-624-6889 to speak to one of our agents.