KOALA is a travel platform that connects your timeshare to travelers all over the world looking for great deals on vacation rentals.

We love building this community for timeshare owners. But we love it even more when you get bookings! One of the questions we get the most, particularly from our points owners, is how to create a listing that will draw the attention of travelers. So here it is: Our three-step guide to creating a listing on KOALA that’s more likely to get booked. 

Step 1: Where and When 

Vacationers tend to travel in predictable patterns. When it’s cold, they like to go skiing, or they want to escape to the warm weather. In the fall, they like to see the foliage. So, if you’re a floating week owner or a points owner, you should base your listing around where people want to go, and when they want to go there. 

Another consideration is that families love timeshare resorts. So points owners, in particular, would be wise to take school schedules into consideration. Spring Break, Summer Vacation, Thanksgiving, Christmas — these are all times of the year when families tend to go on vacation together. So if you create a listing during one of those periods, it will really stand out to family travelers.

Points owners can also take advantage of major events that draw lots of visitors — like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the Daytona 500 in Florida, Coachella in Southern California, or wherever the Super Bowl is taking place that year. Resorts near these events sell out very quickly and very far in advance. But if you plan ahead and make a reservation before they’re all gone, you’ll lock in a listing in a high-demand period. And that’s a hot commodity.

Step 2: Price to Sell 

Choosing the right price for your listing can be tricky, but it’s critically important. You want to make your listing attractive to people shopping around for vacations — but you’re also trying to recoup some of your own costs. The best approach? Check the competition. 

Very often, timeshare resorts will list spare units on popular travel websites, like Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com, and Booking.com. So search for your resort on those sites, and see how units similar to yours are priced in the same general time frame. If you can’t find your specific resort, look for one that’s close by, and has amenities and units similar to yours. 

Now that you’ve sized up the competition, we suggest pricing your listings at least 20 to 25 percent below their prices. We’ve even seen owners list as much as 50 or 70 percent below the resort’s own price. Why? Because they want to rent their timeshare fast, so they give incentive to the travelers to book with them, instead of the competition.

Still can’t figure out how to price your listing? Another tried and true method is to set a price that’s just above your maintenance cost for the reservation. That way, you’ll be covering your own fees, and still providing a great value to the traveler.

Step 3: Choose a Cancellation Policy 

Now, it’s time to choose a cancellation policy. KOALA offers a number of different options that will protect you while also being appealing to travelers. Here’s something to keep in mind: According to our research, travelers are up to three times more likely to book a listing that offers a flexible cancellation policy. 

What if your brand’s cancellation policy is more strict? In that case, it’s even more important to compete on price! A listing priced significantly lower than its comparables will draw traveler eyes even with a strict cancellation policy.

We hope this guide has helped you in deciding how to make your listing more attractive to more potential renters. Remember: Choose a location and time frame that vacationers will want. Price it lower than the competition. And be as flexible as you can with your cancellation policy.

Ready to get started? Click here for a video that shows you, step by step, how to create your KOALA listing. Remember, the sooner you get that listing up, the sooner it will get booked!

Happy Renting!