Legal requirements to work as a timeshare broker?

[abdibile]

After buying some timeshare weeks at rock bottom prices and selling them for a few $100 I only made quite small profits as most of the profits had been eaten up by the closing costs I paid for the original purchase.

As I have made lots of contacts with potential buyers and sellers I often just put them in contact and both were happy. Unfortunately I did not make any profit form this.

So it looks like I have to refine my business model

If I want to work as an official timeshare broker who gets money for putting buyers and sellers in contact, what are the legal requirements?

I assume I need a broker license, correct?

As I am not living in the US (Germany) but would mainly want to service buyers and sellers in the US, could I even get the required licenses etc.?

To minimize the work and effort I would have to put in all the administrative stuff that is involved in obtaining and keeping the license: Is there an easy way like a licensed broker company that lets people work under their license for a fee or comission?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Carolinian]

REal Estate licenses are state-specific. You would certainly need a license for the state you are working in, which since you are in Germany would have an added twist. I am not sure of the laws of Germany on such things, but you would need to be sure you are not in conflict with anything there. Your best bet might be a license in the state in which you have your permanent residency. That normally requires taking some courses and then an exam. How they would then treat you operating from Germany would also be something you should look into.

A real estate salesman normally has to have a license themselves, which again takes course work (usually one course) and an exam. Then the salesman has to work under a licensed broker.

The problem with timeshare, if you are not selling just weeks in one state, is that technically you should have a license in every state where you sell a week. Fortunately, most states tend to overlook this, but some can be insistent. The North Carolina Real Estate Commission, for example, has been known to go after timeshare resellers operating from other states and selling NC timeshare.

As a practical matter, I am aware that there are timeshare resale companies that offer weeks for sale in a variety of countries, and I very much doubt that they are licensed everywhere they are offering weeks for sale. As long as you comply with German law, you may be able to get away with it.

 

[e.bram]

For non deeded points(Festiva, Innseason etc.) and club membership type ownership it is considered personal property and no special license is necessary.