First, I have no sympathy for the people who are renting Disney exchanges. I can tell which ones are exchange rentals. Those summer weeks are sitting online, and I am sure people think it's a sure thing to grab and rent a 2 bedroom for $3,500. I don't like the competition with my own studio DVC rentals, but I digress.
I have weeks listed at Sheraton Broadway, Westin Ka'anapali, and a few other odd weeks, really just SDO and Westin Desert Willow, and some Bonnet Creek and Wyndham Shearwater during times of year that are not blocked for guests. Nothing is renting. This is a year similar to 2020. I can honestly say that my Sheratons are going to be deposited in large numbers for 2024 use year, and I cannot even use this many as exchange, unless I can get the kids to go on more vacations (their names are on a lot of our ownerships).
When weeks rent on Redweek, they are grayed out. Not many are grayed out. Rentals are down this year, is my conclusion. I realize inflation is playing a part. High gas prices, food prices going up, while wages remain stagnant. Vacation or food/ gas/ utilities, people choose what they can afford.
Part of the problem is the outrageous additional money Redweek makes on the back-end of the listing. RW recently put the total amount of the rental with their profit included. If I list my week for $5,000, and Redweek adds $475 that makes a total of $5,475. Redweek is not even paying taxes in Hawaii. I had no idea until recently when a TUG member pointed that out.
They also get the $59 listing fee and $99 out of the total when it rents. Let's just say that I have paid a lot of $59 listing fees lately, and as the rental date gets close, I will have to cancel to get my points or weeks back to use however I can use them. I am losing money at $59 a listing There are no guarantees by RW that your week will rent, I realize that, but what a waste, when the week doesn't rent.
I don't want to be in competition with other owners by reducing my price, and they then have to reduce their price (which you can do anytime on RW or Koala). I see one other listing that is the same as mine, same view, but it's a little lower in price.
Koala also makes money on rentals, but at least I am not out $59 for each one that doesn't rent.
I will probably stop using the RW verified/ protected service. My conclusion is that I can rent myself and save renters money (and me as well).
Too bad Koala is not working better for me. I have two rentals for fall on Koala, however, but not a single DVC rental with RW. I am sure hoping for better results as my dates get near. I can always use David's Rentals as the dates get closer. That is almost a guarantee.
