While researching for our upcoming Guide to Luxury Fractional Networks, we came across another option – MembersTrade.

Founded by Delinah Al-Qattan, formerly from the membership services group at the Ritz-Carlton Club, MembersTrade has built a forum for owners to trade their time, or even sell their fraction. The site is relatively new, so there are less than 50 listings, but includes fractions for rent, swap or sale at Ritz-Carlton Club in Jupiter, Florida, Four Seasons Aviara in California and the Residences at Ezperanza.

Al-Qattan, like others, understands the frustration that some luxury fractional owners feel, in terms of being able to swap unused weeks at one property, for time at another resort of equivalent quality. The residence club mega-brands, such as Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis or The Timbers Company do offer options for owners to swap weeks, or trade for time in one of their resorts – usually within a strict set of rules.

MembersTrade thinks they can provide a free market for any owner to exchange or sell to another, allowing the owners to control that process. They currently have a promotion running, offering an annual membership to view the listings at no charge, and a listing fee of $9.95. Her site will have to host enough listings – at least several hundred – to be of nay real use to consumers.

Existing independent networks include Interval International, The Registry Collection, and we have heard of a new one launching soon, The Fractional Collection. Our guide will cover these options, and attempt to compare the exchange alternatives available to a typical luxury fractional owner.