1 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: Hello one, Welcome to the Australian's Money Puzzle podcast. I'm 2 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: James Kirkby. Welcome aboard everybody. You probably guessed by now. 3 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: The way our show works, one thing leads to another, 4 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: and we had a really interesting conversation in the last episode, 5 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: last Property episode last Tuesday, with Shane Smollen. He's a 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: luxury property developer and I opened my eyes. Basically, there's 7 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: a two tiered property market that we have and they 8 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: basically almost run to some degree autonomously. At the big 9 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: real estate conference on the Gold Coast Hora conference, where 10 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: I had talked to Shane Smollen, I also met an 11 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: American property operator by the name of Wade Sheile. You 12 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: may not know of Wade, but he is the man 13 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: who invented and created Third Home, which is an exchange club. Basically, 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: he'd explain all this in a more it's an exchange 15 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: club for residential holiday properties around the world. I wanted 16 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: to get him on the show because it's a really 17 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 1: original idea, and original ideas in any business are rare. 18 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:18,120 Speaker 1: In property, I think they are particularly rare. And ideas 19 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: are easy, but execution is the issue, and here we 20 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:25,120 Speaker 1: are with his venture. He started in two ten, so 21 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: he's on his fifteenth year. It is now if I 22 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,919 Speaker 1: remember correctly, he'll tell me all this. But twenty thousand 23 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: properties folks, one hundred countries around the world, of which 24 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 1: more than five hundred are in Australia. How are you, age, Chiley? 25 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,680 Speaker 2: Doing very well, James, thank you for having. 26 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: Me, Thank you very much. So the essence of this 27 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: was an idea you had, and you had been in 28 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: real estate in Carolina in the US and you noticed 29 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: a pattern. And this often comes up on the show 30 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: economics of the holiday home. And the one thing that 31 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: does seem to be in issue, apart from the sort 32 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: of unproductive in many ways, it is where people have 33 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: a holiday home, they don't use them. They're empty most 34 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: of the time. But there's also that issue that people 35 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: get tired of going down to wherever it is. It's 36 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: lovely the first time. Then they realize they've done everything, 37 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: They've been to the little restaurant around the corner forty times, 38 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: it hasn't got better, and they need they want to 39 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: perhaps somehow leverage it. So tell us your story briefly. 40 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 1: What happened in two ten, What was your idea and 41 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: how did you begin. 42 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 2: Well, it started before twenty ten in my mind, because 43 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 2: in nineteen eighty four I went to Hilton Head Island, 44 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 2: South Carolina to sell real estate, and I got pretty 45 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 2: good at it. I was in the first year. There's 46 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 2: about a thousand real estate agents there. In the first year, 47 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 2: I think I was in the top three of a thousand, 48 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 2: So I got pretty good at answering objections that people 49 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 2: would come up with before they went by. But there's 50 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 2: one objection I noticed that it was just almost impossible 51 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 2: for me to answer, and that was that people would say, 52 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 2: you know, I don't know if we want to buy here, 53 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,320 Speaker 2: because if it makes it feel like we're committed to 54 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 2: all of our vacations coming to this one place, and 55 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: we liked one so many different places around the world 56 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 2: and doing different things that we just don't know if 57 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:17,959 Speaker 2: we want to commit to always going the same place 58 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,799 Speaker 2: over and over. You know. I felt that way when 59 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 2: I traveled too. You know, we wouldn't want to be 60 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 2: just committed to one place. So that was a hard 61 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 2: objection for me to really overcome with people. And I 62 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 2: understood their concerns the ones that I could get past that, 63 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 2: and they did purchase there in Hilton Head from me, 64 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 2: and later I had a large real estate company there, 65 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 2: and it was this way for everybody that worked in 66 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 2: our company. We noticed that no matter how happy they 67 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 2: were when they bought that property, that typically within five years, 68 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 2: every one of them would be back in our office saying, hey, wait, 69 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 2: I want to I want to sell our property. I'd say, 70 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 2: I thought you loved Cheltonhead. Oh wait, we've loved that. 71 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 2: We've come down here so much and we just want 72 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 2: to try somewhere new. We just feel like we've done 73 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 2: everything here, We've seen everything, We've eaten at every restaurant 74 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 2: a few hundred times, and we just want to go 75 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 2: somewhere new. And so what they would do is they 76 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 2: would sell their house there, and then they'd go somewhere 77 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:18,839 Speaker 2: else and probably buy there, and then probably five years 78 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 2: later go by there. And so this has always been 79 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:24,599 Speaker 2: in the back of my mind that why couldn't someone 80 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 2: create a platform that allowed all these people that on 81 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,040 Speaker 2: these vacation homes to not have to sell their home 82 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,679 Speaker 2: to go somewhere else. They don't have to pay rent 83 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 2: to go stay, because that's a terrible feeling when you're 84 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:41,239 Speaker 2: paying a mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, upkeep on the property 85 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 2: and then go rent somewhere when you got your setting empty, 86 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 2: why not create the platform? And so really, James, it 87 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 2: was the advent of the Internet, the ability to create 88 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 2: platforms like this, the shared economy companies like Uber coming out, 89 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 2: Airbnb and your that's made all this successful to allow 90 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 2: people to take an empty asset like a third a 91 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,880 Speaker 2: second home they're sitting empty most of the time, and 92 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,919 Speaker 2: convert that unused asset into something very valuable for you 93 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 2: and their family to use to go travel somewhere else 94 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 2: and stay in another beautiful home and not have to 95 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 2: pay rent. So our members when they traveled our homes 96 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 2: go from a million US dollars to about sixty million 97 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:30,960 Speaker 2: US dollars yachts and catabarians and castles all over Europe, 98 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 2: and on average, our members only pay to the club 99 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 2: about nine hundred dollars for a week's stay in one 100 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:38,480 Speaker 2: of our homes. 101 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: We'd get into how it works in a moment, but 102 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:43,360 Speaker 1: I wanted to ask you when I mentioned at the 103 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: start of the show, there is that you could have 104 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: pitched this in various ways. You had the idea, it 105 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:52,840 Speaker 1: was a very strong idea. You were in a position 106 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: to start it. It didn't mean it was going to work, 107 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: but it has worked so well done. But also you 108 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 1: pitched it up market, and it seems to me, even 109 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: as it's growing in any sort of iterations of the 110 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: business that you're thinking of, they move up market. How 111 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: do that in mind that it would be and it's 112 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: the luxury market world to some extent of its own, 113 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: a million dollar US plus market, which is what you're 114 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: alluding to there. 115 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, So we made the decision on a couple of reasons. 116 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 2: One is a home exchange has been around for seventy years, 117 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 2: but it's been a traditional home exchange. It was started 118 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 2: by teachers about seventy years ago. Teachers had the summers 119 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 2: off and they didn't have much money, so they would 120 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 2: swap houses with each other. And what they would do, James, 121 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 2: is you come to my house, I go to your house, 122 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 2: and we do it the same week, and it's my 123 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,239 Speaker 2: primary home and your primary home. That has been around, 124 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 2: and there's companies like Home Exchange that do that, but 125 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 2: the hard thing with that is it is a peer 126 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 2: to peer. You come to mind, I come to yours. 127 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 2: We do it at the same time. And most of 128 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 2: those homes out there are primary residences where people live 129 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 2: all the time. My background has been in luxury and 130 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 2: has been in second home ownership. I felt like that 131 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:00,720 Speaker 2: the platform for us would be not people's primary homes, 132 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 2: but it would be people's vacation homes that were sitting 133 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 2: empty most of the time. That way, we could create 134 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 2: the platform that did not have to be a simultaneous exchange. 135 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 2: In other words, if you come to my house, James, 136 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 2: I'm probably not going to go to yours. I mean, 137 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 2: there's one in twenty thousand chants, then I'm going to 138 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 2: go to your house. I'm going to go wherever I 139 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 2: want to, whenever I want to go, because. 140 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: It's not one to one yes for our listeners, I 141 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: know you say million dollars US plus, but that's it's 142 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: more accessible than that, isn't it. It doesn't have to be 143 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: what is your minimum threshold that if I have a 144 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: holiday property I'm listening to the show, if I aspire 145 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: to have one, what's your minimum threshold that I can 146 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 1: join this exchange club? 147 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 2: Well, on our website we say half a million dollars US. 148 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 1: That's maybe seven hundred and seventy thousand Australian yeah, yeah, okay. 149 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 2: Our average in our club right now, company wants about 150 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 2: two and a half a million in US and then 151 00:07:57,520 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 2: we go up. We have a higher tier that starts 152 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 2: at about fifty million and goes up to sixty million, 153 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 2: and that's called the reserve, and that's our super high 154 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 2: hand yachts. 155 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:09,000 Speaker 1: And that's your fantasy your fantasy strata. 156 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 2: And people can go there. They just have to give 157 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 2: us more time in their house. Let's say they have 158 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 2: a five million dollar house. They can go to a 159 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 2: fifteen million dollar house, but they may give us two 160 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 2: weeks of their house to go up. I see, I see. 161 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: Very interesting. All right, we'll take a shortbreak and we 162 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: back in a moment on how this works. Folks. Hello, 163 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: welcome back to the Australians Money Puzzle podcast. James Kirby here, 164 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: and I'm talking to Wade Chiley, who's the founder an 165 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: operator of the Third Home group, which he's just starting 166 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,199 Speaker 1: to explain to us how about how it all works. 167 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: But it's basically an upmarket holiday home swap operation. When 168 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 1: you started this, I find it such an interesting idea. 169 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: As I say, it's so rare that someone comes up 170 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: with a completely new idea. What they called blue ocean, 171 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: the management theory that you didn't need to compete in 172 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: a market. You created a market. No one did this before, 173 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: are you how because and the advantage of that, obviously 174 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: is it's blue sky, right, But the disadvantage is you 175 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: have no rails to follow. Did it just morph as 176 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: it went on? Did you sort of layer on these 177 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: ideas up, for instance, an extra layer or the mathematics 178 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: of how people would stay or not stay, or how 179 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: long they could stay for. Did you create all this 180 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: yourself or had you something to guide you? 181 00:09:32,760 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 2: You know, you're exactly right. I mean oftentimes and very 182 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 2: often people say, you know, I had that same idea 183 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 2: to do something like that. I always think to myself, 184 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 2: you know, the idea was the easy part. The execution 185 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 2: of getting the twenty thousand homes in one hundred countries 186 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 2: is the more difficult part. So how do you scale 187 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 2: something when you start with zero or one? You know, 188 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 2: and I'm you know, I'll give you an example. I 189 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 2: got to know in Memphis to see a gentleman named 190 00:09:56,600 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 2: Fred Smith who started Federal Express. You start a delivery 191 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 2: service that's going to go all over the world. You know, 192 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 2: when you don't get two planes, you know, so you 193 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 2: know it's a hard thing to scale. However, I have 194 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 2: to say that it was you know, me getting on 195 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 2: the phone talking with people originally saying, hey, I've got 196 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 2: two homes in the club. I got three homes in 197 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,640 Speaker 2: the club. Trust me, we're going to get more. And 198 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:25,560 Speaker 2: as we got more and more members traveling, that meant 199 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 2: they were telling their friends about it, and so it 200 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 2: started growing organically just by word of mouth. And so 201 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:35,600 Speaker 2: really we got to first fifteen hundred the first year 202 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 2: by just getting people to tell their friends about it. 203 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 2: Once they got back from there, you. 204 00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: Got fifteen hundred sign ups as such the first year. 205 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:45,559 Speaker 1: So and in your mind, did you have a number 206 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:46,680 Speaker 1: that you knew was feasible? 207 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 2: You know, I just knew that we had to reach 208 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:53,080 Speaker 2: a certain scale because people didn't want to have just 209 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 2: three options. They wanted to have hundreds of thousands of 210 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 2: options of where they can go. And still even to 211 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 2: this day, you know, we run across place is that 212 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 2: people may want to travel to that we just have 213 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:05,960 Speaker 2: a limited number of homes there because it's a big 214 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 2: it's a big world, you know, so we have to 215 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:11,280 Speaker 2: cover it. But we try to be in places the 216 00:11:11,320 --> 00:11:14,280 Speaker 2: majority of places that we are where our luxury tier 217 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 2: people like to go. For example, in the United States, 218 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,280 Speaker 2: we don't really have any homes in Brandson, Missouri. Now 219 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:23,679 Speaker 2: Brandson's and Missouri is a famous place for people to go, 220 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:25,959 Speaker 2: but it's not our members don't go there, you know, 221 00:11:26,120 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 2: our members want to go to New York City, Paris, France, Aspen, Colorado, 222 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 2: and so we can not target so like, for example, 223 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 2: we do have about six hundred properties in Aspen, Colorado 224 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:37,959 Speaker 2: because people love going to Aspen. 225 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: What are the Australian parts with Aspen and what do 226 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: you think I'm guessing to the obviously some Byron Bay 227 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: parts of northern Sydney. But you tell me where are 228 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: the properties in Australia do you think that people really like? 229 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 2: You know, Australia has a lot of areas. I mean 230 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 2: the entire East Coast where our office opened in the 231 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 2: Gold Coast, and so we're focused right now on the 232 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:07,199 Speaker 2: Gold Coast and the Sunshine you know, Sunshine Paradise, all 233 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 2: those areas. But you know we're also at properties out 234 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 2: on the West Coast in the Perth area and of 235 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 2: course down in Victoria, Melbourne, Sydney. Last year when we 236 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 2: were here, we stayed at a beautiful apartment overlooking Bandai Beach 237 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 2: in Sydney, and so we try to get in the majors. 238 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 1: How do the prices seem to you? Do they seem 239 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: reasonable by global standards or on the steep end. We 240 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: think they're on the steep end. Certainly, residential property is 241 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 1: by most measures. What's your view? 242 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 2: You know it's the same in the US, James, im, 243 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:40,079 Speaker 2: same all over the world. Depends on where you are. 244 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 2: Some of our prices in the US. I mean, Debbie 245 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 2: and I have a home in Aspen, Colorado, and the 246 00:12:46,360 --> 00:12:48,960 Speaker 2: average home in Aspen, Colorado is sixteen million. 247 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:53,200 Speaker 1: That's the average, right, Yes, that is an exceptional place. 248 00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 2: Of course, I'm sure there's like that here. If you 249 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,560 Speaker 2: go to Palm Beach and side of Sydney, I'm sure 250 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 2: the homes are very expensive there. If you go, you know, 251 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 2: certain markets, they're more expensive than others. And you know, 252 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:08,920 Speaker 2: people often say, well, if I if you put my 253 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:11,840 Speaker 2: home there, it'd be worth this much. I go, well, 254 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:16,120 Speaker 2: it's not there, you know it is. You know, you 255 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 2: didn't do that because part of the reason the houses 256 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 2: are sixteen million on average and aspens because of the 257 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 2: town of Aspen. So if you take a house in 258 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 2: West Virginia, in the mountains of West Virginia, that's not 259 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 2: the same as being in Aspen, Colorado. 260 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 1: So that scarce to be value. So for in Australia, 261 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 1: then tell us you've got roughly five hundred people signed up, 262 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 1: is that right? And they have mostly come in the 263 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 1: last year or. 264 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:41,199 Speaker 2: Two, yes, last year. 265 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: Have you any sense of the nature of any thing 266 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 1: you could tell us about the nature of people listening, 267 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: the nature of the properties that you that were successful, 268 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: or the price range that was common. 269 00:13:54,160 --> 00:14:01,400 Speaker 2: So they again they ranged apartment in Sydney to you know, 270 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 2: sixteen We just had one ad this week that was 271 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 2: a sixteen million dollar house in New Zealand that an 272 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:12,079 Speaker 2: agent with Forbes real Estate Agents up there and Wellington 273 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:16,280 Speaker 2: added to the club and so you know, they all range. 274 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 2: We have wineries, we have Wahika Island off the coast 275 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 2: of Auckland. We have one of the most beautiful homes 276 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 2: in Wahika Island there in the club. And an other 277 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 2: aspect of the club that we've found is that it's 278 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 2: more than just a travel club. James is also a 279 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 2: little bit of a social club. That we get our 280 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,680 Speaker 2: members together, like when we were in Auckland a couple 281 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 2: of weeks ago, we had all of our members from 282 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 2: come have dinner with us. In Auckland. We had a 283 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 2: closed off part of the restaurant and had all the 284 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 2: members there and they got to know each other and 285 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 2: people say, oh, I stayed in your house, and they 286 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 2: talked about where they stayed in the club. We do 287 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,000 Speaker 2: these events. Last year we did one in Sydney, we 288 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 2: did one in Melbourne, we did one in Cape Town, Singapore, 289 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 2: London Pairs and we try to get all of our 290 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 2: members together so they can actually meet each other. I 291 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 2: have what my farm and outside of Nashville, Tennessee, October 292 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 2: twenty sixth we has two hundred members who I am 293 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:12,640 Speaker 2: for the day for all over the world just to 294 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 2: meet each other. And we have live music. And one 295 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 2: of our members is the Kenny Loggins and he performed 296 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 2: for us. There you go, there you go. 297 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 1: All right, Well, look, I think most our listeners would 298 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 1: now be very clear what the offering is as such. 299 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: And of course there's a glamour aspect here and it's 300 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 1: highly attractive. I want no one could doubt that. In fact, 301 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: in some ways this it's going to prove, and that's 302 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 1: been translated into television show folks, which you may or 303 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: may not have heard of, called Millionaire House Swap. But 304 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: you are really at that glamor I won't say fantasy end, 305 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: but you're at that glamour end of the market where 306 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: it's particularly aspirational. So what I want to do in 307 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: the last part is to actually ask Wade how it works, 308 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: tell us how it really comes together for people who 309 00:15:52,920 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: participate or wish to participate. We'll be back in a moment. Hello, 310 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Australians Money Puzzle podcast. I'm James Krabin. 311 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: I'm talking to Wade Chile, founder of the Third Home group. 312 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: Twenty thousand properties, one hundred countries, five hundred of those 313 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: properties in Australia and growing very interesting. So the elevator pitchway, 314 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: if I knew nothing about it, tell me in a 315 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 1: paragraph how it all works. 316 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 2: Or a private club for lecturer second home owners. You 317 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 2: have to have a second home or lecture second home 318 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 2: to get into the club. But once you're in the club, 319 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 2: you can give up an empty or unused week at 320 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 2: your house that you're not using or runting and for that, 321 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 2: you get a week somewhere else in the club whenever, 322 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 2: wherever you want to go, and you don't pay rent 323 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 2: to go. You simply pay a nominal fee to the 324 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 2: club for the club to operate, which averages about nine 325 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 2: hundred US. 326 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 1: Dollars for the week wherever you may be. 327 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 2: And so there's no cost. There's no cost to join 328 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 2: the club. Your entry levels, your property. You have to 329 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 2: be approved. We vet all the members to make sure 330 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 2: the issues with backgrounds on our members. But once the 331 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,640 Speaker 2: members are in the club, they can deposit as many 332 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:10,720 Speaker 2: weeks in the system as they want. They choose the 333 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 2: weeks they want to put in based on whether they're 334 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 2: using it that week or if they're not running it 335 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 2: that week. Some people, about half of our properties do 336 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,199 Speaker 2: short term letting and so they deposit a week and 337 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 2: they get credits. So what we call keys in the club, 338 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:28,480 Speaker 2: and your keys are based on two factors, James. One 339 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 2: is the value of your property and the second is 340 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:34,640 Speaker 2: the week that you offer into the system. Because all 341 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,960 Speaker 2: places have a seasonality to them, some not all weeks 342 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:40,719 Speaker 2: are the same at that property. It depends on you know, 343 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 2: for example, and asking Colorado keep give them that as 344 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 2: an example, if you give us Christmas or New Year's 345 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 2: or what we call spring break, that's a high season 346 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:53,119 Speaker 2: and so you get more keys because for that. So 347 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 2: every member gets to decide what they want to offer 348 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:59,120 Speaker 2: at their house and for that they immediately get their credits. 349 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 2: So you could deposit the week today, it could be 350 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 2: a year out and you would go ahead and get 351 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:09,119 Speaker 2: your keys today into your account, so that tonight you 352 00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:11,640 Speaker 2: could book a house in Italy. You don't have to wait, 353 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 2: it doesn't depend on somebody booking yours. You get your credits. 354 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:18,840 Speaker 1: And the key is the unit of value that you 355 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,199 Speaker 1: created inside the system. It's very interesting, right, Okay, consequences 356 00:18:23,560 --> 00:18:25,680 Speaker 1: for the Australian participant. 357 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 2: So the great news is there's no money changing hands, James. 358 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 2: I mean, you don't get any money, but there's no 359 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,480 Speaker 2: access too because there's no money exchanging hands. And the 360 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 2: other great thing about it is that you know it's 361 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:43,160 Speaker 2: you're letting people use your house that are also doing 362 00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 2: the exact same thing with their house. So there's a 363 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,959 Speaker 2: level of trust. And so as I mentioned, about fifty 364 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 2: percent of our members do some type called short term letting, 365 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 2: where fifty percent would never consider that they just don't 366 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:59,120 Speaker 2: want somebody running in their house, but no third home causes. 367 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: Other people will participate in third home, but they wouldn't 368 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 1: generally rent. Yeah, I get it. Tell me, what if 369 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: someone has a party and they fall off the balcony. 370 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 1: What's my insurance situation. 371 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,960 Speaker 2: All the members secured their own liability insurance, you know, 372 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:14,400 Speaker 2: and they should have liability insurance anyway. If you had 373 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 2: friends over for dinner and they drank too much and 374 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:18,919 Speaker 2: fell off the balcony, I hope you got insurance for that, 375 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:21,400 Speaker 2: you know. So it's the same thing. So our members 376 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 2: are like guess guests coming to your house. And like 377 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 2: I said, we typically try to leave a gift, you know, 378 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:29,800 Speaker 2: when we stay. We encourage our members to leave a 379 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 2: nice gift for the host. My partner that travels with me, 380 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,240 Speaker 2: she's here now, is Debbie Fields. She started a cookie 381 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 2: business years ago called Missus Phil's Cookies. 382 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 1: Missus Bear's Cookies. Of course that's what that's your partner. Yes, 383 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 1: I meant to mention that, and of course they were, Yeah, 384 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: the franchise right, yeah, many a shopping center Missus Spears Cookies, 385 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: So she's Missus Speer's Cookies and you're mister third home. 386 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:56,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, right. The Debbie leaves, she always leaves cookie dough 387 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 2: in the freeze, or she makes cookie dough while she's there. 388 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:01,200 Speaker 2: She leaves it with a nice note for the owner 389 00:20:01,240 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 2: of the house that she made cookie dough. Missus Fields 390 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:06,479 Speaker 2: made cookie dough for the people and left it for him. 391 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 2: So that's usually our gift to the host. 392 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 1: I see what an entrepreneurial pair you are. Tell me 393 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 1: what if things go wrong? And I don't want a 394 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 1: good burrow too hard, but things will go wrong in 395 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 1: an enormous enterprise like this. Do you have some sort 396 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:24,520 Speaker 1: of mediation elements where you know, someone said I thought 397 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:26,920 Speaker 1: this was going to be X or whatever. I can't 398 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,120 Speaker 1: even conceive, but there would things will go wrong. 399 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 2: I give you an example. Over dinner last night, the 400 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,479 Speaker 2: member told us that he when they first joined the club, 401 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 2: they went to book something and they booked it online 402 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 2: and then they realized after they booked it it was 403 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 2: the wrong week, and they felt terrible they made a mistake, 404 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 2: but they got the confirmation the book in had gone through. 405 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,399 Speaker 2: So they immediately called our office and talked to la 406 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 2: works with us named Meghan, and they explained to Megan, 407 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 2: I made you know, made a mistake, and Meghan immediately said, 408 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 2: don't worries. I'll take care of that, and she got 409 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 2: on the phone within just about two minutes called them 410 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:03,879 Speaker 2: back and said, no problem, we canceled that and you know, 411 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 2: if you want to book another week, you're welcome to. 412 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,280 Speaker 2: And so they took care of it. And so our 413 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:10,680 Speaker 2: goal is that we take care of our customers number one, 414 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 2: our members, and so if we can help you any 415 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:16,320 Speaker 2: way to move some dates around for you or anything 416 00:21:16,359 --> 00:21:17,960 Speaker 2: like that's what we have a team of people here 417 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 2: to do to make sure it works out for you. Now, 418 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:23,840 Speaker 2: there's certain things that happen that you know, we can't handle. 419 00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:26,959 Speaker 2: You know, hurricanes come through and things like that are 420 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:29,120 Speaker 2: of our control. We try and move people around best 421 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:31,919 Speaker 2: we can and rechange some dates for people, but there 422 00:21:31,920 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 2: are certain things out of our control that we just 423 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:35,679 Speaker 2: can't change. But we always try and make sure we 424 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:38,000 Speaker 2: do the best we can to help accommodate our members. 425 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:41,040 Speaker 1: Okay, and just why before we run out of time, 426 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:44,199 Speaker 1: you mentioned at the start you have a sort of 427 00:21:44,240 --> 00:21:48,199 Speaker 1: higher level. Again, you have this reserve level which is 428 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: fifteen million plus US level. So how many properties are in. 429 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 2: That so we've got about I think cross about four 430 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 2: hundred properties in there right now. I think we'll end 431 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 2: up about five hundred at the end of the year. 432 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 2: We have a a fellow that's been working with me 433 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,959 Speaker 2: since I started the club in twenty ten at London, 434 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,680 Speaker 2: and his name is Giles Adams and Giles was the 435 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 2: star on Holiday Holiday Home Swap Millionaire Holiday Home Swap. 436 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:23,159 Speaker 2: That there's a six hour TV show as you mentioned 437 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 2: that's running around the world. But he handles that it's 438 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:28,040 Speaker 2: more of a white glove service too, so they do 439 00:22:28,119 --> 00:22:30,359 Speaker 2: a lot for those people going to the castles and 440 00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:32,600 Speaker 2: yachts and different things where they do a lot more 441 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 2: concierge service for those members. 442 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: Right. Interesting. So yes, so you are moving it to 443 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,760 Speaker 1: the extent that you are moving it even further upmarket 444 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:44,200 Speaker 1: on that tier. Terrific. Well, it sounds like a great idea. 445 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:46,679 Speaker 1: It sounds like it was very well executed. Lovely to 446 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: have you on the show. Very original idea. Best of 447 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 1: look with everything, Wade. 448 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 2: Thank you very much and come visit us in the 449 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 2: United States whenever you get a chance. We'd love to 450 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 2: host you. 451 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 1: I'd love to see some of those places in Aspen. 452 00:22:57,760 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: They sound very nice. Okay, thank you everybody. Now listen, folks, 453 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:05,640 Speaker 1: James Gerard is back on Thursday with the Incentives Electric 454 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 1: Incentives sequel. We had so much correspondence I couldn't get 455 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:13,600 Speaker 1: over about turning your home electric, the various grants that 456 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 1: are there, and of course electric cars in the mix 457 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: there as well, so we will be covering that on Thursday. 458 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,199 Speaker 1: You still have time to send in questions for that 459 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 1: if you wish to do so the Money Puzzle at 460 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: the Australian dot com dot au. Talk to you soon,