Rethinking the Second Home

For many people, owning a second home is a dream investment. But what if that holiday villa could do more than just sit idle most of the year?

- BY JESS SMIT

ThirdHome, a global luxury members-only home exchange club, has turned this idea into a reality-connecting second-home owners to a curated network of high-end homes worldwide. We speak to GILES ADAMS, the company's Director of Strategy and Operations, to find out how it works, why Southeast Asia is the new hotspot, and what makes this club different from traditional luxury rentals.

Giles, what sparked the idea behind ThirdHome?

ThirdHome was founded by Wade Shealy in 2010. Before that, Wade had been selling luxury resort real estate in the US and noticed a pattern: clients would return a few years later, asking him to resell their homes so they could buy elsewhere. But when he dug deeper, he realised they didn't truly want to sell. What they really wanted was to explore other destinations - yet they felt frustrated having to rent when they already owned a beautiful home. Wade figured many second-home owners were in the same situation, and that insight sparked the idea for ThirdHome.

How exactly does it work?