As another point of discussion, I’ll posit that it’s not renters, it’s not resale, it’s not walkers, but rather it’s the Information/Computer/Digital Age. All of which everyone here is a part.
Longtime owners who harken back to the days of being able to walk up to the counter and book a room, or decide one day that “I’ll call up and book at a resort next month.” Those days are long gone, not because of any particular group (of which, I personally have no way to gauge impact relative to the larger membership), but because of the slow march towards more information.
With real time availability readily accessible online, people putting together color-coded charts that highlight deficiencies in availability in the system, and helpful communities like this one sharing how best to secure that 2BR at BWV during X month, the ownership is learning how to navigate the system more efficiently and there has been a gradual democratization of information once exclusive to those who were really “DVC savvy.”
The result is that fewer and fewer owners are letting points go to waste. I’m confident a graph of breakage year over year would show a decline (this of course based in absolutely nothing but pure conjecture). Owners are learning how to book more smartly, walk, bank, borrow, and yes, rent and transfer points.
A whole population of owners come in primed with knowledge on the system, and by virtue of having been indoctrinated into Disney’s timeshare through places like these boards that proselytize “buy where you want to stay” and “book at 11 months,” we, and our interest in helping the broader community, are all part of “the problem” - we are helping to create a more educated ownership.