Make sure that when your boat sells, it stays sold! Very often the best deal is the first one. Do not allow your boat to go under contract and end up being rejected for survey problems! What ever is wrong with your boat today will be found by a buyer's surveyor and it may kill your deal. Do yourself a favor and hire your own surveyor, early on, to ensure that it is ready to be sold. If problems turn up, fix them so that they do not foul up your future sale. If everything is fine, we will have a current survey to show to potential buyers that will help to move your boat from the middle of the pack to become the next boat to be sold.

MOTOR YACHTS FOR SALE & SAILING YACHTS FOR SALE OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS…… 172' TAIPAN III 238' LONE RANGER 67' VAN DE STADT

If your boat is 70' or more, be certain to promote it to European buyers! The current disparity in the exchange rates of the dollar and the euro has made U.S. dollar priced boats very attractive to folks whose source of funds are the EURO. These folks are looking at getting a 40% to 50% discount when they come to America with Euros. Make certain that you have a broker who has a European marketing strategy and a proven record of generating European sales. Even in a down market, a boat that can be bought for 40% or 50% off is going to be look very good!

When there are not a great many buyers, it is essential that you put your boat in the location where the largest number of buyers can be found! During boom times, when used boats are selling quickly, buyers are willing to travel to hard to reach places to find a good boat at a good price. In slow periods, however, the inventory of brokerage boats builds quickly and buyers do not feel the need to “go looking.” The solution—bring your boat to the buyer! If you have a motor yacht for sale, bring it to where the customers are going to be! I know that you would prefer to have the boat nearby, where you can keep an eye on it and use it some. That is a good plan for your comfort level, but a very bad plan if you really want to sell your yacht!

When buyers are scarce, use your “asking price” to attract them by putting your best foot forward! Many selling owners want to price their boat to allow for a big discount to prospective buyers. In a slow sales market, this is a luxury you cannot afford! If you are willing to sell your boat for $500,000, do not ask for $700,000, because no one will come to look! If you will take $500,000, price it that way. No one can make you sell your boat for less then your bottom line, but you have no chance to get that amount if no one comes to look.

Finally, also regarding prices, in a slow market we have to believe what the market is telling us! If you are getting no action on your boat, it is priced too high! Both you and your broker want to get as high a price for your boat as is possible, but in a down market, that asking price you have placed on your boat may not be possible! You will know that this is the case if you are not getting any action on the boat. If you are not willing to sell the boat for a price that the current market will support, then that is fine. Wait for a better market and higher prices. If, however, you really want to sell your boat, but are getting no where, that silence you hear is probably the market telling you it is priced to high! Listen to the market!