In this article, we answer the question about Broker vs. Dealer and find out how you should list your boat when it comes time to sell. This article is written by somebody who has worked in both worlds and brings real-life experience based on customer experiences.
There are a number of criteria we used to come to our recommendation. We consider how a Broker or Dealer focuses on customer experience, how pricing and selling work, what other distractions the business might experience, what the after-sales experience looks like and overall customer experience.
Selling your boat doesn't need to be hard or stressful, you just need to choose the right people to help you.
Boat / Yacht Broker vs. Boat Dealership - Customer Focus:
As a broker, we focus 100% on our customers. We work directly for you, to sell your boat. It is kind of like a real-estate approach. When you list your home, your real estate agents take care of everything from photo/video, marketing & advertising, scheduling & attending showings, and the transaction. A Boat Broker is much the same. We take the stress and time-consuming steps off your hands so you can enjoy your daily life. We are backed by insurance companies and accounting agencies to ensure the transaction is safe and secure, and everything is seamless.
At a Boat Dealer, they typically will not be interested in your boat unless you're upgrading to a new one. They might buy your boat from you at a "wholesale value", but will continue to communicate with you to get you into a boat that they sell. This means you may be seen as simply a financial figure. They also offer "consignment sales" and "broker sales" - we'll get into that further down.
By selling your boat through a boat broker, you will get top dollar (market value), you and your boat are the main focus, and we will handle everything from the time you list your boat until after it is sold.
At United City Yachts, we take a real-estate approach. We work for you. We will take care of every step, including finding a buyer.
How do Brokers and Dealers determine the value of your boat?
As a Broker, we work for you. Ultimately the price you want to list for is at your discretion. We will simply provide you with advice and research on the current market conditions - and try to help set a price that will attract the right buyer. Additionally, we will work through the negotiation and offers to help make sure you are getting the best value.
You take every dollar home, our fee is 10% of the closing/sale price. That is it. No hidden costs, just the sale price and a 10% commission.
Boat Dealers are profit-driven and focused on making revenue. This means they might provide you with a very low "wholesale price" and tell you that they are a business, have employees who need to make money too. As an example, your boat might be worth $125,000 at market value - the dealer might offer you $50,000 and negotiate the price from there - then turn around and list it for $125,000 (which you would get if you used a yacht broker like United City Yachts).
If you're looking to buy a new boat, keep an eye out for keywords like "tax savings" and "discounts" - these are sales strategies that don't help you win. They are tools that are designed to motivate you to sell your boat for a low price and get into the new boat.
At United City Yachts, if you want a new boat, we can help you navigate your sale and provide advice. Since we are a Canadian Wide business, we have over 200 boat listings and can help with logistics - our team is also made up of passionate boaters, so we might know a thing or two!
Get market value for your boat when you use a Boat Broker. We make a small commission of the final sale price, vs. providing you with a "wholesale" offer.
What does a Boat Dealer vs. Broker do to Sell My Boat (when it's listed as consignment or broker sale)?
Additionally, your boat is listed on Yachtworld, Boat Dealers, and other listing websites and will receive a full dedicated digital marketing campaign. We also provide monthly reports so you know what is done to sell your boat!
Boat Dealers for the most part are multi-level businesses. They draw revenue from new boat sales, service, warranty, storage, parts and marina services (docks, fuel, etc).
Always ask, "how are you going to sell my boat"? You will find they have limited reach (often times only a listing on their website), and your boat will not get the attention it deserves.
Using a Broker, specifically United City Yachts, we will visit your boat regularly, we take professional photos, video and complete virtual walk-arounds.
We show up to buyer appointments, and become experts on your boat. Then we will present an offer to you and help you negotiate a good deal.
We make sure your boat sells! Our website is a giant hub for boat sales. We have a massive buyer list of over 30,000 potential boat buyers and advertise to them. We list your boat on UnitedCityYachts.com, it has a nationwide reach of almost 2 Million views in 2021.
Additionally, your boat is listed on Yacht World, Boat Dealers, and other listing websites. Your boat will receive a full dedicated digital advertising campaign. We also provide monthly reports so you know what we've done to sell your boat!
In a nutshell, we work for you and you are our sole focus!
Using a Broker, specifically United City Yachts, we will visit your boat regularly, we take professional photos, video and complete virtual walkarounds.
What other distractions do Brokers and Boat Dealer Have?
As a Boat / Yacht Broker, we are happy to tell you - we have no other distractions! It is our sole purpose to list and sell boats. We work on providing the best value to our customers, and help find the right buyer.
Boat Dealerships have a lot of moving parts. They have a massive new inventory that needs to be kept clean, loaded with fresh fuel, and moving around to boat shows. These boats need to be winterized, stored and displayed. They also have used boats from trade-ins. In addition, Boat Dealers tend to offer service, parts, warranty, winter storage, marinas with fuel docks, stores and much more (they might even sell items like paddleboards, kayaks, and non-boating related items). Simply put, there are a lot of moving parts!
When you want to sell your boat, you should want focus on getting your boat sold!
Boat Dealerships have a lot of moving parts. Sales, Service, Storage, Marinas, Massive Staff and more. A Broker only focuses on selling your boat!
What type of customer experience can you expect?
When you list your boat with a Broker, you will have a dedicated person looking after the sale of your boat! You can call them or email them anytime - and it is their responsibility to respond in a timely manner.
They take care of everything. So you can continue to enjoy your life. The Brokerage will look after advertising and marketing and try to find a buyer as quickly as possible - while staying in touch with you by providing updates.
When your boat is sold, the transaction is taken care of, and you get to walk away with cash in the bank along with no stress.
When you sell your boat through or to a dealership, you will be handled by a salesperson whose focus is selling new boats. They won't go above in beyond to take care of you. They may not even respond unless they have a potential buyer. You may even get offended by the price they offer you compared to the price they list for.
The experience of selling a boat through United City Yachts is unlike anything. You are their #1 priority.
Winner: List Your Boat with a Broker. List your boat with United City Yachts.
You will not regret it! United City Yachts is Canada's Yacht Broker Network. We have a dedicated staff to getting clients' boats sold. We have nationwide (even international) reach. We have dedicated trust accounts to ensure a safe and secure transaction. You get Top Market Value for your boat. We are upfront, honest and have nothing to hide. We just want to help you sell your boat!
Get a Free Boat Valuation today and learn more about United City Yachts, and how we will Sell Your Boat by visiting the following link.
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