Buyer guidance · Yachting
Buying a superyacht: scope, costs and checks
Reference fee terms · Independent survey · Written acceptance conditions
Reference fee terms: confirm acceptance before work
For an accepted purchase under the published standard seller-funded co-brokerage terms, the seller's agreed commission would cover the listing broker and the office. The buyer's brokerage fee to the office would be $0. Confirm the arrangement, payer, represented side and conflicts in writing before viewing or giving instructions.
Without a seller-funded co-brokerage arrangement, any proposed buyer fee requires separate written agreement and acceptance of the scope before a search. Survey, haul-out, legal, tax, registration, insurance and delivery costs remain separate. Commission is a commercial agreement; using a MYBA contract does not set one compulsory rate for every transaction.
Six steps to buy a superyacht
- Set the brief. Define use, cruising area, guests, crew, berth, purchase budget and yearly running costs. Agree what refit work and delivery timing you can accept.
- Search and view. Compare listed and off-market candidates, then review specifications, refit records and ownership documents before arranging viewings.
- Agree the offer and contract. Set the MYBA memorandum of agreement, or other agreed contract, with counsel. Specify the deposit, stakeholder or escrow agent, survey and sea-trial deadlines, and acceptance conditions.
- Survey and sea trial. You approve an accredited marine surveyor and any specialist engineers. The team checks condition, machinery and systems, and reports the findings for negotiation before acceptance.
- Close and register. Your legal and registry specialists confirm title, liens, tax position, class and flag requirements. Coordinate payment and delivery documents under the contract.
- Hand over. Transfer records, inventory and operating information to your captain or management company, with insurance effective at the agreed point.
A 10% deposit is a useful planning assumption for the proposed purchase terms. Your signed contract determines the amount, holder, payment deadline and release conditions. It is separate from brokerage commission.
Choose the yacht for its intended use
Compare motor and sailing yachts, new-build opportunities, pre-owned vessels and refit candidates against the intended use. A pre-owned yacht may suit an earlier delivery. A new build offers more specification choices but needs a separate build schedule, budget and supervision plan. These options are not an available shortlist.
For a new build, agree yard selection, specification review and any introductions to build-supervision specialists as a separate written scope. Compare that route with available pre-owned yachts before committing to the project.
Review the builder, hull, range, layout, maintenance history, crew needs and support together. A well-known builder does not remove the need for a survey. Yard and model selection follow the brief, including candidates from Feadship, Lürssen, Amels, Heesen, Benetti, Sanlorenzo, Sunseeker, Princess and sailing yards.
This page is not a yacht inventory listing. Agree who would coordinate a purchase and appoint the surveyors, counsel and other specialists responsible for their own advice. A full-service yacht house may be a better fit if in-house charter, crew and vessel management are needed after delivery.
What yachts cost
Separate purchase price from the annual operating budget. Crew, berthing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, class work and refits depend on the yacht and your cruising plan. A percentage of price is only a first planning check; a low-priced older yacht can still be costly to run.
Read how much a yacht costs for dated purchase and running-cost examples. Use the yacht running cost calculator to test a budget before choosing the shortlist.
Checks before acceptance
- Ownership, title, liens and the proposed flag and registration.
- Hull, machinery and systems, with a survey and sea trial.
- Class status, outstanding recommendations and required work.
- Maintenance, refit invoices and any charter history supported by records.
- Operating costs, crew, berth and immediate work after delivery.
The contract must say how survey findings affect repair, price, acceptance or rejection. An inspection does not remove every risk, and no purchase is required if the agreed conditions are not met.
Source: Passion Asset Advisory reference process, reviewed September 27, 2026. The diagram is a checklist, not evidence that a yacht has passed inspection or that the office has accepted a role.
FAQ
Buying a superyacht: your questions
Do I pay a yacht brokerage fee?
Passion Asset Advisory's published reference terms provide no buyer brokerage fee under a standard seller-funded co-brokerage arrangement, if the scope is accepted. Any other buyer fee requires separate written agreement before work. First confirm whether the enquiry and scope can be accepted. Survey, legal, tax and other third-party costs are separate.
What deposit should I plan for?
Plan provisionally for a 10% deposit held by the agreed stakeholder or escrow agent. The signed purchase contract determines the actual amount, deadlines and release conditions. The deposit is separate from the broker's commission.
How long does a yacht purchase take?
For planning, allow about 1 to 3 months after an accepted offer. Survey findings, repairs, financing and registration can extend the process. New builds follow a separate schedule. No delivery date is guaranteed.
Who chooses the yacht surveyor?
Approve the marine surveyor's credentials and the scope for any specialist engineers. Agree who will arrange access and the sea trial, who receives the report and how findings affect acceptance under the contract. Ask whether the office can accept any proposed coordination role; it is not confirmed by this guide.
Can you find yachts that are not publicly listed?
A search may include public listings and private enquiries to owners, managers and brokers. Confirm whether the office can accept the requested scope before relying on assistance. A private approach does not establish an available yacht, seller, price or delivery date.
How Passion Asset Advisory separates terms and availability
Published reference terms, fee conditions and planning estimates reviewed September 27, 2026. These are the office's conditional commercial terms, not a claim that MYBA fixes brokerage rates.
MYBA explains its sale and purchase contract. Its February 2005 specimen memorandum of agreement is a historical process reference, not the current contract for your purchase. Both reviewed September 27, 2026; counsel must confirm the applicable edition and amendments. Read our editorial policy.
Yachting
Start with the cruising plan.
Use the reference guides to frame survey, contract and operating questions. A published process does not appoint a broker or establish available inventory.
Compare superyacht brokers for buyers
Compare search coverage, survey independence, closing support and who pays each fee. See how to compare superyacht brokers for buyers. For an exit, compare yacht sale brokers.
Enquiry scope