Selling a yacht: fees, evidence and sale routes

Published fee example, subject to an accepted scope

The published yacht sale fee is 10% total commission on completion, subject to acceptance and written scope. It includes any co-broker share; that share is not an extra 10% charged to the seller. Under these terms, no completed sale means no success fee. Any authorised third-party expenses must be recorded separately.

For a $5 million sale, the commission is $500,000, leaving $4.5 million before loan repayment, taxes, repairs and other closing costs. The example is arithmetic, not a yacht valuation or a promised net return.

These are published commercial terms, not confirmation that a specific instruction can be accepted. Commission is agreed between the parties, and the MYBA purchase contract does not make one brokerage rate compulsory for every sale. Confirm the represented side, co-broker terms, expenses and approvals before marketing.

Six steps to sell your yacht

1. Prepare a written valuation. Review comparable closed sales, condition, refit history and records. Identify gaps in the evidence and separate asking prices from completed sales.
2. Agree the marketing plan. Choose private outreach, an open listing or a phased approach. Approve photographs, specifications, location disclosure and the reporting schedule.
3. Qualify buyers. Check identity, intent and financial capacity before a viewing. Agree what private information may be shared and when.
4. Negotiate the offer and contract. Work with counsel on the MYBA memorandum of agreement or other agreed contract. Specify the deposit, stakeholder or escrow agent, deadlines and delivery terms.
5. Coordinate survey and sea trial. Arrange access for the buyer's accredited surveyor and engineers. Negotiate findings for the seller within the contract's timetable.
6. Close and hand over. Coordinate payment, title and registry transfer, inventory, records and delivery with the appointed specialists.

A 10% deposit is a planning assumption for the proposed purchase terms, separate from the commission. Its actual amount and release conditions come from the signed contract.

What moves your yacht's price?

Builder, size, age, maintenance and refit history affect the assessment. Class and flag status, engine hours, survey findings, location and season also matter. Prepare refit invoices, accurate specifications and operating records before discussing a price.

Charter revenue must be supported by records, with the operating costs and commitments shown. If comparable completed sales are scarce, the valuation states that limit. A suggested asking price remains subject to buyer demand and inspection.

Private outreach or an open listing?

Private outreach can suit an owner who needs control over identity, location and viewing access. It reaches fewer people than a broad listing campaign. An open listing may be a better choice when wide buyer reach is the priority.

Agree the route, review dates and authority over price changes before appointing a broker. Public marketing requires the owner's approval. A full-service yacht house may be a better fit when a sale must be combined with ongoing charter and vessel management. Confirm availability for the actual scope, not just the sale.