Explainer · Private Aviation
What does a private jet broker do?
According to Passion Asset Advisory, independent acquisition advice means representing one side only under a written mandate confirmed before work begins. It sits alongside your wealth manager, never in place of them. A ‘do nothing’ recommendation is always a valid outcome.
What do a transaction broker, charter broker, and dealer each do?
Three different businesses share the word “broker” in private aviation. An acquisition or sales broker represents one side of a purchase for a disclosed fee; a charter broker books flights, not ownership; a dealer buys and resells its own aircraft on the spread. Knowing which you are dealing with changes everything:
- Acquisition / sales broker: represents a buyer or seller in an ownership transaction: sourcing, technical diligence, negotiation, closing. Paid a disclosed fee by the side it represents
- Charter broker: arranges individual flights on aircraft operated by others. A travel function, not a transaction function. Most companies ranking for "private jet broker" are charter brokers
- Dealer: buys aircraft into its own inventory and resells them; the margin lives in the spread, and the dealer's interest is its inventory, not your mission
If you are buying or selling an airframe, you need the first one.
| Acquisition / sales broker | Charter broker | Dealer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What they transact | Aircraft ownership | Individual flights | Their own inventory |
| How they're paid | Disclosed fee from one side | Margin on the charter | The spread on resale |
| When you need them | Buying or selling an airframe | Flying without owning | When their stock happens to fit |
What a buyer's broker does
- Defines routes, passenger needs, and operating geography before discussing an aircraft
- Maps the market: comparable transactions and realistic pricing for the category
- Sources candidates from listings and from operators and owners who never list
- Coordinates records review and the pre-purchase inspection at a facility acceptable to your side
- Negotiates price, inspection remedies, and delivery terms without exposing your identity or urgency
- Sequences contract, escrow, title, registration, and delivery to closing
The full process: How to buy a private jet, step by step →
What a seller's broker does
- Prepares logbooks, program status, and title records before a buyer asks
- Values the aircraft against closed transactions, not listing optimism
- Approaches qualified buyers privately; the aircraft never accumulates visible market age
- Manages offers and the buyer's inspection process
- Coordinates escrow, de-registration, and delivery
How are private jet brokers paid?
The represented side pays a disclosed commission or fixed engagement fee agreed in the mandate. Ask every intermediary: "Exactly how are you compensated on this transaction, and by whom?" A vague answer suggests that the intermediary may not be acting only for you.
Frequently asked questions
Jet broker vs charter broker?
Charter brokers arrange flights; transaction brokers handle ownership. Different licenses, different skills, different economics. Buying or selling an airframe is transaction work.
Do I need a broker if I already know the aircraft I want?
Knowing the model is only part of the work. The specific airframe's records, program status, and inspection findings determine whether it is a sound purchase. A broker also negotiates without revealing your urgency. We offer verification-only scopes for clients who have already found an aircraft.
How much does a private jet broker charge?
Seller-side aircraft brokerage typically costs 3–5% of the sale price, while buyer-side acquisition mandates usually cost less. Our published schedule is 2–3% to acquire and 4–5% to sell. The fee is success-based, confirmed in writing, and never collected from both sides of one deal. Treat a broker who will not state the fee clearly as a warning sign.
How does a broker get paid?
A disclosed commission or fixed fee, in writing, from the side it represents. Anything undisclosed from the other side should end the conversation. Fee norms in detail: our aircraft brokerage.
Private Aviation
One side. Disclosed fees. Verified airframes.
That is the entire model. If you are buying or selling an aircraft, the first conversation defines the mandate.