Sell your yacht
If you want to sell your yacht, we can act as your Central Agent (CA). A CA controls and manages all aspects of promoting a yacht for sale, ensuring quality and consistency throughout its marketing. This is the most effective way to market a yacht and achieve a timely sale at the best price.
Our central sales agency programme uses both new and traditional methods for marketing your yacht. We will promote your yacht to our global group's direct Clients and contacts, as well as an extensive network of international yacht brokers and agents.
- How we will market your yacht
- Your CA sales broker
- Sales process guidance
- Asking price review
- Sales documents
- Negotiations
- Costs
Contact us today for more information about selling your yacht with OCEAN Independence (OCI).
How we will market your yacht
Because each Owner's individual requirements differ, we will discuss and tailor a marketing plan for your specific yacht. However, the minimum that we do for all yachts includes:
- announcements that link to online specifications and photos
- advertising in major international yacht magazines
- presentations to all interested or possible contacts
- marketing the yacht through our broker network and agents worldwide
- extensive exposure on leading marine websites
- yacht sales editorial in the maritime and high-net-worth luxury media
- open days to promote the yacht
- attending the industry's most important boat shows.
What sets us apart from other brokers is the additional effort we put into marketing each individual yacht. For example:
- leads from Captains when our brokers are visiting ports
- conversations with charter Clients about a possible purchase
- specialist advertising in other leading publications
- help and advice with producing yacht brochures.
It is our policy to represent a limited number of yachts at a given time, so that they feature prominently in our advertising.
Your CA sales broker
Your own personal broker (or brokers) will be available at any time to you, potential buyers and their agents. We respond promptly and in full to all enquiries, which we also follow up.
All offers we receive will be presented to you. Your appointed CA broker will report back to you regularly; usually at least once a month. The report will contain:
- feedback from the market
- news of current market conditions
- how many enquiries have been received
- the quality of the enquiries
- news of any inspections by brokers or potential buyers.
Your broker will then advise you on price, market reaction and the next steps to secure a sale for your yacht.
We have more senior brokers than any other company in the industry, with hundreds of years of yacht sales and thousands of sales transactions behind them. They in turn can rely on the experience and support across the entire OCEAN Independence (OCI) group.
Sales process guidance
Our role as your CA is to look after your best interests. Beyond marketing, we'll manage the complete process from when a potential buyer makes an offer: negotiations, sea trial, survey, delivery and completion.
We help to manage crew and buyer expectations, and ensure that time scales are realistic. We also communicate clearly with everyone involved to make sure that they understand what tasks have to be completed.
Our set of internal checks and balances manage the yacht sale transaction and ensure the process runs smoothly. We will advise you of our contractual obligations and monitor the buying side to ensure they are performing correctly.
Our in-house legal advisor is always available. Before you see an offer, letter of intent or sales MOA, our Commercial Manager and one of our Managing Partners will examine these documents.
Asking price review
Owners sometimes expect unrealistic asking prices, often based on the suggestions of previous sellers, yards or yacht brokers. We'll propose an asking price that takes into account your yacht's real market value, as well as your plans and needs. A realistic start to the sales process can greatly reduce the sales period.
Sales documents
We produce English-language sales documents containing all relevant information and in line with market demands. These technical specifications include information and photographs, but they are not high-gloss sales brochures.
Negotiations
We can:
- take part in contract negotiations
- supervise the necessary contracts
- prepare the necessary papers for handover, working with the Captain and crew.
We will assess the results of any surveys and help you during renegotiations (if applicable), as well as recommend suitable lawyers. We can also monitor the transfer of funds on behalf of and according to your instructions.
Costs
The central agency system reflects the yachting industry's widely used remuneration structure. For yacht sales, this commission is 10% (calculated on the final sales price). Payment is due when the transaction is closed; that is, only if we're successful.
We can only offer yachts to the other major yacht brokers and agents on the understanding that the asking price includes a full remuneration structure.
The remuneration is then shared on an agreed basis between the Central Agent (CA) and the broker or agent bringing the buyer (this might be either OCI or any broker from our network).
The split depends on the amount of work carried out by each party (commonly 60/40 in favour of the broker or agent – the selling broker – who introduces a successful buyer).
As the sales broker, the commission is used for covering our costs (for advertising, marketing and so on), risk and profit. In the event of a sealed bid or auction, we will generally opt for a flat fee of 7% on the sale price.
