brokers

[bill bligh]

Yacht Brokers
Are there many people like me who know what make and model boat they are interested in and with a top budget of X pounds. Your X pounds is within a ball park figure of the asking price of a boat that you have found online. Finally you phone the broker you tell them your top budget and would he ask the owner if they would accept an offer of your top budget after viewing as it would save every one time epically if a long distance travel is involved for you and the broker. But the broker refuses to contact the owner and just tells you to make an appointment and come and view the boat. It doesn’t make sense to me for the sake of a phone call he could save every one a lot of bother. I would be interested in other peoples opinions.

 

[steveeasy]

well I was going to say any offer is worthless without a viewing. that said I cant see why the broker should not pass on your pre viewing offer. If its acceptable it could lead to a successful sale. Perhaps they cant be bothered. That said a broker might feel (oh stop) its not their boat so I think they should really ask the seller. Now I could get Hammered.
Steveeasy

 

[mrming]

No offence to the OP who am sure has the best of intentions, but I imagine brokers have had their time wasted by a lot of buyers who may be doing this across multiple boats.

 

[bill bligh]

Thanks For the reply I cant see why you should get hammered. All I am trying to do is save my self and the broker time as not all the boats could be in the same location as the brokers office. It would be the same for the owner if they wanted to be with the broker or in place of the broker at a viewing. Every one would know what your maximum budget is.
In response to ( mrming ) How long would it take a broker to send an email to the owner that was already typed out with a little editing so it could be copied and pasted then sent.

 

[dunedin]

It could easily be a lazy / busy broker.
Or it might be a bit of a tactic on their behalf - they know /believe your “top budget” is too low and believe the boat is in good presentable shape. If they say “too low” you go away, whereas if you come to see the boat and fall in love you have made a commitment of time and emotion, and may up your budget when you have seen it.

 

[syvictoria]

In addition to the above, perhaps the vendor doesn't want to be bothered with such enquiries when they are paying the broker to be the middle man and to find an immediately proceed-able buyer? Perhaps they are also hesitant to show their hand in a fast paced market? An unscrupulous broker could then share said figure with other potential buyers to help secure a quick, but potentially low yielding, sale.

OP, are you accompanying your offer with a commitment to view imminently if a provisional deal is agreed? Also, one person's ball park isn't necessarily the same as another's. Without prying, are we talking 10% or 25% below asking here?!

 

[steveeasy]

Thanks For the reply I cant see why you should get hammered. All I am trying to do is save my self and the broker time as not all the boats could be in the same location as the brokers office. It would be the same for the owner if they wanted to be with the broker or in place of the broker at a viewing. Every one would know what your maximum budget is.
In response to ( mrming ) How long would it take a broker to send an email to the owner that was already typed out with a little editing so it could be copied and pasted then sent.

No there is a proper procedure for making any offer on a boat. we learn the lesson quite quickly. Most offers are considered binding subject to any conditions you place with the offer. I agree with a broker asking the seller as i think it might fall within thier remit. but it needs to be clear its not an offer is it, its your limit you have set. if so makes sense.
steveeasy

 

[SlowlyButSurely]

Yacht Brokers
Are there many people like me who know what make and model boat they are interested in and with a top budget of X pounds. Your X pounds is within a ball park figure of the asking price of a boat that you have found online. Finally you phone the broker you tell them your top budget and would he ask the owner if they would accept an offer of your top budget after viewing as it would save every one time epically if a long distance travel is involved for you and the broker. But the broker refuses to contact the owner and just tells you to make an appointment and come and view the boat. It doesn’t make sense to me for the sake of a phone call he could save every one a lot of bother. I would be interested in other peoples opinions.

I don't think there are many people like you but I am certainly one of them. I believe in a direct and straightforward approach. I would say to the broker that I am going to buy one of these boats and I'm going to pay X pounds. If the broker doesn't want to deal that's fine, there's always another one.

 

[jwilson]

An "offer subject to viewing" is not really a proper offer. It leaves the option for the buyer to reduce once he has seen the boat, without any quantifiable grounds for the reduction of the offer, unlike after a survey report saying X, Y and Z are wrong. It's sort-of OK if followed up by a prompt viewing, but if the "buyer" wants to come in a month's time .....

Nevertheless, as a broker, we ( Yachts for sale at Yachtsnet - UK sailing yacht brokerage and boat sales ) often get asked if a buyer might accept £xxxxxx. Sometimes the answer is an absolute no, very occasionally it's a definite yes, and sometimes it's "... you are not far apart. Come and see the boat, or get a local surveyor to do a preliminary look over - not a survey - and report back to you". We have done a lot of that in the last 2 Covid years. The surveyor will often do a video call while on the boat.

If a genuine offer is made any broker will put it to the seller, unless he or she already has firm instructions of a minimum acceptable price.

I hope we can be honest enough about the condition of the boat (and have enough good recent photos and a walkround video) to stop anyone travelling to view or paying a surveyor to view with unrealistic expectations of perfection. If the boat is nearby we can also do the video call bit.

Finally we do from time to time get (usually emailed) offers of £xxxxx, that when we contact the owner and get agreement in principle, turn out to be from someone who has made similar offers on half a dozen boats and then says he's buying another. Technically the offer is legally binding, but we have better things to do than to pursue him or her through the courts. And better buyers will come along.......

 

[BB1]

Yacht Brokers
Are there many people like me who know what make and model boat they are interested in and with a top budget of X pounds. Your X pounds is within a ball park figure of the asking price of a boat that you have found online. Finally you phone the broker you tell them your top budget and would he ask the owner if they would accept an offer of your top budget after viewing as it would save every one time epically if a long distance travel is involved for you and the broker. But the broker refuses to contact the owner and just tells you to make an appointment and come and view the boat. It doesn’t make sense to me for the sake of a phone call he could save every one a lot of bother. I would be interested in other peoples opinions.

Perfectly reasonable request and if I were the owner and happy to accept your possibly low offer I would tell the broker to inform you that there would be no further reduction, even after survey.

 

[Sandy]

I understand the market is very buoyant at the moment. The broker will know the 'walk away price' the vendor has in mind. Perhaps your budget is below the walk away price.

When looking for my first boat, I looked at about 20 boats. All were priced within a range of £5K, the difference between the good ones and the dire ones was amazing. I found a good one, just took a lot of looking at frogs. One I refused to get aboard. My current boat was through the previous owners as they knew I loved it.

 

[BB1]

I understand the market is very buoyant at the moment. The broker will know the 'walk away price' the vendor has in mind. Perhaps your budget is below the walk away price.

When looking for my first boat, I looked at about 20 boats. All were priced within a range of £5K, the difference between the good ones and the dire ones was amazing. I found a good one, just took a lot of looking at frogs. One I refused to get aboard. My current boat was through the previous owners as they knew I loved it.

Then why doesn't the broker simply say that and not invite the OP to view!

 

[bill bligh]

In reply to ( Syvictoria ) The asking price of the boat in question is between 15k and 20k my maximum budget is with in 9.5% of the asking price. For me to view the boat it would require an overnight stop over. There seems to be very little that comes with the boat apart from the bear minimum so yes I am holding a little back. As for getting a surveyor to give me a report on the boat is out of the question as I would want to see the boat for my self before making a firm offer and making arrangements for a haul out and survey. On viewing I would like to see the engine running. Am I asking too much? My main issue is the broker wont email or phone the vendor. I will try the broker one more time and if no luck I will move on.

 

[syvictoria]

It would seem on the face of it that the broker is being unreasonable. Have you perhaps tried offering a refundable deposit to hold the boat and to demonstrate your genuine commitment? You would of course want to read the contract and trust the broker in order to proceed on that basis, but the offer might help to sway the broker into action!

 

[Sandy]

Then why doesn't the broker simply say that and not invite the OP to view!

I've no idea, I'm an engineer and left the sales to people who did sales and then sorted out the mess they left us with; until we finally got to do the technical stuff with potential customers when senior management finally realised that sales were way out of their depth.

 

[mrming]

In reply to ( Syvictoria ) The asking price of the boat in question is between 15k and 20k my maximum budget is with in 9.5% of the asking price. For me to view the boat it would require an overnight stop over. There seems to be very little that comes with the boat apart from the bear minimum so yes I am holding a little back. As for getting a surveyor to give me a report on the boat is out of the question as I would want to see the boat for my self before making a firm offer and making arrangements for a haul out and survey. On viewing I would like to see the engine running. Am I asking too much? My main issue is the broker wont email or phone the vendor. I will try the broker one more time and if no luck I will move on.

I was buying in that price range not long ago. In a couple of different places I managed to send a local mate to visit and conduct a FaceTime call so I could direct him on what to look at.

One of those was the boat I ended up buying. It was ashore and I would have had to pay to lift in / out to run the engine (policy of the broker / yard). As the boat had a lot of other positives, I took a bit of a chance on the engine based on a thorough visual inspection from a surveyor. Happy to say the risk paid off and the engine is good.

My budget was at the bottom end of what most of the brokers I dealt with were selling, and I got the impression I may have got more attention had I been spending more money. I didn’t have a problem with this personally - just sharing in case the experience is useful.

 

[syvictoria]

Another thought... perhaps someone on here could take an initial look at the boat on your behalf?

 

[bill bligh]

It would seem on the face of it that the broker is being unreasonable. Have you perhaps tried offering a refundable deposit to hold the boat and to demonstrate your genuine commitment? You would of course want to read the contract and trust the broker in order to proceed on that basis, but the offer might help to sway the broker into action!

I will have to think about that but I am more likely to move on.

 

[burgundyben]

I think the broker was testing you to see if you really were a prospective buyer. You must have failed to convince the broker his commission was in your bank. You have to bear (bare?) in mind that he's not acting for you.

I broker a few boats, fairly niche, if you called me we'd have a pretty long in depth discussion, if at the end of that you'd convinced me that you really were a serious buyer, but that enquiries needed to be made with the seller I'd do it.

I pursue every enquiry I get to the bitter end. I have a 100% track record for comms with buyer and seller.

 

[bill bligh]

To be honest I have taken a dislike to this broker and have decided keep looking. I would like to thank syvictoria