Mudisox
Well-known member
Or an estate agent in selling a house?
Disillusioned with costly timewasters
- Thread starter jonic
- Start date
Or an estate agent in selling a house?
jwilson
Well-known member
Picking up this point :-
1) I will produce better photos and a more accurate inventory than 99% of private sellers. Not all brokers do this, but I do and Jonic is pretty good too.
2) Our brokerage website will get far more hits than a just-put-up private sale website, through long-term Google exposure and feeding boats into Yachtworld etc.
3) As a broker I always start by pointing out to potential buyers what I know is WRONG with any boat we have for sale. It is counter-intuitive to those who are just "salesmen", but I find it works. Although I often get owners to show the boat, or be present when I do, I do a lot of "filtering" to try and weed out the fantasists and time-wasters. Unfortunately it does not always work - Jonic's original point.
4) A brokered sale SHOULD have the paperwork done properly, and protect both buyers and sellers interests. Usually when we see weird or completely missing documentation it is because of a private sale previously.
KINGFISHER 8
Well-known member
I can vouch for John Wilson (above) .... a hassle walloper par excellence ... gets my 'yes' vote .... aye!
jonic
Well-known member
deuc02
Member
Jwilson I think you can change that to 100%
99% sounds like confidence. Stating 100% sounds like arrogance.
A1Sailor
...
99% sounds like confidence. Stating 100% sounds like arrogance.
Em - not really. 100% of the testimonials on the OP's website are favourable - so if anything he should state 110% or maybe even more! :encouragement:
Malo37
Well-known member
Interesting that a broker should describe his potential customers as 'costly time wasters'. That wouldn't be arrogant at all would it.
jac
Well-known member
If they are genuine customers then yes it is.
If they don't have the money to buy a boat and have no intention of buying then no.
Look at it this way. If someone asked to look over your boat as they liked it but didn't want to buy and you were on board you would probably say yes. It costs you nothing and it's nice sharing your thoughts.
If someone rang you to ask to look over your boat as they liked it but didn't want to buy it and you had to cancel something you were doing, spend £50 on petrol to get there you wouldn't say yes.
Why is that different for a broker.
jonic
Well-known member
jac
Well-known member
Oh don't stop on our account. Always good to have a pastime.
jonic
Well-known member
vjmehra
Member
Just reading through, sometimes I think perhaps the brokers on here need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture....
As I mentioned earlier I am trying to sell my RIB, so whilst I appreciate that's slightly different to a 60 foot motor cruiser I can appreciate that time wasters can be frustrating...but...
For most people buying a boat is one of the most significant purchases they will ever make, for some even bigger than their house, so its only natural people want to shop around. When you are buying anything smaller do you always go for the first one you see? If I was to buy anything significant such as a house, car, boat, plane or whatever I would definitely try and look at multiple options, undoubtedly I would be more seriously considering some than others.
I think what brokers sometimes forget is that its not just another transaction for the buyer, whereas for them it is merely their day to day business. For the buyer they can not afford to get this decision wrong, the broker earns a commission regardless. Therefore the buyer is only doing the sensible thing by looking at a variety of boats, yes it may feel like a waste of time for the broker, but it allows buyers to compare and whilst you may not sell the boat this time, next time by another broker having entertained a 'time waster' you may generate a buyer out of it if your boat compares favourably. So personally I feel its a necessary part of buying a boat, why should the general public only get to see the one boat they are set on, how can they possibly make a fair comparison if they don't see others?
Also, lets not forget, if someone is there its always a chance to make a sale (be it now or later), if they weren't there at all there is zero chance.
As I mentioned earlier I am trying to sell my RIB, so whilst I appreciate that's slightly different to a 60 foot motor cruiser I can appreciate that time wasters can be frustrating...but...
For most people buying a boat is one of the most significant purchases they will ever make, for some even bigger than their house, so its only natural people want to shop around. When you are buying anything smaller do you always go for the first one you see? If I was to buy anything significant such as a house, car, boat, plane or whatever I would definitely try and look at multiple options, undoubtedly I would be more seriously considering some than others.
I think what brokers sometimes forget is that its not just another transaction for the buyer, whereas for them it is merely their day to day business. For the buyer they can not afford to get this decision wrong, the broker earns a commission regardless. Therefore the buyer is only doing the sensible thing by looking at a variety of boats, yes it may feel like a waste of time for the broker, but it allows buyers to compare and whilst you may not sell the boat this time, next time by another broker having entertained a 'time waster' you may generate a buyer out of it if your boat compares favourably. So personally I feel its a necessary part of buying a boat, why should the general public only get to see the one boat they are set on, how can they possibly make a fair comparison if they don't see others?
Also, lets not forget, if someone is there its always a chance to make a sale (be it now or later), if they weren't there at all there is zero chance.
Seajet
...
I am not a broker, but am currently involved with selling a rather expensive house then buying another; we are always up front and honest with places we look at, saying if we have a buyer lined up or not ( had both situations ! ) and if there's any reason we can't make an appointment we let people know.
What we don't do is go around ' tyre kicking ' just to see places for fun while dicking people about !
So far I'm happy to say nobody has done that to us either, it doesn't take rocket science or being in the Masons, just common courtesy.
What we don't do is go around ' tyre kicking ' just to see places for fun while dicking people about !
So far I'm happy to say nobody has done that to us either, it doesn't take rocket science or being in the Masons, just common courtesy.
jonic
Well-known member
Agreed but to be clear this misses the point of the original post.
This is about people giving up their Easter sailing week-end on their private boat because they have been conned into believing a person wants to buy it.
He didn't want to buy it at all but was on holiday in the area so fancied seeing it.
He did not care that it meant they missed out on their Easter cruise.
It's not right.
Brokers know that non buyers may turn into buyers in the long run so take the rough with the smooth
But knowingly (and significantly) putting out the actual owners over Easter is incredibly selfish. :disgust:
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vjmehra
Member
Deliberately putting someone out as you say admittedly is not on...but other than opinion, how can you be sure he would never have bought, as opposed to merely being only mildly interested (there is a large difference)?
dom
Well-known member
Fully agree with you on all of this - but it works both ways.
A few years ago at the LBS I put a £1k fully refundable price-holding deposit on a new boat with Beneteau's main southern dealer (which someone named above)
Arranged a test sail and arrived in Hamble on the set date
Told upon arrival that there had been a change of plan and boat was no longer there.
Asked for my deposit back - denied at first, but returned after a sharp legal letter.
Bought the same boat in France - from a really involved and interested dealer.
Saved myself 6-8% in the process and was more than happy to travel a couple of times on the fast cat to France.
jonic
Well-known member
Hi vjmehra
Sadly it wasn't opinion, we found out by chance through a (totally) reliable third party.
It's a small, small world.
Elessar
Well-known member
John, trouble is i don't know how you differentiate yourself from other brokers.
Some pals, who may well post the tale here, just called me from Ireland whe they'd flown for a viewing. They flew there on the basis of photos taken in 2008 and undeclared damage.
So two wrongs don't make a right. Even so you will, undeservedly, be tarred with that brush.
jonic
Well-known member
Agreed, both situations and the similar one above totally unacceptable.
Makes me fed up
I differentiate myself by staying solo and totally bespoke. :encouragement:
Elessar
Well-known member
Agreed, both situations and the similar one above totally unacceptable.
Makes me fed up
I differentiate myself by staying solo and totally bespoke. :encouragement:
You've a boat for sale a few cables downriver of me. It looks like a boat for someone who isn't a sheep but knows what they're doing. You've a banner on the side. If I was after that type of boat it would jump out at me, the sort of boat I'd want to raft up alongside and have a sneaky peek. And I'd know who to call. So I think you can stand apart for non dreamers. But you will forever have to put up with them I fear.