The brokerage sector has had a spring in its step over the past 18 months, with some staking a claim that the market is getting close to the highs of 2007.

There is, undoubtedly, a greater sense of supply/demand equilibrium – the ‘sit and wait for a deal’ mindset has changed; yachts are priced more realistically; they are selling faster; the gap between listing and selling prices has closed; and there has been a continuation of growth from some promising emerging markets.

These are leitmotifs I have gleaned from my conversations with the market in 2018, and they most certainly point toward a healthier resale market. But is this ‘hearsay’ supported by conclusive empirical evidence?

I must admit, when we sat down in January this year and mapped out an exacting methodology for The Superyacht Annual Report 2018: Brokerage, and deduced that we would be required to contact every brokerage firm in the market for verification of their coveted sales data, it seemed like a thankless task. 

But, credit to the brokerage firms that were supportive of this project and to our team of analysts in The Superyacht Intelligence Agency, who have collaborated on one of the most veracious reports ever produced by The Superyacht Group, which is now available for download to ‘Business Package’ subscribers or available for a standalone purchase here.

Delving far deeper than basic analysis of sales numbers, in this report, we identify the leading brokerages in the market by their buying and selling performance. Which are the ‘listing brokerages’ that are the best on CA? And which brokerages excel in the crucially important ‘retail’ aspect of a deal?

We also take a peek into the portfolio of the various players to see what they have sold, how their market share of sales has fluctuated year on year, and which are ranked in the top 10 in terms for their cumulative value of transactions between 2013 and 2017. The majority of market share is comprised by very few players, which we identify in our analysis.

Due to popular demand from the brokerage community, we have also analysed time on the market (by brokerage house and builder) – a crucial contributor to a seller’s return on investment. This is important because, more often than not, an owner can negotiate a better return on their yacht by listing it for sale at a lower-than-average price in order to sell quickly and save on operational expenditure.

This section highlights the companies that are quick to find buyers because they are realistic and observant of the position of the market, and those that are slow to close on deals, perhaps due to seller-driven overvaluations or brokers convincing sellers that their boat is worth more than a fair market value in order to win CAs.

For a supplementary appraisal that helps gauge the health of the market as it stands, we also hear the candid insights from some leading market experts, who offer their commentary on the evolving sphere of ownership and what we might be able to expect from the resale market in the next three years.

Click here to purchase and/or download the report. Join us at The Superyacht Forum in November for inspiring conversations relating to brokerage as a facet of 'the perfect customer journey'. For more information click here and to register for a ticket click here.

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