How to Sell Your Boat
Our Tips & Tricks for Selling Your Boat
Conducting Competitive Market Research
Calculating the Boat Price
Specify the Boat Inventory
List Your Boat for Sale
How to Sell Your Boat?
Our Tips & Recommendations
As part of the Sunbird International Yacht Sales network, MiB Yacht Services has equipped itself with all the tools and expertise to sell your boat better and faster, thanks to our international communication network. Our priority is for transactions to take place with mutual trust, respecting the interests of both the buyer and the seller.
Our mission is always to live up to the trust placed in us by clients for the sale or purchase of their boat.
Step 1: Define the selling price of the boat!
When it comes to the used boat market, it’s crucial to accurately determine the selling price of the boat. The goal is to present the best offer, tailored to the current market. This is the key factor in attracting contacts with potential buyers and ensuring a successful sale. Depreciation calculations, market value assessments, sales statistics, and competitive offers all need to be considered to establish an attractive price.
Step 2 : Visit of the boat
Our team visits every boat before listing them for sale. During these visits, our brokers gather all the necessary information for the boat’s file, including its history, inventory, and a photo and video report. The purpose of the visit is to communicate with potential buyers with clarity, precision, and transparency.
Step 3 : Presentation of the boat
To ensure the smooth progress of the expertise day and consequently the sale of your boat, it is crucial to present it well.
How to prepare your boat:
- Clean all parts of your boat, even the less visible ones.
- Sails should be stowed, clean, and in good condition.
- The hull should have been recently antifouled.
- The deck should be clean and well-organized.
- Wood and stainless steel should be clean.
- The bilge, bottom, and storage areas should be cleaned and sanitized. Consider using a deodorizer to eliminate unpleasant odors.
- The refrigerator, cooler, and/or freezer should be clean and operational.
- The stove should be operational and cleaned.
- Toilets and the shower should be functional and clean.
- Onboard electronics and navigation instruments should be in working condition or reported as faulty.
- The boat’s engine should not be dirty, oily, or have leaks. It should be up-to-date with maintenance.
It’s normal for a used boat to have some defects. It is imperative to mention them to avoid any unpleasant surprises when deciding to make a purchase.
Step 4 : Documents of the boat for sale
In order to enhance the boat’s value and reassure buyers, we need, right from the start, the necessary documents from the owner:
- Acte de francisation, certificat CE du constructeur.
- Original invoices, additional equipment invoices, maintenance and service invoices.
- History of work or expenses carried out, detailed for the last three years.
- Existing expert reports.
- Copy of the buyback value table if the boat is under LOA.
The more documents we have, the more serious and well-supported our file will be, and the less room there will be for negotiation. Building buyer confidence is crucial. This is also a key point for attracting foreign buyers before they even consider traveling.
Step 5 : The non-exclusive mandate
In the context of a non-exclusive mandate, you retain the freedom to:
- Sell your boat yourself.
- Sell your boat through another professional.
However, the mandate commits the owner (or the LOA tenant) to a “public” sale price that must be identical in all published listings. This type of mandate can lead to complex situations, especially when two professionals identify the same client, and neither of them wants to lose both the mandate and the client. Multiplying the number of professionals involved has little benefit since MiB Yacht Services already broadcasts listings on all possible channels.
Step 6: The exclusive mandate
Under a central agency agreement, you grant exclusivity to MiB Yacht Services:
We commit to “open” this exclusive file for co-brokerage. Thus, all professionals have access to this file and can present their clients. We will remunerate them by sharing the commission.
However, we remain the sole interlocutor of the owner, complete the file with 360-degree images, and push for extensive social media exposure: we meticulously prepare the boat.
The MiB Yacht Services team prioritizes this type of file, capable of engaging more efforts due to this exclusive mandate. The efficiency is significantly higher than that of a non-exclusive mandate.
Step 7: Onboard visits with potential buyers
Our team carefully handles the selection of clients and organizes the visits. We strive to ensure a smooth visit process, allowing potential buyers to take the necessary time to explore the boat. During visits, nothing is activated (engine, electronics, etc.) without written permission from you.
Sea trials cannot be scheduled initially. They will be part of the expertise day, following the signing of a sales agreement.
Step 8 : Offers to buy your boat
We advise the buyer in formulating a realistic offer acceptable to the owner. After the visit, if the client wishes to purchase the boat, they sign a sales agreement with a payment of a 10% deposit of the sale price.
The sales agreement defines the positions of each party and protects them while awaiting the expertise, which usually lifts the suspensive condition.
Step 9 : Expertise
The expertise is a major step in the purchasing process. It is crucial that the buyer is informed about the actual condition of the boat by an independent expert. Upon signing the agreement, the buyer takes on the responsibility of choosing, commissioning, and paying the marine expert. Generally, the expertise takes place one to two weeks after the signing of the agreement.
At the end of the expertise, the expert will advise the client on the next steps. Sometimes, the end of the expertise day is dedicated to a final negotiation if previously unknown defects have emerged.
Sell Your Boat Quickly at the Best Price!
Our Goals
Sell Your Boat Quickly
Reliable and Transparent Service
We commit to estimate your boat and provide information on the amounts and timelines of recent comparable sales. With MiB Yacht Services, you can quickly sell your boat in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, or the Caribbean. We handle transactions from inventory to delivery.
Find Qualified Buyers
International Exposure
Your boat listing will be published on nearly thirty specialized websites, in multiple languages and countries. Over the past 30 years, we have sold to clients from Singapore, Hawaii, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, and across Europe.
Communicate with dozens of Yacht Brokers
Effective Sales Techniques
Agencies in the Sunbird International Yacht Sales network, participants in the “MLS – Boatwizard” system, or the “Yacht Village,” are systematically informed of our listings. Your ad is broadcasted on the world’s largest Yacht Broker network to quickly sell your boat at the best price.
Client Testimonials
They Trust Us