A truly good broker knows not just
what's on the market, but also what's
potentially coming up.
17
still further. In addition to loyalty, trust is also an important
part of the client/broker dynamic. This was highlighted
with more anecdotal stories from Alex, whereby a client
was introduced to a shipyard looking for a new build.
Following a direct contract between yard and yachtsman,
a commission was voluntarily paid to Yachting Partners for
the initial introduction � not asked, begged or coaxed out
of the client, just remitted out of his commitment to the
broker's assistance, a true reflection of the loyalty and trust
he had for the broker � as his father and uncles had before
him. This may be unusual in the rarified world of selling
yachts, but is a true story in the world of Yachting Partners
International.
So what makes a yacht sell in this weird world of yachting?
There seems to be no formula, no proven process or
simplified system; it comes down to luck and an element of
judgement, but perhaps timing too. In many cases it takes
anything between eight and eighteen months for a deal to
transact. In one particular situation, highlighted during our
conversation another 43-m Feadship arrived on the market,
through a leading competitor in 2001,and remained unsold
until nearly seven years later when finally YPI Brokerage
sold it. Who can truly enjoy having their yacht `for sale' for
seven years? It should not happen.The reasons can be any
combination of location, price, presentation and perhaps
the attitude of the crew, as Will Bishop explained. Being an
ex-master on the sailing yacht Cyclos III, he added that
if yacht crew members are part of the process, they can
create a positive environment in which to close a deal. If a
broker treats the crew well, with consideration, and makes
them feel relevant to the process,then one can find oneself
working with a brilliant team of people willing to play a key
role in presenting the yacht looking at her best and well
prepared for sale.
With the many years of experience within the YPI Brokerage
team, coupled with the true on-board knowledge, it
became clear during the conversation that they all know
their stuff, in brokerage terms as well as operationally and
technically. The YPI Brokerage package seems to present
everything a seller or buyer would need to feel confident
in adding them to the preferred list of houses. Their
competitive spirit may not be the most aggressive, but it
is founded on knowledge and integrity, and in the grand
scheme of yacht selling and buying, they deliver. With only
so many large yachts for sale and so few real buyers in
the market, it is a very difficult decision to choose a broker
amongst the crowd.If you want an accurate valuation,and
to be handled by a serious and intelligent team offering a
service backed up with professionalism and integrity, the
list of brokers becomes very limited � especially if you also
want that team to be proactive in finding a buyer as well
as being prepared to invest substantially in the process.The
good news, however, is that after this long conference call,
I would definitely suggest that one brokerage you could
add to that list would be the YPI Brokerage Division of
Yachting Partners International.
Above
Monaco based YPI Brokers:
William Bishop and Matt Albert.

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