YACHTING PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS AUTUMN 2008
When faced with the task of conducting a conference call
with a team of yacht brokers, one starts the conversation
carefully and cautiously,so as not to upset this rarefied breed
of businessmen."What is a yacht broker?" I asked. While not
being able to see their faces,I could only speculate that they
thought: Who is this idiot on the end of the line? Realising this
was a serious question,one of the brokers stepped up to the
plate and delivered his perspective: "A broker is a serious
intermediary, a form of consultant advising a client on his
asset purchase.A good broker is there to close a sale as part
of the sales process; handling an enquiry is one thing, but
taking the private investor all the way through to delivery
requires intellect, skill, timing and an element of luck."And to
cap it all, the team at the end of the phone, exclaimed in
unison,"We've got the lot."
It is clear that the role of the broker is evolving and changing
rapidly in the current expansion of the market. It is no longer
a process of stalking and setting up your stall, then selling
your wares to any unsuspecting buyer. The clients are more
sophisticated and aware of the marketplace and have a
greater entourage of advisors and consultants all giving
them an opinion or two on what's a good deal. The broker
of today is armed with data, information, knowledge and
market intelligence; without this you are almost irrelevant.
At Yachting Partners International, the team in the Sales
and Purchase arm, YPI Brokerage, is comprised of five well-
honed, well-travelled and well-spoken guys from a variety
of backgrounds. Alex Braden sits at the top of the pyramid,
accompanied by the youthful and energetic Matt Albert
and Will Bishop, with some senior support from the versatile
veterans Mike Lane and Mike Rich � neither of whom were
able to join the call as they were busy selling yachts.
Age of the Broker...
OR DEATH OF A SALESMAN
14
Right
The team from the Monaco based
YPI Brokerage. From left to right:
Will Allen, Mike Rich, Renato
Cagiati, Alex Braden, Pascal Florin,
Matt Albert and William Bishop.

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