Sorry Broker, Just Looking

Greetings All,
I recently started a thread on aft versus forward cabin. I got lots of great feedback. Since we will be retiring in a couple of years or less, several folks suggested we start looking at boats NOW.
I like the idea, in fact I want to look at a boat or two in Charleston when on vacation in April. My question for the forum is how do I play this? I dont want to mislead the broker. Should I tell him up front we are just looking (and wasting his time) or should I pretend we are serious buyers which we are not at this point. Im not going to ask for a sea trial, we just want to look and try to figure out what will work best for us.
Thank for any comments.

You need to be 100% upfront. If you are window shopping I would limit your viewings to boats on sales docks where you are not making a broker drive 30-45 minutes one way just to show the boat. People shop all the time, just be considerate about it.

Depending on the size/type of boat, you should consider that looking more seriously at this stage may make more sense. You indicate you are a couple of years from retirement. That is not very long in boat years!! First, you need to find THE boat. That could take quite a while even if you are serious. Second, you need to get the boat back to your home cruising area. Third, you need to get used to the boat's handling, maintenance and depending on the size etc., get to know your boat. It took us a couple of years to really get to know our boat's systems etc. and to be able to perform the required level of cruising maintenance/repairs. If you would like to start real cruising when you retire, better start doing the other stuff now!! Plus, I think most experienced brokers have been around long enough to know that most people are "transom kickers" - they just hope that you are not!!

One thing you might want to try is find a broker you like. Talk to him or her about what you have in mind. Ask questions about things you already have investigated....see how what they say goes over with you. When you find the one you like, don't make appointments to see boats, but ask him that when he is showing a boat that you may also be interested in viewing, to give you a call and see if the timing works for you. That way, he already has a commitment to show the vessel, and you don't need to feel so obligated or guilty about time or transportation. Of course, you'll have questions, many of which you could ask here instead of using his time. Take a camera. Looking at boats is fun. If it isn't fun, find something else that is.

My advice would be to find a broker you like and sit down and tell him exactly what you just told us. Let HIM be the one to make the decisions on what kind of time he wants to spend with you. And let HIM be the one to get the commission when the time comes to buy. If you are talking about a fairly expensive boat, most brokers are more than willing to spend a significant amount of time with you. And in the end...BE 100% HONEST!!!!

Or leave the broker out of the loop and just walk the docks of marinas and talk to people. Tell THEM you are just shopping and you'll get all the info you need... And more!

In our business we do not discount anyone. We will show and be qualifying at the same time. Even if they are not interested or can't afford it, we will try to build a relationship. They may come back later, or refer someone who will buy. We have had people come back 3 years later when they could buy.

A good yacht broker should be interested in your needs. If he is qualified to help you, he should build your confidence in the broker's abilities. He could become a buyers broker, and assist you greatly in your search. If you find such a broker, work with him or her. It will cost you no more, and they can make your search a lot easier.

Also... you may find THE boat that will be the pace-setter for your retirement. I found mine (or it found me) and after reviewing the numbers I realized that it made great economic sense to buy the boat now (while employed), pay cash and use my remaining working years to get her outfitted and appointed the way we would like it to be for long-range cruising in the future (retirement) years. If you can keep emotions out of the mix, it's easy to get the numbers in front of you. Just don't fall in love with one that the numbers DON'T work in.

SomeSailor said:

I found mine (or it found me) and after reviewing the numbers I realized that it made great economic sense to buy the boat now (while employed), pay cash and use my remaining working years to get her outfitted......

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Why be so considerate on how much of a broker's time you take up?
How is the broker any different from a car salesman, real estate person, furniture sales person, etc? You need to look at boats and their job is to show them to you! Besides, you may end up as SomeSailor did & Just the fact that you ask the question is enough proof to me that you are not going to abuse the opportunity.

As previously suggested, I would walk the docks, looking at everything and if I saw one that begs for further investigation, I would write the phone number down, call them & if they are 45 minutes away I would call someone else! If they ask what your time frame for buying is, be honest and let them decide if they want to invest some time with you. I've done this and have had a few brokers say "no, see me when you're ready." When the right deal came up, I didn't call them and they know why.

We're in a buyer's market, don't squander the opportunity.

You are never 'Just Looking'.

"You are never 'Just Looking"

And any good salesman knows that.

manyboats said:

"you are never 'just looking"

and any good salesman knows that.

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the end

An example though, I found a boat in an estate situation that the family was looking at the options of their inheritance dwindling away on another winter of moorage, diver costs, haul-out that was due, etc... just because their broker was using the boat as a loss-leader. They were frustrated and I had cash. They fired the broker and I brought my checkbook down. Even better, since my big concern was going to be selling my other boat, they agreed to sign over on a promissory note contingent on my boat's sale (no interest, $5K down) for a year. I only needed two months of that, but went from a 28' Bayliner to a 42' CHB Europa for essentially that $5K.

I believe their are bargains out there every day, so looking is the only way you're going to see them. Plus it's a fun way to spend a weekend.

SeaHorse II said:

Why be so considerate on how much of a broker's time you take up?

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NO! the brokers first responsibility to to pay for a roof over his head and feed his kids.

He does that by selling boats, He spends money on office space, utilities, business insurance, advertising, business taxes, vehicle and maintenance and fuel. He does not have a pension, gets no vacation pay, sick days or dental plan. and you want to waste his time !

Showing a boat to a potential client is never a waste of time for me. If I want to waste some time I can spend it on Trawler Forum!!!
Trawler buyers are like their boats, slow and steady and I have learned to ask what their time frame is, buy now, buy maybe in six months, or six years from now. I will be glad to show boats to a potential client who might not buy until a few years so that I can start a relationship, to possibly become their broker.
So call the listing brokers of these boats and tell them what your plans are. You get to meet a couple of brokers not too far from you and they can learn your likes, dislikes and your needs in a boat. Then they can let you know in the future when a boat comes on the market that might work for you. You get to meet some brokers and learn their style, learn how they interact with you.
Over 80 percent of the people I talk to do not buy a boat within two years. However here in Fort Lauderdale it is a different boat market with buyers coming here from all over the US and other countries. I can tell when someone is just using some time because their airplane does not leave for a few hours, but I meet create a relationship and get a referral for a new client. Yes go look at those boats when you are on vacation.

I have met a few brokers that did not tolerate (or really acted irked) me being a first-time buyer that asked them a lot of questions and had trouble making up our mind about what direction we wanted to go with our purchase. Acting like we were wasting their time having them come up with lists of potential boats only for us to ask about a completely different category of boats. One even asked us not to be their customer any longer.

And you wonder why I really despise the industry. This is why.

boatpoker said:

.... and you want to waste his time !

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Who said anything about wasting his time? If I'm looking for a boat I want all the help I can get. Don't burden me with all your responsibilities, Just show me boats that meet my requirements. That's the profession you chose!

yachtbrokerguy said:

Showing a boat to a potential client is never a waste of time for me. .....

I will be glad to show boats to a potential client who might not buy until a few years so that I can start a relationship, to possibly become their broker......

Yes go look at those boats when you are on vacation.

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Now this is the kind of broker I'd want to do business with!

Thank, Tucker!

Tom.B said:

I have met a few brokers that did not tolerate (or really acted irked) me being a first-time buyer that asked them a lot of questions and had trouble making up our mind about what direction we wanted to go with our purchase. Acting like we were wasting their time having them come up with lists of potential boats only for us to ask about a completely different category of boats. One even asked us not to be their customer any longer.

And you wonder why I really despise the industry. This is why.

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Tom, you're pretty handy with boat and mechanical work, you probably just rapid-fired too many questions the broker was not equipped to answer. Most brokers I've met are pretty chill when you lay out your expectations for looking and we just had fun looking for a decade before we bought. Looking was and still is our hobby.

Ultimately I set out our size and configuration boundaries and we looked at several boats in a range of those. It helps to see some bad boats too because it trains you what to look out for. In our case, we kind of cheated because my cousin was our broker, and we talk boats just for fun.

The best thing as was said earlier is walk the docks and talk to owners!!! People love to talk about their boats good and bad. Plus they tell you what to watch for in engines and systems on particular boats. Collect a ton of data before committing.

yachtbrokerguy said:

Showing a boat to a potential client is never a waste of time for me. If I want to waste some time I can spend it on Trawler Forum!!!
Trawler buyers are like their boats, slow and steady and I have learned to ask what their time frame is, buy now, buy maybe in six months, or six years from now. I will be glad to show boats to a potential client who might not buy until a few years so that I can start a relationship, to possibly become their broker.
So call the listing brokers of these boats and tell them what your plans are. You get to meet a couple of brokers not too far from you and they can learn your likes, dislikes and your needs in a boat. Then they can let you know in the future when a boat comes on the market that might work for you. You get to meet some brokers and learn their style, learn how they interact with you.
Over 80 percent of the people I talk to do not buy a boat within two years. However here in Fort Lauderdale it is a different boat market with buyers coming here from all over the US and other countries. I can tell when someone is just using some time because their airplane does not leave for a few hours, but I meet create a relationship and get a referral for a new client. Yes go look at those boats when you are on vacation.

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Very well said!!!

Ben said:

The best thing as was said earlier is walk the docks and talk to owners!!! People love to talk about their boats good and bad. Plus they tell you what to watch for in engines and systems on particular boats. Collect a ton of data before committing.

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Even better, if you ask most people are willing take you on a tour of there boat so you get to see layouts, electronics and custom features etc. Boaters are generally social people.

Tom's suggestion to walk docks and talk to the owners of boats that look interesting to you is a good one. MOST owners will be happy to talk your ear off about their boats.

I say "most" because you may encounter an owner who doesn't want to be bothered by a "looky-loo's" questions. I happen to be one of these so when people wander up and start asking about our boat I immediately direct them to the GB dealer at the head of the dock. But most owners will be more than happy to answer your questions and they may even invite you on board to see the inside layout of their boat if they learn you are trying to compare boats with an eventual purchase in mind.

And while I completely agree with the earlier posts about doing things sooner rather than later, be wary about going in just "to talk" to a broker about looking at boats with an eventual purchase in mind. We did that after chartering a GB36 to see if we even liked the whole boating thing. My wife and I made an appointment with the local GB owner to "just explore" the concept of buying our own boat "someday."

Two hours after walking into the office we walked out as the new owners of a GB36. (Contingent on the boat, which was in another state, meeting our requirements, surveying well, and so forth.). We were not talked into buying the boat-- the broker, who today is a good friend-- put no pressure on us at all. We were just presented with an opportunity that we decide was simply too good to pass up. And we haven't once regretted our decision in the 14 years we've owned the boat.

There are lots of boats to look at if you go to the big "in water" boat shows. Annapolis, MD has one and I believe there are a few in Florida. I suspect there are some on the US West coast as well.

rwidman said:

There are lots of boats to look at if you go to the big "in water" boat shows. Annapolis, MD has one and I believe there are a few in Florida. I suspect there are some on the US West coast as well.

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Find the small ones too. Like Morehead City and Oriental. The big ones will leave you overwhelmed thinking you need to be a millionaire to own a brand new boat. The little shows like Oriental are just for used local boats from local brokers. MUCH better way to talk to boater and not sales people.

Marin said:

be wary about going in just "to talk" to a broker about looking at boats with an eventual purchase in mind. We did that after chartering a GB36 to see if we even liked the whole boating thing. My wife and I made an appointment with the local GB owner to "just explore" the concept of buying our own boat "someday."

Two hours after walking into the office we walked out as the new owners of a GB36.

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Holy smokes. You guyz walked in with "someday" and walked out with a boat? That's amazing. I think your friend/broker must have understood something about allowing the customer/friend to come to their own realizations about timing and possibilities.

In 2008, we made a visit from Berlin to Ft. Lauderdale and looked at some powercats. One, a Lagoon 41, had a YW price tag of 499K. The sales rep was absolutely desperate to make something happen, and apparently the owner was too. The priced dropped to under 350K with no negotiation and no expression of interest or desire from either my Admiral or myself. The desperation was so uncomfortable that it scared the bejesus out of us.

Tucker may have a point about patience with the clientele. When I was over at the Krogen Open House a couple weeks ago, one the the Reps told me that the new 48' on display was the first boat of a guy he had been talking with for 10 years.

It obviously depends on where you plan to keep your vessel and how far you are prepared to motor it or transport it from where you buy it. One person posting to this list and to Trawler Forum seems prepared to bring her boat from the far ends of the earth!! But assuming, for the sake of argument, that Ft. Lauderdale is close enough to fit your criteria, you could arrange with a single broker to spend a day or two and to easily see ten or more suitable boats previously identified from Yachtworld. Other locations might give give a similar opportunity but FL is definitely THE place if it works for you.

Greetings,
Find yourselves a broker for yourselves (buyer's broker). Someone, such as Yachtbrokerguy, who will be working on YOUR behalf, who realizes how long this process may take and is willing to go the distance with you. Rather than explaining your desires to potentialy dozens of different brokers, an ongoing relationship with ONE broker can ultimately save everybody's time as an astute broker can, most probably, narrow down your search as he/she learns what you're looking for.
START NOW!!!!!!!!!

During our recent quest, we had two buyer's brokers, one for BC and one for Washington state, more for their convenience than anything else. It seemed to work well, although when we bought in BC the Washington broker lost out of course.
But a buyer's broker is worth his or her weight in gold if you have a good one. And as mine said, most of the boats he sells are listed by someone else, so the idea of splitting a commission is no big deal.

Marin said:

We did that after chartering a GB36 to see if we even liked the whole boating thing. My wife and I made an appointment with the local GB owner to "just explore" the concept of buying our own boat "someday."

Two hours after walking into the office we walked out as the new owners of a GB36.

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In 1995, my wife and I had a similar experience. We were in San Diego and decided to kill some time by looking at boats. While looking at a 48' Offshore, the listing broker happened to walk by and opened the boat up for our inspection. By midnight, that same day, the seller had accepted our offer. We bought a loaf of French bread, some cheese and a bottle of wine, checked out of our hotel and spent the remainder of the night on the boat.

This is that boat.