Yacht sales & acquisition advisory
Sell a yacht.
A private brokerage process for owners selling discreetly.
The transaction
Discreet first, public second.
Selling a yacht well is a matter of preparation, price and audience. The yacht has to show at her best, her records have to answer a buyer's surveyor before the question is asked, and the asking price has to sit where serious buyers will engage rather than where they will wait.
We start with a written assessment of value, drawn from recent comparable sales, the yachts competing for the same buyers and the condition of the yacht herself. Then the owner chooses the route: a discreet release to qualified buyers and trusted brokers before any public listing, or a full listing across the broker network from the start. Some sales close in that first, private phase; when they do not, the listing goes public on the owner's timeline.
Preparation follows: the maintenance and class records gathered, small defects corrected before they reach a survey report, the crew briefed for viewings, and photography and a specification that describe the yacht precisely. A yacht that has chartered shows her logbook; one that has not shows her service history.
When an offer arrives, we negotiate the terms with the buyer's broker, usually under the MYBA Memorandum of Agreement, and manage the deposit, the sea trial, the survey and the conditions that follow it. At closing, the deregistration, the bill of sale and the handover of crew and equipment are coordinated with the owner's lawyers.
Confidentiality runs through every stage. The owner's name is never part of the marketing, and viewings are arranged around the yacht's private use or her charter calendar.
How we work
A transaction in four moves.
01Step 01
Valuation
A written assessment drawn from comparable sales, the yachts competing for the same buyers and the yacht's own condition and records.
02Step 02
Route to market
A discreet release to qualified buyers and brokers, a full listing, or one after the other, on the owner's timeline.
03Step 03
Preparation and viewings
Records gathered, small repairs, photography and specification; viewings planned around the yacht's own use.
04Step 04
Offer to closing
Negotiation, contract, deposit, sea trial and survey, then deregistration, bill of sale and handover.
Related services
Related sales services.
Buy a yacht
Acquisition advisory for first-time and seasoned owners, on the open and off-market.
Off-market yachts
Programmes available but not publicly listed, accessible through introduction only.
Yachts for sale
Yachts on the market now, from the Mediterranean to Florida, the Gulf and Asia, with buyer-side advice from the first viewing to the closing.
Field notes
Related reading.
Events
Cannes Yachting Festival.
Europe's season-opening show fills the Vieux Port and Port Canto each September. Attending by yacht, what berthing that week realistically involves, viewing yachts with an advisor, and folding the festival into a Riviera cruise.
Jul 2026
Events
Monaco Yacht Show.
The Monaco Yacht Show is the one week of the year when Port Hercule is the exhibition: where owners, charterers, shipyards and brokers meet, and how an advisor prepares a client for it.
Jun 2026
Frequently asked
Practical questions.
- How long does a yacht sale take?
- A sale often runs from several months to more than a year between listing and closing. Timing matters: for a Mediterranean-based yacht, January to March is a practical listing window, with viewings in the spring and closing often aimed at the autumn. Our guide to selling a yacht sets out each step.
- How is the yacht marketed?
- The listing goes to the broker network first, with brokers reaching known, qualified buyers directly, then to the main broker-network platforms. Some sales close in that first phase, particularly for in-demand categories and recently refitted yachts.
- How is the asking price set?
- Based on recent comparable closings, the standing market for similar yachts, and replacement-cost analysis. We provide a written pricing assessment before any listing is published.
- What does it cost to sell a yacht?
- Under market practice the seller pays a commission on completion, typically up to 10 percent of the sale price, shared between the listing broker and the buyer's broker. Preparation costs, such as small repairs or new photography, are agreed with the owner in advance.
- Can a yacht keep chartering while she is for sale?
- Yes. Viewings are planned around the charter calendar, and a recent charter record often reassures buyers. Charters already confirmed are disclosed to the buyer and handled in the contract, so that the sale and the season do not collide.
- Can a yacht be sold without being publicly listed?
- Yes. A discreet sale presents the yacht only to qualified buyers and trusted brokers, without public advertising and without the owner's name. It suits owners who value privacy or who are testing the market. If it does not bring a credible offer, the yacht can move to a full listing.
- Should repairs be made before selling?
- Small ones, usually. Defects found by a buyer's surveyor become reasons to renegotiate, often for more than the repair would have cost. Larger works are a judgement: we compare what they cost with what they add to the price, and advise before anything is commissioned.
Plan
Open a private listing.
A private advisor returns a short, considered reply within the hour.