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Old 03-11-2014, 12:58   #1
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Crazy $%#@ brokers say

Is there a "crazy $%#@ brokers say" thread here yet? (like the "crazy $%#@ white people say" Internet meme). I'll start with this contribution:

Me: I'm looking for a boat around 35-feet to maybe take to the South Pacific someday.

Broker: A 35 foot boat can't handle the South Pacific.

Me: Um. <long pause>. A properly equipped one should be able to handle it.

Broker: A breaking wave will sweep all that equipment away.
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Old 03-11-2014, 13:06   #2
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tessellate View Post
Is there a "crazy $%#@ brokers say" thread here yet? (like the "crazy $%#@ white people say" Internet meme). I'll start with this contribution:

Me: I'm looking for a boat around 35-feet to maybe take to the South Pacific someday.

Broker: A 35 foot boat can't handle the South Pacific.

Me: Um. <long pause>. A properly equipped one should be able to handle it.

Broker: A breaking wave will sweep all that equipment away.
LOL...That broker obviously had a 36 foot boat to sell....
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Old 03-11-2014, 13:16   #3
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

"The owner prides himself on the maintenance of the boat".


Result:
  • Look in anchor locker, chain rusted badly.
  • Halyard frayed so bad one wonders how it could hoist a sail.
  • Pull engine dipstick, and something resembling tar comes out.

Result?

I said, "I'll call you, don't call me".
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Old 03-11-2014, 13:16   #4
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

Kelly: We want a Lightwave 38, we are not interested in any other yacht.

Broker: I have this Seawind 1160 for sale....

Kelly: We are only interested in Lightwave 38s.

Broker: I also have a....

And so it went on till we dumped the broker.
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Old 03-11-2014, 13:45   #5
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

As the saying goes - buyers are liars.

It's not just brokers who are crazy. Just wait to meet some of the sociopaths you get to meet when you go to sell a boat.

I'm no fan of most brokers but you couldn't payment enough to deal with some people.
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Old 03-11-2014, 13:47   #6
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

I will probably get some flack for saying this but I wonder why anyone would use a broker today. Everything for sale is on the internet. If you are a seller and have maintained your boat (or you are willing to pay someone to put in in "sale" shape) yopu have access to buyers world wide through the internet. There is no better spokesperson for your boat than you. Just don't leave it filthy and smelly (as I have seen lots of "for sale" boats) and expect it to sell. When I sold my previous sailboat the prospective buyer called, fixed on a single brand/model, and told me of the 5 for sale (including mine) he had already looked at 2 of them. I told him to look at the other 2 before seeing mine since I was sure that it was the best maintained and equipped of the lot. He checked out the other 2, flew half way across the country to see mine, and in a matter of minutes confirmed that it was the bast he had seen and signed the purchase agreement that day. He was an experienced boater who knew what he wanted and recognized excellent maintenance and quality equipment.
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Old 03-11-2014, 14:21   #7
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

I used a broker to buy as it cost me nothing and I had a very hard time getting brokers to call me back. I guess they take it more seriously when contacted by another broker
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Old 03-11-2014, 15:10   #8
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

Tessellate,

Yup, have had that happen. They want to sell their listings. One time, with a $60k budget, had a guy take us to a $110k boat on a rainy day. All the port lights leaked. It is good to go boat shopping in the rain. Of course, didn't buy it.

Had a friend once who made a great success out of yacht sales because he listened and showed people boats in their price range that met their preferences. Fancy that!

When we were looking for this boat, we had a list we'd printed up to show brokers, and there were 29 items of deal breakers (no ketches, no Volvos, no saildrives) and the rest were what we wanted. Broker responses ranged from, "Don't waste my time, get out of here!" to "I don't have anything that fits right now, but if you've time, I'd like to show you some boats and have you tell me why they're unsuitable." Guess which broker I'd choose if I were to sell this boat!

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Old 03-11-2014, 19:14   #9
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

Quote:
Originally Posted by S/V Illusion View Post
As the saying goes - buyers are liars.

It's not just brokers who are crazy. Just wait to meet some of the sociopaths you get to meet when you go to sell a boat.

I'm no fan of most brokers but you couldn't payment enough to deal with some people.
I've been on both sides of this table and indeed when I was a broker ran into a few buyers that were, well unpleasant. No sociopaths but some that were close. My favorite was a guy that came in a few times over a 2-3 year period who, when I finally pinned him down admitted he had no intention of ever buying a boat, just liked to look at them when he was in Florida on vacation.

On the other side, when I started shopping for a boat I found one I liked listed with a broker. Called the listing broker but that boat was already sold. So I gave him my list of requirements. Cutter rig only, maybe a sloop but nothing else would be considered. Center cockpit aft cabin only, modified fin keel, skeg rudder. So a couple of days later he sends me the listing for an aft cockpit, full keel, ketch. Needless to say, I never called him again.

On a side note, just to illustrate how careful one should be dealing with a broker. One manager I worked for gave me hell for giving an honest but negative appraisal of a boat to a prospective buyer. I was told that I should say anything a buyer wanted to hear to get the sale. I refused and told him if he didn't like it he could fire me.
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Old 04-11-2014, 04:48   #10
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

Quote:
Originally Posted by skipmac View Post
I refused and told him if he didn't like it he could fire me.
did he?
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Old 04-11-2014, 05:11   #11
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

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Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
I used a broker to buy as it cost me nothing and I had a very hard time getting brokers to call me back. I guess they take it more seriously when contacted by another broker
I have been shopping (from Arizona) for a 40ish foot blue water cruiser for a few years. This January we sold our 36.7 and got serious about the new boat. Asked a few brokers for more pics of their listings and got nothing, waited a few weeks and repeated the request. Then after another month of nothing I emailed a different agent in the office. One guy took 6 months just to get me info and I never did get pics, he left the brokerage and I requested pics from the brokerage owner TWO times and got nothing. Using a buyers broker (and taking away half their commission tends to get their attention.
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Old 04-11-2014, 05:27   #12
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

I think tire kickers outnumber actual buyers by a lot, but if you have a buyers broker, I assume they take you more seriously
I think most sales people are lazy, you don't get dirty, hot or use physical labor in sales, it doesn't require advanced education etc. They just simply are too lazy to return calls, and chase sales, most anyway.
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Old 04-11-2014, 05:50   #13
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

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Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
did he?
No. I was selling more boats than anyone else in the office so I guess he decided to let it slide.
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Old 04-11-2014, 05:56   #14
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

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I think tire kickers outnumber actual buyers by a lot
True but part of the process as a broker is to separate the tire kickers that are eventually going to buy from those that are just playing. Not always easy. I had a few customers that kicked tires for a couple of years or more and eventually bought a boat.


Quote:
Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
I think most sales people are lazy, you don't get dirty, hot or use physical labor in sales, it doesn't require advanced education etc. They just simply are too lazy to return calls, and chase sales, most anyway.
I have to admit I have the same experience with a lot of sales people and not just in the boat business. Not sure if it is all due to laziness or if they just see too many tire kickers and just assume that anyone showing up that isn't holding the checkbook isn't serious.
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Old 04-11-2014, 06:06   #15
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Re: Crazy $%#@ brokers say

Yup the boat broker industry is super broken.. Most brokers seem to be stuck 10 years in the past as they do nothing through e-mail. A hard working honest person could make a killing in that industry. Simply listen to customers, do the actual research and use the modern tools. Damn, its not rocket science.

A couple of months ago I e-mailed a broker (listing broker) about a boat I was interested in. I asked for more information and higher resolution images. He sent back a boilerplate e-mail with the exact same information on YW and asked when I could come and see it. I just shook my head and moved on..
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