Would you Expect the Broker to Call You ?

[sweetsailing]

So, the mister and I are starting the search for the "big" boat. Planning on a trip to Houston this weekend to look at a few. There was one in particular that prompted our trip (connected to a business trip, so going there anyway).

So, I call up the listing broker and tell him we are wanting to come down to look at...we will call it Boat A. We make the arrangements, I book our flights, as long as we are going to be there to look at Boat A, let's make a list and look at Boat B, C, D and E while we are at it. However, I did make it clear that Boat A was our interest.

So, the broker emails me today with a list of boats we are looking at and confirms our appointment. Boat A is not on the list...how can this be?

Of course I call him right away and ask why Boat A is not on the list.

He tells me the boat was sold last week.

Now, admittedly, we are just starting our search and I don't necessarily understand all the dealings of a boat brokerage, however, I would have thought that since we made arrangement to see this boat that one of two things would have happened:

1) People don't place an offer, get a survey and test sail in a very short period of time. I would have thought that given the timeframe that the broker should have been up front with me when I made the appointment, that there was already an offer on the boat (if this is true) OR

2) An offer came in on this boat after I made the appointment and that being the case, would the broker not call me to tell me this and allow us to also put an offer in, if indeed we were really serious about the boat?

Or, do I really not understand how this works? What do you say?

[rebel heart]

Was boat A held by that brokerage? It's possible that the broker just didn't know what was going on with it and by the time he looked it was sold because it was held by another brokerage or in a big shop another broker that he doesn't communicate with every well.

Regardless, it's the broker's fault, no way around it. If you want a good one in San Diego let me know.

[gettinthere]

If your primary interest was in boat A and he can no longer sell you boat A...you might cancel the trip. He doesn't want that, so he doesn't tell you. Simple.

[sweetsailing]

Yes, Boat A was held by that brokerage. In fact, as much as I understand the boat is docked right in front of their office...so there goes excuse #1.

If you want a good one in San Diego let me know.

I presume you mean a broker and not a boat...although I might take either one.

[Stillraining]

Well I agree he should have known about it and informed you of other offers pending or interested parties looking..anyone with a modicum of common sense is going to ask around the office if someone is flying in to look at a boat to check on that.

However I have to inform you there are people whom do move very fast...

I flew in...Arrived 8:30 am... my surveyor picked me up at the airport we hit the boat after meeting my "buyers broker"..with prearranged hull surveyor, rigging aloft surveyor , mechanical surveyor , departed on sea trial with every one aboard for the sea trial proceeded to haul out inspection...re splash the boat...I made an offer by 4:30 pm ...had 3 beers with my broker at a marina bar...flew out at 7:30 pm.

Only mistake I made was getting talked out of sailing the boat up upon acceptance of my offer a week later right then and there.

[gr8trn]

Just in case you don't notice my signature indicating that I am involved in listing and selling sailboats...

I don't like the sound of it either. While I am not sure of the timing of your first communication about boat A and the confirmation today from the broker that boat A was sold last week, I wonder what he/she is thinking knowing that you are traveling from out of town.

So, if he/she told you today that boat A was sold last week, when did you make the arrangements to travel and look at boat A?

If it is a good boat at the right price, it may certainly be under contract and sold very fast (scenario 1). You should absolutely be told it is under contract if it is when you ask to look!

If scenario 2 was the case, the broker should have contacted you straight away to put in an offer as well. Of course, brokers in the same "house" may not communicate that an offer is coming in on boat A so that the broker in question had an opportunity to alert you.

For sure, the email today should have been one of apology and an explaination of what, in fact, happened in this case.

It may be that the broker did not "get" that you were as serious as you seem to be about boat A, who knows?

I am sorry to hear it and I wish that you find the right boat at the right time for the right price for you!

Greg

[sweetsailing]

While I am not sure of the timing of your first communication about boat A and the confirmation today from the broker that boat A was sold last week

Thanks all for your replies. The period of time between the first communication and the confirmation was 2 1/2 weeks. I guess based on stillraining's response, it is possible that the offer and sell happened that quickly. It wouldn't surprise me given what the boat is, it's condition and price. It wasn't going to sit on the market for long.

The thing that just gets me is that I would have at least liked the courtesy of a phone call and perhaps the opportunity, given the situation, to throw our hat in the ring.

Well...I can only conclude that this wasn't our boat and our boat is still waiting somewhere out there. We have time to continue the search and I would like to see alot more before we make a final decision, but we are already biased toward a few boats in particular and this was one of them.

[djmarchand]

The same thing happened to me several years ago, but worse. We planned a trip to Florida from the DC area to see three boats, one in Stuart and two in the Tampa area. We made arrangements with the listing broker in both cases about 5 days in advance. We got to Stuart and were shown the boat, but because the owners were on board, they told us that an offer was pending.

We confronted the broker and left mad. Brokers are like everyone else, there are good ones and there are bad ones.

The silver lining to the story is that the Tampa area broker was a princess and after not finding anything we liked on that trip, called us a few weeks later about a trade in that they just got in pristine condition. We bought it.

David

[denverd0n]

Please name names. Who was the Tampa broker that was so good?

For the OP, I would not deal with that broker again.

[sailingaway221]

Unless you had signed a contract and placed a deposit, there is nothing stopping the broker selling the boat regardless of whether you are going to look at it or not. I would suggest in the future, yes I know it sounds funny, but before booking tickets hotels etc, you send the deposit to the broker and sign the contract.... you have every right to say no to the boat for any reason and get the deposit back, but it prevents the broker from doing this type of thing. No deposit, no contract and the broker can sell whatever he likes at any time regardless of where or what you are doing to get to look at the boat. 2.5 weeks is plenty of time to sell a boat... all the buyer has to do is say yes after a sea trial and survey.... however if there was a signed contract on the boat and the broker was activeley trying to sell it to you then he's a schmuck anyways!@

Personally if it was clear to the broker you were primarily looking at A I wouldn't bother with dealing with him again. I dealt with 5 brokers before I brought the boat I wound up with.....the last one is still the only one that was honest and upfront and knowledgable about the boat he was trying to sell... the rest had NO IDEA..... and that includes one that actually contradicted the surveyor he recomended when the survey came back negative ... even without seeing the boat.....and considers himself the best yacht broker on the planet..... hahahha I still laugh and UN RECcOMEND him at every opportunity.

How do you know when somethings wrong with a boat.... the brokers lips are moving.....! ( its a joke.....)

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by sweetsailing

Thanks all for your replies. The period of time between the first communication and the confirmation was 2 1/2 weeks. I guess based on stillraining's response, it is possible that the offer and sell happened that quickly. It wouldn't surprise me given what the boat is, it's condition and price. It wasn't going to sit on the market for long.

The thing that just gets me is that I would have at least liked the courtesy of a phone call and perhaps the opportunity, given the situation, to throw our hat in the ring.

Well...I can only conclude that this wasn't our boat and our boat is still waiting somewhere out there. We have time to continue the search and I would like to see alot more before we make a final decision, but we are already biased toward a few boats in particular and this was one of them.

I know how you feel...

But you have to remember there are people in most cases that have looked at any boat way before you did, unless your the luck first one notified...Allot of buyers have already told several brokers what they are looking for and to give them a call if something comes up...so you have that against you right from the get go...

Also several of the past fender kickers who looked at the boat already, also wanted to go check out one or two others before making their decision...then come back to the first boat they looked at and decide its the one they should by anyway...

I don't do that....I do all my comparison online and when I show up if its been truthfully advertised ( and that another trick...grill the Broker over the phone first especially if it involves air travel)...That's why Im prepared to act fast, Because I know the basic boat is exactly what Im looking for right from the get go, I have already narrowed my search to one boat model...and I know Im not the only one looking at that one particular boat, dreaming about that boat...Lusting after that boat.

Many come back to find out the boat is now sold!

I have the preliminary offer figure and my Deposit check already written in my mind before I leave home...its a mater of personal verification the boat is as advertised to make the transaction final....as they say...Snooze you loose..

[hellosailor]

Bottom line is that all sales are "first come first served" and the rest comes down to "there's nothing as uncommon as common courtesy".

If you are spending money to go look at a boat--lock in a committment first. Sned 'em $500 for "rights of first refusal", i.e. promising they won't sell the boat until you have seen it, and the $500 buys you the right to meet or beat any offer that comes in the interim, to be refunded to you if you don't buy the boat.

There are all sorts of ways to put a "mutual committment" on a boat, and if you can't arrange that, just remember that the good ones do sell fast, to whoever shows the money first.

[S/V Illusion]

All this because one potential buyer had one bad experience with one broker - see isolated example

[sailingaway221]

tony@littleships.com

www.littleships.com

[chuckr]

when we bought our first and only boat, a new jeanneau ds40, in 2003 - we worked with the broker we met for almost 3 years until we got the right boat - he did not pressure us as we told him we had time to find the boat we wanted -- we had a list of things and he understood our financial situtation -
one of the great things he did for us as we were real novices at boats - one afternoon we went to his yard and for over 5 hours took apart 6 different boats to understand what makes a boat a boat and why for example an elan is different from a barvaria -- we can not thank him enough
he is still a friend and when we make major changes to the boat, just added a 50 gal secondary fuel tank, we bounced it off him and he did not say yea or nay just asked a lot of questions to make sure we did our home work --

he is also an ex cruiser so understand the life style and what works and does not

his name is ted novakowski of sound yachts in westbrook ct

chuck patty and svsoulmates
on the hook solomons md headed to crisfield in the am