Brokers

[Sand crab]

I get the "is this still available" query within minutes of listing on Craigslist so never ever ask this. I only respond if there is something that personalizes the email so I know it's not a scam.

But I imagine boat brokers are not much better than real estate brokers and I can tell you stories about them.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Shrew

You're posting during business hours and have 2 thousand posts in less than 2 years. You have time to make a 2 minute phone call. You're not interviewing him for a job or surveying the boat, you're booking an appointment.

But only if you're actually interested in the boat, of course.

If you're just curious, emailing back and forth is an easy way to get someone ELSE to waste some time.

I sold a boat a couple of years ago myself. Was an older boat, and I needed to sell it reasonably quickly so I was willing to accept a bit below what it was worth, but I had people calling from all over the country, and could tell from the conversations that even the folks who sounded really interested weren't going to buy that boat. At least not in my time frame.

It was often clear they didn't know anything at all about boats, and were unrealistic as to what to expect for that price. Would have been a great fit for some of them, but the logistics would have been difficult. Some just seemed to want to talk.

So I ended up selling it locally.

[Mike OReilly]

When I sold our last boat I set up a website (my own site, not some Craiglist thing) and included lots of pics, and all the detailed information I thought would be of value. When contacted by a potential buyer I would simply direct them to the website if they were asking questions covered on the website.

This was a simple way to weed out the dreamers, tire kickers, and scammers, from those who were actually interested. It became easier to identify actual potential buyers this way. They were always the ones who had obviously done their homework by spending time on the website. When these people came back with questions I was more than happy to spend time with them.

[Sailing August]

Brokers have been replaced by the internet......the people still calling themselves "Yacht Brokers" just haven't gotten the memo yet.

[alex_sauvage]

If those are common Tire Kicker questions and you know that, why don't you address them in boat discription? Then you have right to ingnore those emails. Otherwise you are not doing proper job advertising the boat

Originally Posted by Shrew

-> Call via phone, don't send an E-mail

-> Whether you speak with the broker or leave message, request a showing.

-> Don't ask a bunch of tire-kicker questions during the initial contact. Simply book an appointment.

Tire Kicker Questions:

Is It still available?
Is there a survey?
Are there maintenance records?
How old is......?
When was the last time <Blah> was done?


You can rage against the process all you want, but if you're initial contact is an E-mail asking things like "Is it still available" expect to to enjoy the sound of silence.

Incidentally, 90% of responses from online sites like Craig's List ask the same question. I respond and never get a reply back from the 'interested' buyer.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by alex_sauvage

If those are common Tire Kicker questions and you know that, why don't you address them in boat discription? Then you have right to ingnore those emails. Otherwise you are not doing proper job advertising the boat

Is It still available?
--> The ad is live, we can assume the boat is available

Is there a survey?
--> Surveys are the responsibility of the buyer, not the seller. Sellers rarely get a survey or even get copies from a buyer. If there were one available it should be in the ad. There is almost never one available for free.

Are there maintenance records?
--> A broker isn't going to gather and store a portfolio of maintenance items, nor are hey going to carry one around with them. The last time something was done is somewhat irrelevant. The only thing that matters is the current state of various items and systems. It is the due diligence of the buyer to have a survey done.

How old is......?
--> It would be unreasonable to list the age and date of replacement of every single item.

When was the last time <Blah> was done?
--> It would be unreasonable to list the age and date of replacement of every single item.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by alex_sauvage

If those are common Tire Kicker questions and you know that, why don't you address them in boat discription? Then you have right to ingnore those emails. Otherwise you are not doing proper job advertising the boat

Exactly .

Q: Is It still available?
A: If the ad is up the boat is available.

Q: Is there a survey?
A: Yes, and here it is. Or no.

Q: Are there maintenance records?
A: Yes, and here they are (if digital). Or no.

Q: How old is...
A: Here is the list of installed equipment, including when it was installed.

See, simple.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Shrew

Is It still available?
--> The ad is live, we can assume the boat is available

Is there a survey?
--> Surveys are the responsibility of the buyer, not the seller. Sellers rarely get a survey or even get copies from a buyer. If there were one available it should be in the ad. There is almost never one available for free.

Are there maintenance records?
--> A broker isn't going to gather and store a portfolio of maintenance items, nor are hey going to carry one around with them. The last time something was done is somewhat irrelevant. The only thing that matters is the current state of various items and systems. It is the due diligence of the buyer to have a survey done.

How old is......?
--> It would be unreasonable to list the age and date of replacement of every single item.

When was the last time <Blah> was done?
--> It would be unreasonable to list the age and date of replacement of every single item.

I wouldn't necessary expect a seller to have or share a survey, but in my mind, if they're willing to share and have a fairly recent one available that was required for insurance or anything, letting a potential buyer see it is an easy way to let a buyer make a quick decision on whether they want to put any more time into that boat or move on. And it takes minimal work from the broker or seller's side compared to a buyer setting up a survey and then backing out.

As far as maintenance, if I ask about it, I don't expect to receive a detailed list. I'm more looking for "has the seller kept good records of what they've done and when, or am I totally on my own to figure out what's going on if I buy this thing?"

[alex_sauvage]

1) I guess it depends where you advertise. I have seen ads where boat was sold years ago. Adding small disclamer : if ad still here - boat is available will solve this issue

2) Yes, obviously final survey is buyers responsibility, but if there are surveys available why not to provide them unless there is something to hide. I have previously recieved surveys from brokers that helped me to save time and money. Those guys I would like to work with in a future

3), 4) and 5) I would recommend every seller and broker to visit Sell/Buy section in this forum to see how much information good ad can contain. Yes, it take time , but good job always does. If someone does wants to collect commision without doing any work then he/she does not deserve those money

Originally Posted by Shrew

Is It still available?
--> The ad is live, we can assume the boat is


--> Surveys are the responsibility of the buyer, not the seller. Sellers rarely get a survey or even get copies from a buyer. If there were one available it should be in the ad. There is almost never one available for free.

Are there maintenance records?
--> A broker isn't going to gather and store a portfolio of maintenance items, nor are hey going to carry one around with them. The last time something was done is somewhat irrelevant. The only thing that matters is the current state of various items and systems. It is the due diligence of the buyer to have a survey done.

How old is......?
--> It would be unreasonable to list the age and date of replacement of every single item.

When was the last time <Blah> was done?
--> It would be unreasonable to list the age and date of replacement of every single item.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by Shrew

Hate it if you like, but you're not going to convince an anonymous forum to get the brokers to play their game with your rules.

Don't have to convince anyone. Time will do it for me. Within 5-10 years, any broker who is not internet savvy, and who does not respond to e-mails, will be out of business. This is the way of the future. Hate it if you like, but very soon you are not going to convince ANYONE to play the game by last-century rules.


Oh, and, by the way... Lest you think I am some millennial who doesn't understand how business works, I am already eligible for Social Security. If you haven't joined the 21st century, then I'm not interested in doing business with you. Younger folks feel that way, only ever so much more so.

[two-rocks]

Bought my boat 2 years ago and the broker BS is still fresh. No, I was not in the lower end market - but not $$$ either.

My calls only -no email - as I realized these people were old fashioned, with the simple question of setting up an appointment.... got many, many crickets.

I found a boat, found the owner and went that way. Thankfully this owner had a clause to sell on his own.

The only good that came of it, I now have a very short list of brokers I “might” use when the time comes.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Shrew

You're posting during business hours and have 2 thousand posts in less than 2 years. You have time to make a 2 minute phone call. You're not interviewing him for a job or surveying the boat, you're booking an appointment.

This is what I do instead if watching TV. This and reading.

If someone isn't going to communicate my way, they aren't getting the deal. End of story.

I also am here in a pandemic sitting around with my busineses shut down by government order, genius. Literally nothing to do but wait and post here. So your personal attack is absolutely ridiculous saying I have all the free time in the world to waste on voice calls. I typically have 50+ people a day to deal with. Mostly employees.

It takes 5-10 seconds to convey the information in a 2 minute phone call by text. You can waste your life on the phone, never able to get anything done because you have to stop in the middle or waste hours of extra time checking voicemail and calling people back to get their voicemail. It's downright stupid to use a phone.

You're basically the last one. You're going to have to start calling yourself to have a conversation on your voicemail ha ha ha.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Any broker who thinks that e-mailers are just tire-kickers, and that serious buyers will call to talk is living in the past. He is a dinosaur, and like the dinosaurs will soon be extinct. Today's generation prefers initial contacts, at least, to be by e-mail or text.

Yeah, sure, a lot of tire-kickers will e-mail. Doesn't change the fact that a lot of very serious buyers will also e-mail. A serious broker, who wants to sell boats, will respond to e-mails.

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Don't have to convince anyone. Time will do it for me. Within 5-10 years, any broker who is not internet savvy, and who does not respond to e-mails, will be out of business. This is the way of the future. Hate it if you like, but very soon you are not going to convince ANYONE to play the game by last-century rules.

Yeah, sure, but... in the meantime, lots of brokers are old guys... .and if the point is to buy a boat this week, waiting 5-10 years for old guys (like me, BTW) to age off probably isn't gonna trot out any instant success.

There's another point too: voice contact -- face to face better, phone sometimes OK -- allows (better) instant "reading" of the potential buyer, so real sales guys, Dale Carnegie graduates and so forth, can do better to either sell the boat in question or failing that, maybe steer the buyer to something that might be a batter fit. Whether the broker has one available, or not.

I don't mean to sound like I'm defending all the brokers in the free world (though I've worked with good one and another decent one). And were it me, I'd be inclined to answer all e-mails; a prospect is a prospect -- excepting all the scams, of course. Just recognizing that for the current broker population, insisting on communicating your way might not get you the boat your after.

-Chris

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Yeah, sure, but... in the meantime, lots of brokers are old guys... .and if the point is to buy a boat this week, waiting 5-10 years for old guys (like me, BTW) to age off probably isn't gonna trot out any instant success.

There's another point too: voice contact -- face to face better, phone sometimes OK -- allows (better) instant "reading" of the potential buyer, so real sales guys, Dale Carnegie graduates and so forth, can do better to either sell the boat in question or failing that, maybe steer the buyer to something that might be a batter fit. Whether the broker has one available, or not.

I don't mean to sound like I'm defending all the brokers in the free world (though I've worked with good one and another decent one). And were it me, I'd be inclined to answer all e-mails; a prospect is a prospect -- excepting all the scams, of course. Just recognizing that for the current broker population, insisting on communicating your way might not get you the boat your after.

-Chris

I'm fairly young and I'll agree that a phone call or face to face meeting can be very useful in a lot of ways. But if I have a decent idea of what I'm looking for, an email can easily provide me the additional info I'm looking for to tell me "do I want to talk to this guy further and look into this seriously or should I pass on this one and look at that other one?"

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

But if I have a decent idea of what I'm looking for, an email can easily provide me the additional info I'm looking for to tell me "do I want to talk to this guy further and look into this seriously or should I pass on this one and look at that other one?"

If you get an answer.

If you don't get an answer to email, you (or OP, for example) might get an answer to a phone call. Or not...

But if the latter might be successful, depends on how much you (or OP) might actually want an answer.

-Chris