The sale of a yacht is a complex, high dollar transaction. For more than a decade, Kusler Yachts has earned it industry-leading reputation by consistently and successfully leading clients through the process of selling their sportfishers, center consoles, and motor yachts.
In Kusler Yachts’ 10-plus years of operation, its 350 boats sold average less than 90 days on the market. The efficiency and consistency of our work speaks to the soundness of our approach.
We are proud of this. It is a hallmark of our business. That said, there is quite a bit that goes into ensuring that the sale of a yacht is a positive experience.
When done well, the yachts sales process results in satisfied clients who are happy with the experience. When it is not done right, selling a yacht can be a terrible experience—one that induces stress and likely includes a series of price reductions and haggling (before agreeing to a price that may not be favorable to the seller).
The Kusler Yacht Approach to Yacht Sales details our commitment to integrity and acting in the best interest of our clients.
What follows is an introduction to the Kusler Yachts Sales Process. It starts with a commitment to doing right by our clients. Our process involves not only a commitment to honesty and integrity, but to knowing the industry and how to consistently produce positive yacht sales experiences for our clients.
The Role of a Professional Yacht Broker
The sale of a yacht is a complex, high dollar transaction. Our team of experienced, professional yacht brokers serve as guides to help navigate the process.
Our objectives are always the same:
- To help clients experience satisfaction and peace of mind during the process of selling their boats,
- To optimize the price their boats command.
Our success is made possible by not only honesty and integrity, but by knowledge of the boat market and understanding how to operate within it. Here’s how it works…
For more on our commitment to honesty, integrity, and getting the job done, read Why Buy from Kusler Yachts.
Market Trends and Boat Valuation
Understanding how much your yacht is worth is an incredibly important part of the sales equation. One of the worst things a prospective seller can do is to overprice his or her vessel.
Overpricing results in listings that sit without activity. Inactivity ultimately leads to a price reduction. All too often this first reduction leads to others… When the market senses movement in price, people start looking for a bargain. Once lost, this leverage in pricing and valuation can be difficult to reestablish.
How then do you know how much your boat is worth? That’s where we come in.
The first step in understanding how much you can expect to get for your boat, is to understand how much other people are getting for theirs. This involves understanding the boating market in all of its fluid, segmented and international glory.
It involves being able to discern how segments of the market (i.e. sportfishers from 50-65’ built after 2015) are currently performing. It involves understanding inventory availability and how scarcity can affect demand and influence price.
The 2023 Kusler Yachts Market Update breaks down our approach to analyzing the market for new and used sportfishers, center consoles and motor yachts.
After an analysis of current market conditions, we work with clients to derive a strategy and come to the optimal price to list their boat. This is a collaborative process that integrates the needs and desires of the client with the current market conditions. The result is not only a boat-specific sales strategy, but a guide for what clients can expect from the process.
Yacht and Boat Upgrades and Repairs
There are many factors that influence the optimal list price for a vessel. Vessel condition is among the most important. Vessels that are clean and properly maintained always command a better price than those that are not.
As we work through the valuation process of the boat, our team may provide a list of upgrades or repairs that can increase what you can ask for the boat. When you are selling a boat, several factors can influence whether or not to perform upgrades or repairs.
There are times when performing upgrades can result in a faster sale at a higher price. There are other projects that will cost the owner quite a bit of money, without making much of a difference in the sales price of the vessel.
As a full-service brokerage, we often work with clients over the course of their time owning the boat. When owners have long term plans for upgrading to a larger vessel in the future, we can suggest refits and upgrades to their current boats through time. This approach offers several benefits:
- It allows boat owners to use the upgraded systems during the course of owning the boat,
- It allows owners to spread the investment in upgrades and refits over the course of time, rather than paying for them as a single larger expense, and
- The upgrades are made with an eye for commanding a higher price when the boat is listed for sale. When the time comes to list the boat, it is in condition to optimize its asking price.
Network of Service Providers and Technicians
Beyond offering recommendations about which upgrades can result in the biggest impact on price, Kusler Yachts’ team can provide qualified recommendations on technicians, boatyards and service providers who can do the work. Our professional network spans the sportfishing world—East Coast, West Coast, Mexico and beyond.
Knowing the right people to perform the work can not only provide you peace of mind, but it can save money and time. Having work performed by reputable companies can also help when it comes time to sell your boat.
Staging and Presentation
The last step before listing your boat lies in staging and presentation. A clean, well-presented yacht can go a long way toward generating demand.
Our process pairs meticulous staging with professional photography and video services. Kusler Yachts believes that a picture is worth 1,000 words. We work with some of the best marine photographers, videographers and drone specialists on the market.
The 2023 Regulator 34’ showcases the quality of the listings we produce.
Kusler Yachts uses these photos and videos to create a dedicated, detailed listing for each vessel we represent. Not only do we publish these listings on KuslerYachts.com, but we broadcast the vessels on multiple listing services. We pride ourselves on leveraging the many avenues available on the modern yacht sales landscape—including social media channels, our website and external listing services.
We craft boat-specific distribution plans to showcase the unique attributes of your vessel. Kusler’s distribution plan is then broadcast to target-rich media outlets full of the right type of prospect for your situation. Every Kusler Yachts listing benefits from our investments in our website—SEO best practices, engaging yacht blog, and targeted direct communications.
Accessing the International Yacht Market
In many ways, the modern yacht market is a single, global network. Kusler Yachts opens this world for our clients.
We have successfully represented international sellers who wanted to gain access to U.S. buyers. Kusler Yachts represented this 2011 Hatteras 54, owned by a client in Sicily.
If a prospective buyer for your boat is located outside the United States, Kusler Yachts is experienced working with yacht transport companies who can ship vessels across the Pacific or Atlantic. We also have a great deal of experience importing boats into Mexico and can help navigate the process of buying or selling a boat located in the Baja.
Testimonials: The Proof is in the Pudding
The most satisfying reflection of the value of our approach comes from the words of our clients. When it comes to buying or selling a yacht, there are many options. We pride ourselves on being the best.
For more perspective on the types of experience that our commitment makes possible, check out these client profiles.
“This will be the 9th boat that I’ve owned. Mike is the best dealer that I’ve worked with,” begins Ron Gladnick, describing the process of building the Whopper Stopper—a brand new Albemarle 41 Custom Carolina Edition. “He takes a real interest in the boat and the client.”
Ron Gladnick worked with Kusler Yachts to build the Whopper Stopper, a 41’ Albemarle. Here’s Ron’s experience.
“Michael Kusler was great. The process was as easy as it could possibly be,” describes Matt Weiner of how the boat came to be. Wiener owns a 25 Regulator— a vessel that he will trade in as he upgrades. “The boat will stay in Costa Palmas in the Baja and will be used often—to catch lots of fish. We are super excited about it.”
Matt Weiner worked with Kusler Yachts to bring a 31’ Regulator to the Baja. Here’s the story of his experience.