Sell privately or with a broker?
A private sale saves the commission and costs you time, reach and protection. A broker brings buyers, handles papers and the deposit, and takes a commission.
Updated 2 min read
Key points
- A private seller manages viewings, price, paperwork, deposit and closing alone.
- A broker's commission comes from the sale price and is set in the listing agreement.
- Reach and protection matter most for higher-value or complex boats.
What a private sale involves
- Setting a price. See What is my boat worth? How brokers price a yacht.
- Photographing and advertising the boat on portals or in marina groups.
- Answering enquiries, qualifying buyers and arranging viewings.
- Running the sea trial and the survey. See Surviving the buyer's survey.
- Drafting the agreement and holding the deposit. See Making an offer and the memorandum of agreement and The deposit: how escrow protects you.
- Clearing the title, paying off finance, and handling the registration. See Closing, paying off finance and de-registration.
You save the commission. You carry the time, the risk of fake buyers and payment fraud, and any mistake in the paperwork.
What a broker adds
- A buyer list and listings on the main portals.
- A price based on recent comparable sales.
- Screening of buyers, with checks on funds. See Proof of funds and anti-money-laundering checks: what to expect.
- Viewings and sea trials while you are elsewhere.
- A standard agreement, and a neutral way to hold the deposit.
- Help with VAT, registration and closing. See The seller's document pack: VAT, registration, CE, service history.
The cost
The seller normally pays a commission, agreed in the listing agreement and paid at closing from the sale price. Ask each broker for the commission, what it covers, and which costs are extra. See Listing agreements and the costs of selling.
How to decide
- A private sale can work for a popular model, a local buyer pool, an owner with time, and a clean set of papers.
- A broker suits a boat with complex status (see Selling a boat with special status: VAT-unpaid, foreign flag, financed or charter-registered), an owner who lives abroad, a higher-value boat, or a market where buyers come from several countries.
A middle path
Some owners start privately and move to a broker after two or three months with no result. Check the agreement for how a prior buyer you introduced is treated.
Related guides
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; check your own case with a professional or ask us.