How to casually let people know your boat is for sale?

Z-Worthy

Active Member
Jun 20, 2014
457
Sandusky, OH
Boat Info
2002 Sunseeker 44 Camargue
Engines
450hp Cat 3208s
My wife and I have a 1997 400DA with the 3116 CATs, and with a new baby and desire to travel more, we're starting to entertain the idea of getting rid of the boat. We've upgraded all the cockpit upholstery, canvas, glass, installed full cockpit SeaDek, baselined the engines, etc. It's in about as good of shape as you'll find in a 20+ yr old boat; not perfect but everything functions and it looks incredible. So we're not super motivated to get rid of it and we wouldn't be devastated if we kept it for a few more years. But if a buyer came along looking for a well-maintained and updated boat and was willing to pay a premium for it, we'd certainly entertain the offer. However, our marina doesn't allow any "for sale" signs on the docks. Has anyone on the forum found a way to casually let the public know their boat is for sale without enlisting a broker or spending hours dealing with tire kickers?
 
Why wouldn’t you hire a broker? This is exactly their trade?
 
We're not allowed to have any "For Sale" signs at our marina either since Safe Harbor took over unless we use their onsite broker which we didn't care to do. Anytime I've used Craigslist or Boattrader it seems like I get too many tire kickers that end up wasting my time. So when we decided to list our 2001 410DA we did so with an extremely reputable broker (JBYS), and I told him the least amount I would take for it. Since our marina doesn't allow any outside brokers either, our broker listed it on Yacht World, screened the potential buyers and I personally showed the boat. The 2nd couple that looked at it bought it within 24 hours of seeing it, and it was only on the market for 9 days. Ours was completely updated, everything worked, and was always maintained with an open checkbook. In the end we came down 4% off the asking price, and we got the highest resale value I've ever seen or heard of for that year/model. From the day we listed to the day our boat changed hands was about 2 1/2 weeks total. Survey showed "Bristol Condition". If your boat is as nice as you say, I would hope you could get all the money you're looking for even if you list with a broker. Good luck with whatever way you choose.

-Tom
 
We're not allowed to have any "For Sale" signs at our marina either since Safe Harbor took over unless we use their onsite broker which we didn't care to do. Anytime I've used Craigslist or Boattrader it seems like I get too many tire kickers that end up wasting my time. So when we decided to list our 2001 410DA we did so with an extremely reputable broker (JBYS), and I told him the least amount I would take for it. Since our marina doesn't allow any outside brokers either, our broker listed it on Yacht World, screened the potential buyers and I personally showed the boat. The 2nd couple that looked at it bought it within 24 hours of seeing it, and it was only on the market for 9 days. Ours was completely updated, everything worked, and was always maintained with an open checkbook. In the end we came down 4% off the asking price, and we got the highest resale value I've ever seen or heard of for that year/model. From the day we listed to the day our boat changed hands was about 2 1/2 weeks total. Survey showed "Bristol Condition". If your boat is as nice as you say, I would hope you could get all the money you're looking for even if you list with a broker. Good luck with whatever way you choose.

-Tom

Ill second JBYS, my wife and I have worked with Ron Silvia twice and have nothing but great things to say! Great team at JBYS
 
Having a good broker is key. The previous owners and my wife and I have become friends and we both agreed that our experience dealing with the broker was not what we would call a positive experience.
 
Do just what you did......put the word out in places like this - more boats than you think trade hands on here b/c somone did exactly what you just did
 
Craigslist! It's free....and boattrader isn't much more than free :). List it for a price that would absolutely make you sell. Not an "on the fence" price. I sold my 340 and bought my 400 both through boattrader.

But for what it's worth you're going to really, really want another boat in about 3 years. Newborns are tough but toddlers and up are an absolute blast on the water. My kids were 4, 3 and 6 months when I bought my first cruiser. This will be our fifth season coming up and it's the best money I've ever wasted. It's all the kids talk about during winter...nearly.

Good luck either way!
 
Any yacht clubs near you? Most of them have a bulletin board where you can post a 5x7 card with a photo and the necessary specs.
 
If you want to casually let people know you are open to selling, just let your dock neighbors know. if you want offers, let a broker know.

It’s hard to tell from your post if you really want to sell. Maybe you only want to sell for a really strong price. Something to keep in mind is that the economy and fuel prices can really influence demand, and those are both really favorable right now. They might not be as favorable when you decide you really want to sell.

Also, I agree completely with the comments about kids and boats. We were fortunate enough that we have had boats the entire time raising our kids. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. We had a sailboat that we sold because sailing is a little tough with very small kids, but we had a runabout and sea doos and they both grew up on the water.

Good luck with your path.
 
this thread is a little old and OP hasn't responded since initial post but I'd comment...
that having a new baby, and traveling more, are not concepts that usually go together.

you may find that having a new baby makes you travel less...

in which case having a boat may be a great place to "travel" with the baby and have all your baby stuff with you
 
Craigslist is great. As far as time wasters, I've heard that term used by the buyers and sellers alike when things weren't up to either's standards. The beauty is, if they travel to look at your item, you have used some of their time also. Sweet revenge.
 
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I asked the person who serviced my boat since it was new if he could recommend a good broker. I contacted the broker he suggested the same day and he had the boat sold the next day before we signed a brokerage agreement or advertised it.
 
Lots of low ballers, dreamers and tire kickers on Craigslist but it’s free and you do get a lot of exposure there so it can be a great way to get the word out.
I sold a small Jetski trailer on there a week or so ago. It was a nice solid little trailer. Listed it for $400 and got lots of text messages and emails asking about it. Most were low ballers making ridiculous offers without even seeing it. Things like “hey, will you take 200?” But I sold it for 375 within a matter of days. The guy that bought it needed one, he had looked at several, knew it was a fair deal and jumped on it as soon as he saw it.
We had a similar experience on there when selling a family vehicle back in January. It went for a great price in less than 48 hours.
List it on Craigslist with an honest description, fair price, accurate pictures, and have potential buyers respond by text or email so you can weed out the dreamers without wasting time on the phone with them and you’ll sell it.
You’re going to recognize serious buyers by the questions they ask.
 
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One thought about CL vs. a broker concerns pricing. Had I gone that route, I would have left serious money on the table. Brokers can provide help with pricing. I had a list of Tiaras like mine and what they sold for, and how long they had been on the market. There were 5 on the list and the info was three years old. Had I gone with CL I would have done more research on pricing, but I used the broker. Frankly, I was astonished at the price appreciation that occurred over the past 3 years. My broker told me it has actually been going on for 5 years. If you sell on your own make sure you understand what you are selling and what it is worth.
 
hmmm. I think you need to make a decision. There is little more frustrating from a buyers perspective than trying to deal with an on-the-fence seller. All that said, a good (read knowledgable) broker will pay for themselves a few times over.
 
I know brokers are like realtors...there are good ones and bad ones...but I can't help but cringe a little when I read the non-qualified general statements about how much value a broker can bring to a deal. In shopping for two Sea Rays in my life I've uncovered 8.7 junky brokers for every 1 that actually gave a crap. While shopping I was repeatedly and consistently surprised by the horrible responsiveness I got from multiple listing brokers. And I'm not just an email sender. I emailed, I called, I spoke with receptionists, I sent text messages. All of it.

Not all brokers are created equal. But all CL and boattrader ad's are created equal, horrible listing photos notwithstanding :)
 
I know brokers are like realtors...there are good ones and bad ones...but I can't help but cringe a little when I read the non-qualified general statements about how much value a broker can bring to a deal. In shopping for two Sea Rays in my life I've uncovered 8.7 junky brokers for every 1 that actually gave a crap. While shopping I was repeatedly and consistently surprised by the horrible responsiveness I got from multiple listing brokers. And I'm not just an email sender. I emailed, I called, I spoke with receptionists, I sent text messages. All of it.

Not all brokers are created equal. But all CL and boattrader ad's are created equal, horrible listing photos notwithstanding :)

I prefer dealing directly with the buyer/seller. And completely agree with your assessment in the first paragraph.

As far as knowing the market, again, not difficult. I contacted a surveyor friend who got me the comps on the boat I was selling and the boat I was buying.

As with everything, each has their own way of doing things. Mine has worked very well for me.
 
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It's a little easier to know the market when you are selling a high volume boat. There is a lot of data. In our case there were 24 Opens for sale in the US and just two in Michigan. The buyer had seen the other boat and was ready to buy it. He found out about ours and bought it instead. The other one had been advertised as a fresh water boat. It had, however, spent a brief period of time in brackish water. The surveyor told me the boat was clean but had all of the tell tale signs of being run in salt water. The market included a mix of various years with most being newer and some gas while others were diesel. Hours varied. So how do you price? Broker was helpful with this. Again, I was surprised that ours was worth more than some diesel boats. I know I sound like an advertisement for brokers. This is really just a recap of my experience. It represents the only sale I've been involved with that included a broker. All others were done between private parties.
 
View attachment 69507 The other one had been advertised as a fresh water boat. It had, however, spent a brief period of time in brackish water. The surveyor told me the boat was clean but had all of the tell tale signs of being run in salt water. .

You have posted many pictures of your boat here in the past and it was in great condition. It was obvious that you took great care of it.
If the other boat “had all the tell tale signs of being run in salt water” after just a brief time in brackish water, the owner didn’t take care of it at all. Your buyer is way better off with yours.
 

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