I guess it's partially a function of some brokers not caring, and the current very high demand. I guess some brokers think that a buyer will overlook deficiencies once they invest in a trip. It can certainly be hit or miss.
I looked at a boat 2 years ago. My broker had sold it to the owner and had the listing. It was several hours away and he hadn't seen it recently. It turns out the owner really hadn't taken care of it; the boat was generally grimy it had several obvious problems the owner had neglected. The broker was majorly PO'd for wasting my time, his time, and that the owner had been less than truthful about the condition.
For the one I'm buying, I got several comments from people that had dealt with the dealer. All were glowing. Still leery of putting a deposit on a boat unseen, or flying to see a potentially bad boat, I was able to have a friend look at it for me. He sent me a bunch of photos and gave it a thumbs-up. This was a huge help.
I looked at a boat 2 years ago. My broker had sold it to the owner and had the listing. It was several hours away and he hadn't seen it recently. It turns out the owner really hadn't taken care of it; the boat was generally grimy it had several obvious problems the owner had neglected. The broker was majorly PO'd for wasting my time, his time, and that the owner had been less than truthful about the condition.
For the one I'm buying, I got several comments from people that had dealt with the dealer. All were glowing. Still leery of putting a deposit on a boat unseen, or flying to see a potentially bad boat, I was able to have a friend look at it for me. He sent me a bunch of photos and gave it a thumbs-up. This was a huge help.