Why would you still consider paying a yacht broker?

Volvo Ocean Race veteran Bouwe Bekking © doityourselfyachtbroker.com

We talked to Volvo Ocean Race veteran Bouwe Bekking and his business partner, Jort van Sisseren, about their pioneering business, 'Do-it-yourself yacht broker'.

Independent research shows that 83% of private boat owners feel the average yacht brokerage commission is far too high. 90% of those owners believe they can sell their boat themselves without the use of a broker. Yes, people can easily self-advertise their boats online. There are many used-boat websites out there, but isn't there more to buying and selling boats? What about the legal and financial aspects? Don't you need a yacht broker to assure you that things are properly taken care of?

"Most people are unaware of the risks that are involved when buying or selling boats themselves without having the expertise of a professional, but more and more people do not see why they have to a pay a broker when supply and demand find each other on the Internet these days", says Bouwe Bekking. Jort van Sisseren adds "It is absolutely vital to have all legal & financial aspects of a yacht sale well taken care of. You don't want to leave loose ends and find out afterwards that your new boat is still registered in the name of its previous owner. In this case, the boat could still serve as security to someone else's mortgage, or the seller has both the money and the boat simultaneously, leaving you at risk. For sellers on the other hand, it is important to have everything covered in solid sales and delivery agreements, and they want to have the certainty they are going to receive payment before the actual delivery". Their new online service 'Do-it-yourself yacht broker' claims to have the alternative: Advertising on multiple used-boat websites to generate exposure. You can sell and buy boats using the unique step-by-step sales module that covers all legal & financial aspects. They never charge a commission!

How does it work?

You go to DoItYourselfYachtBroker.com and click on 'Advertise your boat for free'. Follow the steps to make an advert. Then upload an unlimited amount of pictures and a video. We will automatically place your boat on Boatshop24.com, Boten.nl and Boats.com. Buyers can acquire a technical survey online, plan a visit, download brochures or simply contact you for more information. When you have agreed on a sales price, you can log into your account and invite the buyer for the sales module. When he accepts you both go through every aspect of the sales process. The sales module sets itself accordingly depending on whether the boat is registered (and where), a mortgage is involved, or the buyer needs financing. You receive the sales agreement, protocol of delivery, bill of sale, a delivery checklist, you go through safe payment, insurance, shipping registry and other essential documentation. When you need help you consult our 24/7 support, or contact us with your questions.

How do you earn money with this?

Our concept is unique and therefore registered worldwide. We want to grow quickly, so we are for free now. However, we have to eat as well and we will start asking a small advertising fee in the future, but we will never charge a brokerage commission. We feel this is an inevitable development of the traditional yacht brokerage model; we see the same development in other vertical markets where 'the middle man' has been made obsolete. All private yacht owners worldwide benefit from this and our goal is to change the way people buy and sell boats, so no one has to pay a brokerage commission ever again.

Do yacht brokers see that benefit as well?

No, but they should have thought about their business model a long time ago. With the Internet now at our fingertips, we expect complete transparency. Conventional brokers should know, that if you charge substantial amounts of money for any service, you need to show people what you do for them in return. Nothing is free, but there should be a reasonable balance. The traditional yacht brokerage model has been unfair for long enough and it surprises us that we are the pioneers of this concept. More expensive boats will probably still use a yacht broker, but when you consider that you can save around € 40.000,- Euro when selling your € 500.000,- Euro boat yourself, it is just a matter of time before most people convert to DIY-Yacht Broker. Why then, would you still consider paying a yacht broker?

Is it safe to buy & sell expensive boats using an online service?

In order to prevent scams we have developed a few tools that help our users to keep our community a safe and trustworthy environment for buying and selling boats. Our social verification uses e-mail, social media and your mobile phone number to verify who you are. You can confirm your e-mail address, fill in your phone number and wait to receive a personal code via text message. You can then use this code to verify your phone number. You can also connect your profile to selected social media accounts; like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. In this way other users know that you are a genuine person who is sincere about selling or buying boats. Others can only see that you are 'verified', so your personal information is always hidden from them. If in the rare case someone does place a fake advert, or tries to scam you by making a fake offer to buy your boat, you can report that person so our team can immediately investigate and permanently block them from our website. In this way it is everyone's responsibility to keep the users and the online community safe. The social verification is unique and makes 'Do-it-yourself yacht broker' one of the safest boating communities on the web.

doityourselfyachtbroker.com