Why choose Australiawide to sell your boat?
Some strategies for the marketing and sale of your boat.
Why choose us?
Est. in 2000 we are the longest servicing marine brokerage for the largest (over 2,500 berths) recreation boat harbour facility in the Southern Hemisphere.
We have experienced brokers in our team who work as a team (sharing commissions) not individually as most other brokerages do. This ensures a much better performance.
Our website Australiawide.com is one of the most frequented in the industry and linked with other national and international websites.
- Australiawide.com is updated in house by our brokers on a daily basis, making it completely up to date.
- With our team you get 100% commitment.
- We are operated by boaties for boaties.
- We are an accredited member of Marine Queensland.
- We do not employ pushy sales people, as a result our friendly staff retain more interested buyers.
- We are totally seller orientated.
- We are working for you, and will keep you up to date with the whole process.
- You will only have one contact to deal with in our team, but can also feel secure in that there is many more working away for you behind the scenes.
- We are active members of local boating & yacht clubs and are involved. Our staff are locals.
How can you confirm we are the best?
Ask other sellers, we have up to date testimonials from our vendors and buyers. Ask your friends who know the area. Ask staff in the local boat clubs and marinas. Visit our office. Phone us, even after hours we are on the phone and happy to help. We recognize that many buyers will want to talk out of working hours.
What to do next?
Either call us, drop into our office or simply start filling out the details in list your boat.
We will arrange a time to meet you and your boat, go over the specifications and take the pictures.
So what will it cost?
There are no costs upfront unless you wish to buy additional advertising. Our commissions % is based on the successful sale of the vessel.
So what’s the deal?
Brokerage Fees
We stick to the Queensland Marine Brokers Association recommended commission for selling boats.
Commission shall be charged on the final sale price at a rate of 10% plus GST for the first $100,000 (minimum $5,000 + GST) and on the following scale for the remainder:
$100,001 to $200,000 8% + GST
$200,001 to $300,000 7% + GST
$300,001 and over 6% + GST
Do I sell privately, Multi list with more than one broker, or sell exclusively through one brokerage?
Private Sale
For: You will pay no professional fees.
Against: Buyers expect to get a bargain through a private sale so inevitably you will not be offered as much. It is difficult for buyers to qualify serious buyers and inevitably will show the boat to many time wasters. Negotiations are often extremely awkward and buyers are normally put off negotiating. Owners are too attached to their boat to negotiate with a clear head.
Summary: If you have plenty of time and can be bothered with tyre kickers, it might be worth considering.
Multi Listings:
For: The perception is the more brokers you have the boat listed with the more buyers. In reality, serious buyers visit most agents to make sure they do not miss a boat.
Against: Most reputable brokers have a commitment to their exclusive clients. If your boat is multi listed you will miss out on these benefits. Brokers who spend time on boats that are multi listed usually do so because they have few clients, which can be a reflection on their performance.
Summary: Statistically multi listed boats sell slower than exclusively listed boats. This is down to the fact that as a sole listing brokers will invest more time and money into getting the job done.
Sole Listings:
For: One brokerage works for you and is directly responsible to you. Only one set of keys in the market means greater security. The broker can concentrate on getting a good price knowing his hard work will get rewarded. This in turn means the brokerage will get future business either directly or indirectly from you. Our principle philosophy is to find buyers for your boat and not finding boats for buyers, that way you are assured we are working for you. The reality means that our team work harder for sole listings.
Against: If you have a sole listing with a brokerage who does not perform, you have no remedy to selling your boat. That is why we have no timeframe on our agreements – vendors can opt out if they feel we were not performing.
Summary: Statistically we sell more sole listings than multi listings due to the increased advertising and effort put in by the team. We also sell sole listings faster.
What can you do to help the process?
If you take the real estate jargon to the boating world, it is not location, location, location , but alternatively condition, condition, condition . Condition is king when it comes to buying and selling boats. Unlike cars which can be easily valued depending on factors such as age, engine, colour etc, boats do not conform to the same easily applied rule. First impressions are the most important thing in selling your boat, along with routine maintenance issues, keeping the boat clean and tidy (clutter free) takes some effort.
Keep the boat clean,uncluttered and presentable. Clean your boat. Be careful not to just do a cosmetic job. Buyers have the habit of looking in nooks and crannies that you may not have seen since you bought the boat. If you are serious about selling the boat, have it looking its best, spend the time (or money) having it thoroughly cleaned from tip to toe and keep it that way while it s on the market. (we can recommend cleaners should you require)
The head: Although not always of primary importance, a smelly boat will put buyers off straight away. Keep your toilet gleaming and condition so it is odour free. Should it smell this may indicate trouble with hoses and or sewerage systems that will put buyers off. It is worth having the head working and functioning odour free to make a good impression.
The bilge: The most forgotten area in most boats. Most knowledgeable buyers will look into the bilge as it says a lot about how the boat has been maintained. A clean dry bilge is ideal.
The Inboard Engine: The second most forgotten area in most boats. A clean shiny well painted engine sings chapters of self expression for the boats maintenance. Oily greasy engines send alarm signals. Wipe everything down, even the smallest spaces, get out your old toothbrush and get the greasy dust out between all the hard to reach areas. It should be clean, smell clean and be gleaming. Even some touch ups with paint to the engine can make all the difference. Have the service records standing by so buyers can inspect when on board.
Outboard Motors: All motors will be tested and in the case of outboards they are no different. The general rule of thumb is, if it is built by one of the main manufacturers, less than say 15hp and well maintained they are generally bullet proof. It is however important that it runs smoothly so make sure you have fresh (less than 1 month old) fuel on board!
Cabin: Make sure everything works, electric lights, any navigation equipment. Make sure the stove is working and freshly polished. Tidy up all storage lockers even those rarely used ones and take off ALL items that are not needed on board the boat. Too much clutter creates a bad impression. Just as important as the clean is de-clutter . De-clutter everything, neatness and cleanliness sell.
Sails: Most boats used for cruising do not have perfect sails, its one of those basic facts. However a sellers assessment of good condition and that of the buyer may vary wildly. A little known fact is that it costs very little to have a sail maker clean and repair sails and can also give an unbiased report on the whole sail wardrobe.
Listing equipment: Do not list equipment on the specification sheet if it is in poor condition or does not work. If something is broken, repair it or take it off the boat. If taking it off is not an option, let us know so we can advise buyers that it is not working.
Availability: We recognize that it is your boat and after all you still may want to go off into the big blue. Please do let us know in advance (if possible) if you are planning to take your boat out. After all we can t sell it if its not there.
Service Manuals: Any information to back up the boat has been well maintained will help you sell her. If possible leave copies of any paperwork including service history with us to display to buyers
Trust us: After all we are here to help you. Ask us what can I do that’s not too expensive but will help me sell the boat? We know what we are talking about and it is often easy for us to see small things that can make a big difference.
The last word: No boats are guaranteed to sell fast, even if everything is in tip top condition and smells of freshly cut roses. There is no magic formula to tell how long a boat will take to sell, but generally boats stay on the market too long for two reasons.
If there is something wrong with the boat.
If the boat is over priced.
If you can get the boat in good condition and stick to our valuation well your off to a cracking good start.