[bljones]

James,...
You've never been in sales, have you?
A good broker is always in control, but also gets the buyer a boat and a deal that he/she is happy with.
A broker who lets the buyer dictate all the terms ends up with TWO unhappy people, both the buyer and the seller. This is usually where lawyers get involved.

If i was a seller, which is why i have hired a broker, I want the broker to do my qualifying for me, not simply be a tour guide. I don't want a broker essentially lending out my boat once or twice a week to folks who
a) have no money
b) can't get financed
c) are looking for a boat like mine and want to try mine out to see if they like it



As a seller I want prospects to be qualified, so yeah, "skin in the game" is a requirement.
You know what they call brokers who can't control the process?
Former brokers.