Brokers and price discount

It''s hard to say. I''m a broker in New York, and while I work for sellers 80% of the time, I do get calls asking me to find and negotiate for specific boats. Any broker who tells you he can get you a better price, or x% off, is lying. What they can do, if they are good and honest, is get the true condition of the boat, and the true financial state of the seller. They also have (as do most people these days, so discount this incentive)pricing on comparitive boats recently sold. And if they are in the area of the boat you want, they can look at it (though this is far short of survey) to determine market value. These services don''t cost buyers anything, the selling commission is split between brokers. But of course, there is no way to determine how hard the broker will work for you. It depends on their ethics, the cost/benefit analysis that any businessman or women engages in every moment of every day, and personal relationships. Good luck, and if I can throw my 2 cents in, buy a PDQ. I''ve sailed them alot, and think highly of them.

Finding a good broker can be almost as hard as finding a good used boat, but they are out there.

The broker that I purchased my used boat through was really fantastic. He was friendly, courtious, helpfull. (Greg Routan of GBS at Casa Rio Marina in Maryland).

When it came time to start the engine up on the hard, it was Greg that showed up with the bucket and hoses necessary for me to do my engine test. When I took delivery of the boat (after the sale was done) Greg stopped by and helped me get going. I can''t say enough good things about him.

Do a check on yourself and see if your putting off some bad vibes, or if theres something that you are saying that is turning them off. If your fairly sure that your putting out positive ''sale'' vibes, then I would put it out as ''bad luck'' and go find myself another broker.

Hope that helps,

Larry Taborek
C27 Dixie Chicken