There has never been a better time to buy a used boat, but the process is outdated and risky. Conditions have changed, but the system has not. As a result buyers often end up with the wrong boat, or the right boat but in far worse condition than they expected, or both.
Now there is a better way - a fresh approach to buying used boats. Imagine buying a boat with a boatyard representing your interests, before, during, and after the sale. Instead of working with a broker who represents the seller, you will have a boatyard on your side, one with 30 years of experience servicing and building a wide range of yachts. Zimmerman Marine will handle all aspects of the process, including boat selection, price negotiations, surveys, and systems inspections. Our service includes a One Year Post Purchase Warranty, and one year of free Technical Support Plan. And the best part…it will cost you less to buy a boat this way.
Twenty years ago, most people who wanted to buy a boat worked with a local broker whom they knew and trusted. Their broker would then help search for suitable boats by contacting other (listing) brokers, and looking through listings in magazines. Even though the seller was actually paying the commission received by the buyer’s local broker, the local broker would represent the buyer and would help the buyer through the process.
Now, with search engines like www.yachtworld.com, buyers do the searching themselves, and then contact the listing broker directly. The intermediary of a broker who already has a relationship with the buyer is often missing. Even though the listing broker represents the seller, buyers count on them to help with price negotiations, and to recommend surveyors. If you already work with a broker and surveyor you know and trust, you probably don’t need our service.
Typically a buyer must find a boat he likes, choose either the listing broker or a local broker to negotiate the deal, hire a surveyor, and then have a yard guess at maintenance, repair, and modification costs, often without a close inspection of the whole boat until it is delivered to their yard. The brokers are paid by the seller and are compensated to represent the seller’s interest. Somehow you have to find a good surveyor (who recommends one?), and the surveyor has no obligation or role once you own the boat. When all is said and done, the checks have been cashed, the disclaimers are in place, and you are on your own. The buyer is at a serious disadvantage.
Zimmerman Marine now offers Yacht Purchase Support Services. ZMI will represent your interests, before, during, and after the sale. We work for you, not for the seller, and we manage the whole process, including surveys, inspections, and recommendations. The fee is structured so that it costs you less to buy a boat this way, and with far less risk.