Guides & Resources
Everything you need to buy or sell a boat directly — no broker, no commission.
Everything you need to buy or sell a boat directly — no broker, no commission.
Plain-English, by-owner guides written for real deals — pricing, paperwork, surveys, escrow and avoiding scams — plus a free contract and a price tool you can use right now. Start with the complete guide, or jump to exactly what you need.
The full by-owner playbook: pricing with real data, cash vs. financed buyers, the survey & sea trial, escrow and getting paid safely, title transfer and Florida paperwork, documented yachts, and red-flag scams — for both sides of the deal.
Step-by-step guides
Price it, photograph it, list it free, vet buyers and close safely — and keep the broker's commission.
Find by-owner boats, check real prices, survey and sea-trial, negotiate directly and pay safely — no commission in the price.
Buying or renting a slip by owner: deeded vs. leased, what to verify, and what it should cost.
The step-by-step way to sell a yacht yourself and keep the ~10% commission — pricing, paperwork, survey and a safe close.
The complete process for larger vessels: documentation, survey, sea trial, escrow and closing — online and by owner.
Set the right asking price with real comps — using our free price-research tool, condition, season and negotiation room.
What a marine surveyor checks — hull, rigging, engine, systems — so buyers and sellers know exactly what to expect.
Title, registration, USCG documentation, bill of sale and lien release — the paperwork to transfer ownership cleanly.
Every step from prep to closing, with realistic timelines — and how to run the whole process yourself.
Where boats actually sell, what each option costs, and why listing free by owner keeps 100% of the sale.
The honest trade-off: keep the ~10% commission and control the deal, but you handle the time, buyer screening and paperwork.
Set a budget, find by-owner listings, survey and sea-trial, negotiate, finance and close.
Skip the broker commission, talk to the person who actually used the boat, and vet a private sale safely.
What a broker actually does, what it costs (~10%), and an honest look at whether you need one.
Why owners list free and by-owner on YachtBazar instead of paying a broker or a listing fee — an honest comparison.
List your yacht or boat for free — no listing fee, no commission, no broker. Buyers contact you directly.
Where to file a complaint against a yacht broker — by state, plus federal channels and the Bahamas.
Broker commission explained: ~10%, who pays it, how it splits — and how to keep it by selling by owner.
No buyer's broker? Make the broker keep 5% and give the seller the other 5% — so your offer looks 5% higher. Free Conditional Offer included.
Selling by owner and the buyer brings their own agent? What to pay them (if anything) — ~2.5% recommended, totally your call. Free commission agreement.
Spot the scam patterns, verify payments, and never lose money to wire fraud.
Free tools
A plain-language purchase agreement and bill of sale. Fill it in, print or download — no email required.
Live by-owner low / median / high asking prices by make — a no-broker-markup reference for setting yours.
Owners list free — no commission, no listing fee. Brokers and dealers welcome, always badged.