There are many good reasons to sell a boat, whether you need the extra money or are simply shopping for an upgrade. And if you’re selling your boat, you’ll probably be interested in selling it as quickly as possible, as easily as possible, and for as much money as possible.
To these ends, selling your boat online may be the best option.
The Advantages of Selling Your Boat Online
These are some of the most important benefits of selling your boat online:
- More buyers. The volume of boat sales in the United States is higher than it’s ever been – and trends are similar in other developed countries around the world. There are hundreds of thousands of interested buyers around the world, all of whom might be interested in buying your vessel. Unfortunately, if you try to sell the boat on your own or list the boat in a local ad, you’ll only tap a fraction of this audience. Having more buyers will also confer a number of other benefits.
- A quicker sale. For example, listing your boat online will often lead to a quicker sale. Because you’ll have thousands of buyers looking at your listing, there’s a higher chance that someone will want to place an offer. In some cases, you could get multiple offers within a day or two of listing. If you want to get this sale completed as quickly as possible, listing online is your best bet.
- A higher price. In many cases, you can justify selling for a higher price when you sell online. You’ll have a much wider audience considering purchasing your boat, which means you may have multiple people competing to outbid each other. Charging a higher price will usually mean you’ll have to wait longer to close the sale, but it’s a realistic possibility. You can also choose to lower the price if you want to close the sale quickly.
- Greater convenience. Listing your boat online is convenient like no other sales channel. If you choose the right platform, you can write up your listing, upload a few photos, choose a few options, and make your boat visible to buyers in a matter of minutes. As long as you have some photos of the boat on hand, you won’t even have to leave your house. Compare that to the long and protracted process you’ll go through if you try to sell to a dealer.
- Tips and recommendations. With the right platform, you’ll have access to tips and recommendations for how to sell your boat more efficiently – and what to consider during the selling process. If you’re not sure what your goals are or if you don’t have much experience selling boats online, this can be invaluable. If you’re selling in any other channel, you’ll find it hard to be convinced that the buyer, dealer, or platform has your best interests at heart.
- Low fees. No matter how you choose to sell your boat, you’ll probably have to pay a fee – or deal with a lower-than-usual selling price. But if you sell online, you’ll be in the best possible position. Not only will you get to sell your boat for what it’s worth, and sell it faster, your fees will be low.
- No middleman. If you sell a boat to a dealer or if you try to broker a deal with a sales rep, you may have to deal with a middleman. Depending on the nature of the deal, this can make things inconvenient, tricky, and complicated. But with an online platform, you can often work directly with a buyer, streamlining the process and resulting in a better deal for both of you.
- Listing freedom. If you’re the one creating your listing ad, you can position it however you want. You can describe the quirks and peculiarities of the vessel and describe in detail all the things you love about it. You can even describe some of the experiences you had with the vessel to appeal to buyers with a sentimental slant.
- No need to move. If you decide to sell a boat at a boat show or to a local dealer, you’ll usually be responsible for moving it. Even if you have all the right equipment for a move, this can be a hassle. But if you sell online, you won’t have to worry about moving the boat – the buyer could be responsible for this.
- Documentation and assurance. When selling online, you’ll also have access to a detailed paper trail. You can prove how and when the transaction occurred and review the messages passed back and forth between you and the buyer. Additionally, many platforms offer advice to sellers to protect them from fraudulent activity.
Tips for Better Results
If you want to get more money (and more convenience) from selling online, these tips may be able to help:
- Understand your goals. Take the time to understand your personal goals and priorities. For example, are you willing to accept a lower price if it means selling the boat faster or in a cleaner deal? Or is price your number one priority?
- Pick the right platform. There are a variety of different platforms for buying and selling boats online these days – but not all of them are easy to use and not all of them offer protections for their buyers and sellers. Do your research and find the best platform for your needs.
- Avoid fraud. Unfortunately, fraud is still prevalent in online marketplace environments. Exercise caution and be wary of scams.
Ready to sell your boat online? If so, you’ll be pleased to know TheYachtMarket makes it easy. All you have to do is fill out a simple form, upload some photos, and wait for a buyer to reach out. Get started selling your boat in just a few minutes today!