Not All Yacht Brokers Are the Same — and That’s Exactly How It Should Be
Not All Yacht Brokers Are the Same — and That’s Exactly How It Should Be
Buyers often assume the yacht market works like other luxury industries: one broad marketplace, with professionals who can comfortably operate across the entire spectrum.
It doesn’t.
The yacht market is not divided simply by length. It is divided by ownership class, operational complexity, and responsibility. Those differences create distinct market sectors — and they also explain why yacht brokers naturally specialize within them.
This is not a weakness in the industry.
It is exactly how it should be.
Why Yacht Market Sectors Exist
At certain size thresholds, yacht ownership fundamentally changes.
A 28-foot center console, a 65-foot motor yacht, and a 130-foot superyacht may all float, but they do not belong to the same market. Each requires a different level of involvement, infrastructure, oversight, and risk tolerance. As those demands change, the skills required to guide a buyer or seller change with them.
That is why the yacht market organizes itself into sectors — not by convention, but by necessity.
Why Brokers Specialize (and Why That’s Not a Flaw)
Most yacht brokers do not choose a niche. The work chooses it for them.
Each sector demands its own form of expertise:
-technical knowledge
-operational awareness
-problem-solving instincts
-tolerance for complexity
-daily involvement with owners, crew, and vendors
A broker who spends their professional life navigating crewed yacht operations, refits, flag considerations, budgets, and crew management develops deep expertise in that world. But that expertise does not automatically translate to smaller, owner-operated vessels.
The reverse is equally true.
The Tender Example: Where the Difference Becomes Obvious
A superyacht broker may be exceptionally skilled at:
-building and managing crew structures
-navigating regulatory, flag, and compliance issues
-understanding construction attributes and how they support a buyer’s intended mission
-recognizing why yachts are designed and built to serve different operational purposes
-pairing the right yacht to the right owner—an art in itself
-overseeing refits, capital improvements, and operating budgets
-guiding owners through complex, high-value transactions
That same broker may be challenged when it comes to selecting the right 30–35’ tender to tow behind the 120’ yacht he just sold. Rapidly evolving technology—particularly in navigation systems, outboard propulsion, and features common to smaller boats but not to larger yachts—is often best addressed by a sales professional who operates in that sector daily and remains closely attuned to what is currently available.
Meanwhile, a broker who lives in the 25–40’ market may know every center console and express boat available — yet be completely unprepared to advise on crewed yacht ownership.
Both can be excellent.
Neither should pretend to be universal.
Why This Matters to Buyers
Buyers often ask the wrong question:
“Is this broker good?”
The more useful question is:
“Is this broker aligned with my ownership class?”
A mismatch is rarely malicious — but it can be expensive. Different segments involve different risks, timelines, and expectations. Representation works best when expertise aligns with the level of responsibility being assumed.
Understanding the Transition Points
The most important inflection points in yacht ownership are not length-based — they are responsibility-based.
-Owner-operated → crewed
-Recreational → managed
-Personal use → platform oversight
Recognizing where you are — or where you’re headed — allows you to choose guidance that fits the reality of ownership, not just the transaction.
A Better Way to Think About Representation
The yacht market works best when:
-buyers understand the sector they’re entering
-brokers stay in the lanes they know deeply
-and expertise is matched to responsibility
Not all yacht brokers are the same.
And in a market this complex, that is not a flaw — it’s a feature.
About Andy Miles & Miles Yacht Group
Andy Miles is the Principal of Miles Yacht Group, a Palm Beach, Florida–based yacht brokerage specializing in crewed yachts 80 feet and above, with a particular concentration in the superyacht segment. In addition to its Florida operations, Miles Yacht Group maintains a Midwest Division based in Minneapolis–St. Paul, focused on freshwater cruising yachts.
With over three decades in the yachting industry, Andy brings transaction-level insight shaped by multiple market cycles and ownership generations. Miles Yacht Group operates with a deliberately narrow focus: advising buyers and sellers as they transition into, within, and out of crewed yacht ownership, where valuation discipline, operational planning, and long-term alignment matter as much as price.
Andy serves on the Board of Directors of the International Yacht Brokers Association (IYBA) and on the Certified Professional Yacht Broker (CPYB) Certification Advisory Council, reflecting a sustained commitment to professional standards, regulatory clarity, and consumer protection within the yacht brokerage industry.
