Boat broker fees, explained
What brokers actually charge, what's negotiable, and what the all-in cost of a brokered sale looks like.
Broker fees are mostly opaque because they're mostly negotiable. Here's the unvarnished version, by region.
The default rate
Across Europe and the Med, broker commission is typically 6–10% of the sale price, with a regional floor (often €5,000 / £4,000). In the US, 10% is the prevailing rate. UK ABYA members commonly quote 8% as a starting point.
What does the broker do for that?
- Listing creation, photography, and copy
- Distribution across Apollo Duck / TheYachtMarket / Boats.com / Boatshed
- Buyer qualification and viewings
- Offer negotiation and survey co-ordination
- Holding the deposit in a regulated client account (ABYA / HYBA / IYBA / MYBA)
- Closing paperwork, deletion from prior register, transfer documentation
What's negotiable
- Rate, especially on higher-value boats (>€500k). A "scale" deal — e.g. 7% to €750k, 5% above — is common.
- Listing exclusivity duration. Six months is standard; you can push for three with a renewal clause.
- Marketing inclusions — drone photos, video walkaround, paid promotion on listing portals.
- Co-broker split, if a second broker brings the buyer.
Hidden costs to ask about
- Lift-out / re-launch for inspection — typically seller's cost unless negotiated.
- Marina fees during listing — yours, not the broker's.
- Photography upgrade — sometimes a separate line item.
- VAT status documentation — make sure paperwork is complete before listing.
Where BrokerCompare fits
We're paid by the broker only on completion. Default referral is 15% of the broker's own commission — so on a €400,000 sale at 8% commission, the broker collects €32,000 and pays us €4,800. You pay zero either way. The broker may price our fee into negotiation; this is not unusual, and on big-ticket deals it lands at less than a 1% drag on your sale price.
The cleanest thing you can do as a seller is ask the broker up-front: "What's your effective net commission rate to me, after BrokerCompare?" — and write it into the listing agreement.