Broker vs. Craigslist (2024)

I have seen sellers post their boats on Craigslist and then reference their broker, I assume to help get leads for sale. Or even a few dollars cheaper than the broker price.

But first time I have seen this. Boat listed with Broker for a month or so. Suddenly shows up on Craigslist, while still listed with broker. The price is $5,000 HIGHER than listed with the broker. What is that all about? ???

I was selling my boat in 2018 with a broker and there was just very little activity at the time. I considered posting on Craig’s List with broker info just to expand the reach.

I ended up not doing it. My broker’s experience was that Craig’s list
ads may produce volume, but not quality leads that result in a good sale. And this is from a guy what doesn’t get paid unless the boT sells. I didn’t list it there.

douglee25 said:

When that typically happens, it's listed by Pop Yachts. I have seen them straight up steal photos and relist boats at a greater price, find a lead, then contact the seller and explain they found someone for X price. They ask for a commission.

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They contacted me from my Craigslist ad after the boat was gone.

craigswardmtb said:

I have never had good luck on Craigslist. I have on Facebook marketplace. I sold my 360 in 2 days last year. Give it a try and ask for commission relief if you bring the lead.

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My sister in law sells a lot of things on there and tells me she always has good luck.
Not being a Facebook user, I’ve never tried it myself.
My son sold a bicycle for asking price ($125) in a few hours this past Monday on something called Let Go. The first guy who came to look at it took it. I think he put it up on there around noon and it was gone by 3:00.
But like on Craigslist, he was bombarded with messages with lowball offers from bargain hunters all day long too.

Leardriver said:

I have had nothing but great luck on Craigslist.
Any time that you add another person to the transaction, such as a broker who makes a living doing this activity, you can't help but raise the cost of the boat. Every $45K boat that I see listed with an online broker is really selling a $35K boat and making a commission for himself. A broker would be quite useful for a specialty boat, but for a common and desirable Sea Ray 240 Sundeck?

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There is more BS in this post than in the pen of a bull auction. Just a bunch of gobbledygook from somebody that doesn’t know a thing about sales. So when a company adds a sales person to sell their product they are just adding cost and thereby losing money? The corporations that hire sales people and sales teams are all idiots just wasting money and adding cost?

I will admit there are good brokers, bad brokers and just pure idiot brokers in the marine brokerage world just like in everything. The industry lacks organization and professionalism but other sales industries employ. But the brokers know the market and how best to get the most money.

Am I saying that an individual cannot sell their boat? No. Rather most people do not have the knowledge to get the top dollar out of their boat. They run their mouth too much with the buyer. Do not know how to handle calls and questions.

I don’t know any brokers that charge a 22% commission as you have in your example, just a gross exaggeration of how the industry works.

Most boats under 30 feet can be sold by the individual and are generally not valuable enough for a brokers time unless the market is really bad. When you start getting into nicer boats with complex systems the broker should offer services that more than pay for themselves in the sale, management, and representation in the transaction.

Leardriver said:

I have had nothing but great luck on Craigslist.
Any time that you add another person to the transaction, such as a broker who makes a living doing this activity, you can't help but raise the cost of the boat. Every $45K boat that I see listed with an online broker is really selling a $35K boat and making a commission for himself. A broker would be quite useful for a specialty boat, but for a common and desirable Sea Ray 240 Sundeck?

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Sure but the issue I pointed out is that the guy on craigslist (and now facebook) is $5k HIGHER than the broker. That makes no sense to me.

I almost bot my next boat from craigslist. Contacted the owner, saw the boat, offer/acceptance and such. Then found delamination in the deck. But it was going good until that point.

I hardly ever look at craigslist anymore but I cruise FB Marketplace all the time. When I sold my Cobalt earlier this month I posted it on a FB Cobalts for Sale group. FB asked be if I wanted to place it on Marketplace as well and I did. I didn't have to do anything extra. I just clicked yes and it showed up there and sold in 12 hours.

If I'm selling a bigger boat at a higher price I want to use a broker but, not just any broker. The last one I used was awful and cost us over $10,000. She was more interested in making any sale than working for me and trying to get the most she could. I wouldn't let Poop Yachts sell a toy tug boat for me.
Shawn

I've bought from private sellers after finding the boat on Ebay and Boat Trader. I've bought from brokers / dealers where I found the boat on Boat Trader.

I've never used a broker to sell and have sold 5 of my boats via Craigslist, Ebay, Boat Trader and Facebook, ranging from $12k to $80k. Every deal was a different deal.

It could be they are trying to gain exposure for their boat. I typically list on at least two places - Boat Trader and Facebook / Craigslist.

Golfman25 said:

Sure but the issue I pointed out is that the guy on craigslist (and now facebook) is $5k HIGHER than the broker. That makes no sense to me.

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I think the logic here is to have that $5k in the initial price as a "giveaway". If they put it in the CL ad at price they want + broker fees + 5K and then later give a buyer a $5k "deal", they they have in effect paid themselves to be a broker by getting the same full price that the broker would get. That's what my friend did. He talked to a broker when he was just considering selling his boat (about a year before he actually did). He ultimately didn't hire them, but he got a good feel for how much they thought they could get for it with their fees included. Fortunately for him, the buyer just accepted the asking price and he got the "giveaway" $5K too.

There are a ton of crazy schemes out there between Craigslist and some places that rhyme with mop yachts. As to why an individual would be asking 5k more, thats a good question. Maybe they think they have more room for negotiation?

I will say, there are a few brokers out there that work pretty hard to make a living in this business. In the current market its not unusual to find some of them working until 10-11 PM just trying to keep up!