I Thought Estate Agents were Bad - but Boat Brokers...!

[Athy]

19 minutes ago, MartinC said:

As people now seem to be naming good service can I assume that the broker at Crick is ABNB. If so, having been a vendor and buyer, their service was excellent.

We too have sold through them and were very satisfied.

[mrsmelly]

Whilst undoubtedly there are good and bad brokers and everything in between it is also a fact that not all the good boats are with good brokers and not all the bad boats are with bad brokerages. A buyer MUST look at the whole picture to include private adds and brokers to include certain bad brokers who oft have nice boats. For instance my bro in law has his boat up for sale at present but he is so tight he is doing it himself on the duck. The boat is in way better condition than most as he is fastidious in all aspects but I reckon he is missing potential buyers as many people who dont know boats go to brokers the same as house buyers still use Estate agents.

[Naughty Cal]

13 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Whilst undoubtedly there are good and bad brokers and everything in between it is also a fact that not all the good boats are with good brokers and not all the bad boats are with bad brokerages. A buyer MUST look at the whole picture to include private adds and brokers to include certain bad brokers who oft have nice boats. For instance my bro in law has his boat up for sale at present but he is so tight he is doing it himself on the duck. The boat is in way better condition than most as he is fastidious in all aspects but I reckon he is missing potential buyers as many people who dont know boats go to brokers the same as house buyers still use Estate agents.

Agree with this. Which is why when we do need to sell our boat it will be with the brokerage at our marina. 

 

Yes it will cost us more in fees but they get good prices for the boats they sell so we will get the same sort of money back anyway. Plus they should get a quick sale.

[mrsmelly]

3 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Agree with this. Which is why when we do need to sell our boat it will be with the brokerage at our marina. 

 

Yes it will cost us more in fees but they get good prices for the boats they sell so we will get the same sort of money back anyway. Plus they should get a quick sale.

Precisely why I sold my last two boats through Rugby boat sales. Near on instant sales and more than worth the money.

[WotEver]

8 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

Sounds to me like someone is out of step here and you think it's everyone else.

Did you see our Jonny in the passing out parade?  He was the only one in step...

[Richard10002]

22 hours ago, Laurie.Booth said:

A very important question.

 

Unanswered for some reason.

[Laurie Booth]

12 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

Unanswered for some reason.

I wonder why

[sniffy the great]

17 hours ago, Laurie.Booth said:

I wonder why

Because it’s irrelevant. My issue is not to do with prices or offers - it’s to do with basic service. Read my previous post to get the point of my post rather than changing the question then being surprised when it’s not addressed.

 

Not that I’m blaming you - it’s customary on internet topics to drift away from the actual topic.

 

Thanks for taking an interest anyway.

 

Doug

[Nut]

so prices of boats in pound and pence and your offers please as a ex retail manager furnish me with facts and I can comment on the service (and if you do I will explain the circumstances when I told a customer to F*** OFF in a loud voice much to the delight of the other customers in the store ) and trust me that was the service he deserved

Edited October 25, 2018 by Athy
Unsuitable language

[Richard10002]

44 minutes ago, sniffy the great said:

Because it’s irrelevant. My issue is not to do with prices or offers - it’s to do with basic service. Read my previous post to get the point of my post rather than changing the question then being surprised when it’s not addressed.

 

Not that I’m blaming you - it’s customary on internet topics to drift away from the actual topic.

 

Thanks for taking an interest anyway.

 

Doug

The point of your post is clear. I was just trying to help identify why brokers might be treating you the way they are.

 

Given your response to me, it’s my guess that you are offering a lot less than they are asking, and a lot less than they know the owner might consider. “Thanks for your offer, and good luck with your search” might be the most appropriate response to your offer, and communicating with you further might be deemed to be a waste of their time, when they have other money making things to do. It might even be the best sales strategy, on the basis that, if you are really interested in the boat, you will call back with an increased offer, and chasing you could suggest a weakness. Silence is a powerful sales tool in many circumstances and, often, he who speaks first, loses an edge in a negotiation

 

Assuming that to be the case, the ball is obviously in your court and, if you would like to own any of the boats at the brokers who are not providing the service you expect, you will need to be the one who does the calling. If you’re not bothered about any of the boats, then neither of you have actually lost anything, and you can both use your time and effort better doing something else.

 

There is also the obvious possibility that some of them are missing out on the chance to do a deal with you, and they are not selling as well as they might be.

[Onionman]

I find it's always best to deal with the world as is it, not as I would wish it to be.

Edited October 25, 2018 by Onionman

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, Onionman said:

I find it's always best to deal with the world as is it, not as I would wish it to be.

 

How very true. I think the OP would do well to consider how it can possibly be that all these brokers who can't be bothered to try to sell their boats manage to remain in business, and probably doing very well too. I suspect they have the OP fully sussed out as a fender kicker and not worth committing much (or any) time and effort to.

 

If I'm wrong and they are just dreadful, awful salesmen, this presents the OP with a first class business opportunity to make a fortune by doing it so much better. He could start his own brokerage, and show them up for the incompetent wastrels he would have us believe they all are. 

 

 

[sniffy the great]

1 hour ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

How very true. I think the OP would do well to consider how it can possibly be that all these brokers who can't be bothered to try to sell their boats manage to remain in business, and probably doing very well too. I suspect they have the OP fully sussed out as a fender kicker and not worth committing much (or any) time and effort to.

 

If I'm wrong and they are just dreadful, awful salesmen, this presents the OP with a first class business opportunity to make a fortune by doing it so much better. He could start his own brokerage, and show them up for the incompetent wastrels he would have us believe they all are. 

 

 

They certainly seem to do quite well for a minimum of effort so not a bad idea.

 

Doug

[Sea Dog]

We seem to be seeing a lot of the "Sniffy" and not so much of "The Great".  Perhaps the brokers had a similar experience?

[MtB]

4 hours ago, sniffy the great said:

They certainly seem to do quite well for a minimum of effort so not a bad idea.

 

Doug

 

You seem to be making the basic error of assuming you are the only person calling them to buy a boat. I get this too in my line of business. In reality, I suggest most brokers are getting one new enquiry about every fifteen minutes all through the day, every day so it is not possible for them to run about courting every enquirer as you demand. They have to ration their time and expend it only with those they judge to be the best prospects, and the fact that you get ignored is very revealing as to how likely they collectively think you are to actually put your hand in your pocket and buy a boat. 

 

Have you bought one yet?

 

 

[Athy]

7 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

 

Have you bought one yet?

 

 

I think that's the whole point of the thread: Doug has been actively seeking a boat but has not yet found the right one at the right price.

[Alan de Enfield]

11 minutes ago, Athy said:

I think that's the whole point of the thread: Doug has been actively seeking a boat but has not yet found the right one at the right price.

"Affordable" , "The right price", "Good value", "Cheap" will produce a different figure (for the same item) from everyone looking at it.

 

This constant cry for 'affordable housing' always makes me wonder, 'affordable' to whom, and then how do you stop someone else buying two or three of them because they are so 'cheap'

[Athy]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

"Affordable" , "The right price", "Good value", "Cheap" will produce a different figure (for the same item) from everyone looking at it.

 

This constant cry for 'affordable housing' always makes me wonder, 'affordable' to whom, and then how do you stop someone else buying two or three of them because they are so 'cheap'

I agree that "affordable housing" is a silly expression, as every house is affordable by somebody. The word would mean vastly different things to Sir Philip Green and to Sid Slugg who's on the dole.

[Naughty Cal]

52 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

"Affordable" , "The right price", "Good value", "Cheap" will produce a different figure (for the same item) from everyone looking at it.

 

This constant cry for 'affordable housing' always makes me wonder, 'affordable' to whom, and then how do you stop someone else buying two or three of them because they are so 'cheap'

Certainly on the developments we are working on the affordable units are usually a mixture of rental properties and shared ownership properties. To qualify for one you have to meet strict criteria. 

 

So you can't just walk into the sales office and buy a row of affordable units from the developer. 

1 hour ago, Athy said:

I think that's the whole point of the thread: Doug has been actively seeking a boat but has not yet found the right one at the right price.

But does that boat exist?

 

I suspect not. There are some people who will never buy because their expectations far exceed the reality of the market.

[Athy]

5 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

. 

But does that boat exist?

 

I suspect not. There are some people who will never buy because their expectations far exceed the reality of the market.

Surely, expectations are moulded by the reality of the market. If I went looking for a house in this area expecting to get one for £50,000, but found that they were all £150,000 or more, my expectation of finding a £50,000 house would be swiftly modified.

Edited October 26, 2018 by Athy

[Naughty Cal]

3 minutes ago, Athy said:

Surely, expectations are moulded by the reality of the market. If I went looking for a house in this era expecting to get one for £50,000, but found that they were all £150,000 or more, my expectation of finding a £50,000 house would be swiftly modified.

Yes but you seem to be quite level headed and sensible and don't have over inflated expectations.

 

Some people who come on here seem to want this mythical perfect boat for a fraction of the price of what typical boat will cost.

[Sea Dog]

1 minute ago, Athy said:

Surely, expectations are moulded by the reality of the market. If I went looking for a house in this area expecting to get one for £50,000, but found that they were all £150,000 or more, my expectation of finding a £50,000 house would be swiftly modified.

That would be the realist's view Athy.  Others might have a right good chunter about it and blame the estate agents, I suppose. 

[Athy]

Just now, Naughty Cal said:

Yes but you seem to be quite level headed and sensible and don't have over inflated expectations.

 

Some people who come on here seem to want this mythical perfect boat for a fraction of the price of what typical boat will cost.

Well, we all WANT it, but most of us (including, I am sure, the O.P.) soon learn that we ain't going to get it.

As for "level-headed and sensible" - thank you, kind lady, but I own a narrowboat so I can't be.

[MtB]

15 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

 

I suspect not. There are some people who will never buy because their expectations far exceed the reality of the market.

 

Or, ahem, never sell.  

 

 

[Naughty Cal]

9 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Or, ahem, never sell.  

 

 

Indeed.