Some of the Best Yachts for Sale Are Off Market: Here’s How to Get Them Anyway

But limiting your search to only what you’re seeing on the market can be a big mistake. (And by “big mistake” I mean missing out on the kind of well-priced deals and market-leading design luxury that make no care in the world days out at sea possible.)

So how do you get your hands on the industry’s best of the best, even when those listings are hidden from your search?

Here’s how…

Buying Off Market: Why Boats for Sale Don’t Always Show Up in Searches 

The yacht industry may be modernizing like the rest of the world, but that doesn’t mean that all the best yacht deals happen in the public eye. 

The yachting industry has long understood the value of exclusivity and privacy — the two key qualities that allow you to get away from the crowds and experience long-remembered moments that many people in the world can only dream of. 

Even when it comes to buying or selling a yacht, this sense of privacy can come into play. 

Some owners prefer to sell with total confidentiality, or to spread news of their listing to only their most trusted — including their own experienced and well-vetted yacht broker — rather than making the yacht listing publicly known. 

Because of this, owners who have a particular vessel in mind or a very clear wishlist of “wants” that need to be checked off might miss out on their dream vessel.

Not because they aren’t looking for it — but because they aren’t fully “in the know” about everything that’s available when it comes to off market yacht listings. 

Why Off Market Yacht Listings Have Become More Desirable (and More Common)

Though the yachting industry went into the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic unsure of the future, 2021 delivered record-breaking sales and a clear influx of first-time buyers looking for time out on the water (as well as the peace and privacy that crystal-clear water delivers). 

As demand overtook supply of new vessels, used yachts for sale became an even hotter commodity. 

Rather than wait months or years to get their hands on a vessel, yacht buyers bought used yachts for sale and took them out for clear-skied days of relaxation and adventure out on the waves. 

Yacht sellers quickly caught on to this rise in buyer demand, and started working with their yacht broker to facilitate more and more off market deals. 

Which brings us to now…

Recent studies project that the yacht market will be valued at $15.5 billion by 2026, with demand for luxury yachts (as well as the sunny and serene days on the water that luxury yachts provide) to continue to rise steadily. 

Which means that even as the digital landscape grows and more and more tech rises up to help buyers browse for a yacht for sale on their own, one thing will still remain the same: some of the best listings (being sold at some of the best yacht price) will remain off market. 

Buying an Off Market Yacht for Sale: How to Get Your Hand on the Best Deals 

When it comes to buying a yacht, there are several factors that affect decision making, including: 

• Your preferences when it comes to the type of vessel, including whether you prefer a sailing yacht or motor yacht
• Size and spaciousness when it comes to entertaining spaces, guest cabins, crew cabins, and general vessel size 
• Yacht interior design style and how they line up with your unique tastes and preferences 
• The lifestyle you prefer, and how the features of your vessel are designed to help craft your dream vacation days 
• The performance of your vessel, including your wants when it comes to long-range cruising, fuel capacity, etc. 
• Your budget, and whether this leads you to look for new builds or seek out used yachts for sale

But no matter how extensive your list of “wants” or “needs” happens to be, you can’t make the right yacht buying choice (at the right yacht price) until you have all the necessary information in-hand about what’s available on the market now. 

An experienced yacht broker will be aware of listings that haven’t made it to market yet (or are set to be sold as a fully off market sale). They’ll also be able to help you narrow down your wishlist to make sure you’re getting the best vessel for you — at the best price possible. 

So while this 2024 100-ft architectural beauty from Extra Yachts might check off all the right boxes with its apartment-style livability and efficient catamaran platform, so might the comparable off market listing that I’ll be able to tell you about as soon as you give me a call. 

And while the 2018 Conrad 131 ft VIATORIS might impress you with its status as the flagship of Conrad Shipyard and winner at the 2019 World Superyacht Awards, a new 45-meter power boat being built in Italy — one that is fully off market at the moment but still available to buyers of mine — might just be the one best suited to turning your vacation dreams into reality. 

When you’re ready to fully explore all available options when it comes to the yacht for sale that will make that wishlist come true, don’t just rely on listing searches to get the job done. 

Call up the people who have all the off market insights to find you what you’re looking for, including all the features and luxury-defining that defy even your highest expectations. 

[Call Steve Doyle: Your Yacht Broker]