I fully un stand the benefits of using a broker to sell. No need to always be showing the boat, top notch advertising. I'm sure we all know how most conversations go when you call a broker to sell your boat "how much do you need after I take my cut" so obviously when you buy from a broker your paying a marked up price. I had always thought, buy from a well known dealer and you can sleep a bit better. I had always assumed that they had there guys look at the boat.... Make sure everything is in "as stated condition" glancing over the classifieds I have noticed that some major dealers have put disclaimers on there adds... And if I'm reading it correctly. They are basically saying that what they state in there adds may not be true.... On used and NEW boats!! Have any of theses dealers considered having a survey done before the list a boat.... Then maybe they make buyers feel confident about what they are looking at?

Your not always paying a "marked up price". I can tell you the price on my boat via broker is the same as the price I would sell it for. I pay him his cut for his work and time in finding me a buyer, showing the boat, doing the paperwork and all that goes into a deal. Time that I just don't have to do myself. So if you called me to skirt around him, I am just going to tell you the same price. Heck you prob found my boat if you called me about via his advertising for it.

About the Survey, if the boat is on consignment that survey is on the possible buyer, not the broker. Now if the broker bought the boat outright then I would agree a good going through should have been done.

Also a broker and usually get a possible buyer financing from many other places than the possible buyer could usually. Not every is a well read, street smart purchaser.

Have you considered getting a current survey on your boat? Do you feel that might help a buyer make his mind up? I don't evan know the cost of a survey theses days.

I have one from when I bought it 1.5 yrs ago Ed Cozzi. If that is not good enough for the buyer than too bad.

It should not be on the seller to pay for a survey for the new buyer. A good Survey can be close to and even over $1k

A survey is the responsibility of the buyer.
I would not completely trust a survey that was not performed by someone I was hiring.

Is it possible to get an insurence backed survey?

IMO there is not much advantage BUYING from a broker, the 2 main ones are amount of posting inventory to look at in one spot / online and the other is possible help is with setting up financing thru them of the boat of your choice.

A lot of what I have notice in many of the brokers posts / ads, is wrong HP listings of the engines, wrong model listed of the boat of itself, wrong specs of the boat ie: length, weight, beam, fuel cap and so on. Also a lot of marketing words used to pull you in,

Brokers really do not know 1 st hand about the boat nor any history of it nor really any mechanical aspects of it, never even worked on any boat there whole life to know any difference, they can not haggle any better for you than talking to owner in person,

A lot of brokers will not allow the info out to talk to the real owner about the boat ( I can not blame them for that one) anyways just my opinion. Brokers are salesmen if that is good or bad for you , then whatever works for you great. Just saying as for me no real advantage to buy from a boat broker

Customers are sketched out by the survey done by the owner. Most, that want a survey, will have it done them self. The buyer is usually scared it was a bias survey where they were helping out the seller.

Also selling your boat through a broker, in benefit to the buyer, they do not need to deal with DMV work (if buying in state), they can be set up with a finance company, the possibility of a trade (if you have a brokerage that accept and have a legal contract agreement.

As for brokers not really knowing 1st hand about the boat, choose the broker wisely, choose one who you think would be most knowledgeable about your boat. it does not have to be necessarily in your area. 90% of sales are through the internet so it would benefit you to have more of a knowledgeable salesman than a local one. When it is a boat someone is serious about they will travel to see it. There are disadvantages of a broker that people have stated however if you choose the right one it can be highly beneficial.

Ethically a broker has to offer several names for a qualified insured surveyor.

There you go bringing ethics into used boat dealers.....