Yacht Guide
Yacht Broker Commission — Who Pays, and When
How brokerage and charter commission conventionally work, and what to ask before signing anything.
Sale commission
In a brokerage sale the commission is conventionally paid by the seller out of the sale proceeds at closing, and is shared between the central agent and the buyer's broker. A buyer therefore has representation without paying a separate fee in the ordinary case.
Charter commission
Charter commission is paid out of the charter fee, not added to it, and is shared between the central agent and the retail broker. It is not taken from the APA, which belongs to the running costs of your charter.
What to ask
Ask who the broker represents, how the commission is paid and shared, and whether there is any interest in the transaction beyond that commission. A broker who will not answer those questions plainly is the wrong broker.
- Who is the central agent?
- Who represents me?
- How is commission paid and by whom?
- Is there any other financial interest in this transaction?
How we work
We tell you who we represent in every transaction, and we do not take undisclosed fees from both sides.
This guide is general information about how the yacht market conventionally works. It is not legal, tax or financial advice, and it does not describe the terms of any specific yacht. Rates, prices, availability and access are confirmed in writing before anything is committed.