Recommend a broker?

[Fishman]

Hi there
I will be flying from South Africa to Florida (FLauderdale) and/or BVI to look at and eventually buy a used cat. Thing is there are so many boats with so many different brokerages and brokers. Do I deal with one broker or how does it work? Can anyone recommend someone specific? Please I need help! thanks, Fishman

[CSY Man]

Yeah, I know some good brokers in Fort Lauderdale.
Even better, I also know a few good surveyors around here.

Let me know what kind of cat ya are looking for...

D

[JusDreaming]

I used Phil Berman (Catamaran and Trimaran Brokerage Worldwide - The Multihull Company) as my buyer broker and it worked very well. And it cost you nothing, his fees come from the listing broker

[MikeMak]

I can also vouch for Phil Berman.

Aside from being very professional and personable, I found him to be very knowledgable an dedicated to helping me find the right boat for my needs.
His years of skill and experience cost you nothing.

If you don't have extensive experience with boat ownership, it would be nuts to spend tens of thousands (if not hundreds) buying a boat on your own. You are mismatched dealing with the selling brokers on your own.
He can also save you time and money by screening potential boats wherever they might be, thereby saving you the hassle of traveling all over the place just to check them out.

[kevinmac]

I have not use Phil, although I have heard good things about him from others. But I can vouch for his company, being in the process of finishing a sale using Matthew Dunning in Seattle as my buyers broker in Seattle, and Matthew is affiliated with Phil.

One thing I found interesting was the the buyers broker agreement they use in Phil's company is a clear agreement, with one exception, they do not require you sign it. So in essence, it becomes almost more a statement of philosophy. They believe that their competence will be obvious to you, and by the time the transaction is completed, if you buy a boat directly from an owner (no listing) or a new boat, that you will be happy to pay their reasonable fees for that case. And of course, if you buy a listed boat, their fees are paid by the seller. I ended up buying a boat directly from an owner (at least I will if it passes survey), and I can tell you for sure that Matthew's assistance will be worth his fee, and I will pay it even though there is not a signed agreement requiring me to do so.

So if Phil and the rest of his folks are anything like Matthew, I would take a look at The Multihull Company in Ft. Lauderdale.

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Kevin

[fhrussell]

Just to give you some options... You might talk to Gregor Tarjan of Aeroyacht.com. He is extremely knowledgeable and a stand up guy.

All the best!

Fountaine Pajot catamarans and other fine multihulls

[Agility]

Include me in the Phil fan club.