Selling a Marina Berth Is About More Than Just Advertising It
Selling a Marina Berth Is About More Than Just Advertising It
Most people assume that selling a marina berth is quite straightforward. Take a few photographs. Write a description. Advertise it online. Wait for the enquiries.
Unfortunately, it rarely works that way. After more than 40 years specialising exclusively in Mediterranean marina berths, we've learned that advertising a berth is probably the easiest part of the entire process. Finding the right buyer, qualifying them, arranging viewings, negotiating a sale and managing the transaction through to completion is where the real work begins.
Advertising Is Only the Beginning
Many companies will happily advertise a berth without asking the owner to sign a brokerage agreement. At first sight, that sounds attractive. After all, why commit yourself if someone is prepared to advertise it for free? The better question is this:
How much time or money is that company really prepared to invest in selling your berth?
There's an important difference between advertising a berth and actively marketing one.
Professional Marketing Requires Investment
Every berth we agree to represent involves a considerable investment on our part. That investment starts long before the first buyer makes an enquiry. Each year we spend significant sums promoting our clients' berths through:
- Google and other search engine advertising.
- Social media campaigns.
- International marketing.
- Our multilingual websites.
- Email marketing to thousands of registered buyers.
- Search engine optimisation.
- Professional content and photography.
None of this happens by accident. It requires both time and money.
We make that investment because we believe every client deserves more than simply having their berth placed on a website.
A Broker's Job Doesn't End When the Phone Rings
Receiving an enquiry is only the beginning. Prospective buyers often have questions about concession terms, annual charges, ownership rights, transfer procedures and whether a particular berth is suitable for their boat. Many buyers travel from overseas and it is quite normal for us to meet them at the airport or their hotel before taking them to the marina.
We spend time showing them the berth, explaining the facilities, discussing the local area and helping them compare different options. Sometimes we'll spend an entire day with a client before they decide whether to make an offer.
That's not advertising. That's brokerage.
Behind Every Successful Sale
Once an offer has been agreed, the work continues. There are negotiations to manage. Solicitors to liaise with. Marina offices to contact. Documentation to prepare. Notaries to coordinate. Problems to solve.
A successful sale often depends on someone keeping the transaction moving and that's one of the most valuable roles a professional broker performs.
Why We Ask Owners to Sign an Agreement
Occasionally we're asked why we require a signed brokerage agreement before marketing a berth. The answer is simple.
Professional representation requires commitment from both parties and the agreement confirms that the owner has instructed us to act, that we are authorised to market the berth and that we can confidently invest our time and marketing budget into achieving a successful sale. It also protects the owner, the buyer and ourselves by ensuring everyone understands exactly how the transaction will proceed.
Acting Professionally Also Means Acting Responsibly
As professional brokers, we also have legal and regulatory responsibilities and before marketing a berth we need to confirm ownership and obtain appropriate identification from our clients. These checks help protect everyone involved, reduce the risk of fraud and ensure we comply with anti-money laundering regulations where applicable. Professional buyers and their advisers increasingly expect these checks to have been completed before a transaction progresses.
More Than Forty Years of Experience
People sometimes ask why Marine Online brokers so many marina berths across the Mediterranean. The answer isn't simply that we've been doing it for over four decades. It is because we've never believed our job ends with placing an advert online. We invest in marketing. We qualify buyers. We arrange viewings. We meet clients. We negotiate. We solve problems. And we remain involved until the transaction has successfully completed.
Anyone can advertise a marina berth. Professional brokerage is about everything that happens afterwards.
