Jeff@JMYS.com
Delta Marine Sea Lion trawler

Pricing Your Trawler for Sale

The most important factor in selling your trawler is the asking price. Learn how to price it right to attract serious buyers.

At a Glance

The Art of Pricing Your Trawler

Price Drives Everything

Price is the most important factor in selling your trawler. Your asking price determines how quickly you attract qualified buyers.

Be Realistically Low

You have to be as realistically low as possible to attract attention. If buyers perceive your price as above market, they will simply move on.

Think Like a Buyer

In today’s market most buyers think it is realistic to offer 10% below asking price. Price with this expectation in mind.

Research Comparables

Look at what similar boats have sold for, compare your trawler with competing listings, and identify your advantages.

Reframe Your Investment

Look back at your ownership as an extended vacation. The money paid for the memories of unforgettable experiences with family and friends.

Timing Matters

Don’t chase the market down. Price your trawler to sell today rather than waiting months for a buyer who may never come at an inflated price.

Essential Questions

Five Things to Consider

01

Have you researched what similar trawlers have actually sold for — not just their asking prices?

02

How does your trawler compare to the other boats currently on the market that buyers are considering?

03

Are you prepared to view your trawler as a financial number rather than an emotional attachment?

04

Have you removed personal items, cleaned, and staged your trawler to maximize its appeal?

05

Is your asking price positioned to entice buyers to request more information and schedule a viewing?

The Full Story

Pricing Your Trawler for Sale

Price is the most important factor in selling your trawler, obviously any deal is going to be defined by the final sales number, but to sell your trawler in a timely fashion it's really all driven by your asking price. You have to be as realistically low as possible to attract attention.

Buyers have too many choices and if your trawler price is perceived to be above the market they will not see through your strategy and come in with big hopes of negotiating a major deal, quite simply they will move on. Your “baby” is worth much more to you than it will fetch in the open market.

“You have to be as realistically low as possible to attract attention.”

When you list your trawler for sale, you must be prepared to walk away and need to think of your pride and joy as a number, a future deposit (hopefully soon) into your bank account, not a magnificent assemblage of fiberglass and wood that transported you to hidden coves.

Make the commitment to sell, remove your personal items from the boat, clean, scrub and stage the boat to make it appealing in every facet and let your broker go to work.

Delta Marine Sea Lion — 2014
Delta Marine Sea Lion — 2014

You can get a sense of what your boat is worth by adding up your receipts, but that is not going to equal what someone will pay. All boats depreciate, very few sellers make money so expect to take a loss, just don't give it away.

To keep things in perspective look back at your trawler ownership as an extended vacation on a vessel that you operated and cruised to the destinations of your choice. The money paid for the memories of unforgettable experiences and the value achieved was in the adventures enjoyed with family and friends.

“The money paid for the memories of unforgettable experiences and the value achieved was in the adventures enjoyed with family and friends.”

In today's market most buyers think it is realistic to offer 10% below asking price. You need to look at what other similar boats have sold for, compare your trawler for sale with the other boats on the market, identify your advantages and then select an asking price that will entice buyers to request more information and ultimately make and appointment to get aboard.