Four yachts sold by Mark Elliott in Q1 of 2019

In a particularly impressive result for one client, Mark sold the owner’s boat, facilitated the purchase of the new boat, and arranged a charter in between so as not to disrupt the family’s yachting plans while the sales took place… all in the space of one week! “That was a huge amount of activity in a short space of time and it’s very rare that you can pull so many elements together like that, but it all worked in the owner’s favor,” says Mark. “The owner’s wish was not to be a two yacht owner and we worked very hard to make that happen for him… it all turned out perfectly, which we were delighted to have achieved. We really do try and go the extra mile for all our clients.”

Mark credits several elements that all came together to create this impressive recent sales result. “Selling a boat is the combination of many factors… you have to have a willing buyer and a willing seller and it's often hard to know when the streams will meet and the sale with happen, but mostly it’s down to a lot of hard work - nothing replaces hard work,” he says. “I am also fortunate to work with great people and I have an amazing sales assistant and charter partner – Carrie Freeman – who makes everything happen.”

Building relationships with clients, and looking after their best interests, is also key to sales success. Over his years in the industry, Mark has built enduring relationships with many clients, with several of them returning again and again to work with him. “A relationship of trust with your clients is so important,” he says. “Two of these recent sales were the second time I have sold those yachts, and it’s very special when your clients trust you to work with them repeatedly. I’ve sold the Christensen Carte Blanche twice, and I’ve bought and sold two different Feadships to the owner of Carolina. I believe that track record speaks very highly of the clients’ positive experiences with us and reflects well on how we do our job.”

Always being flexible and ready to travel to work with clients is another important sales tool. As a passionate pilot, Mark is able to make use of his collection of aircraft, which includes a seaplane, helicopter and twin Cessna, in order to travel between clients and facilitate deals in person. This personal touch helps Mark go the extra mile and achieve positive results. “Having flexibility to work with the clients no matter where they are in the world is very important and gives me a great edge,” he says.

With so many years working in the industry, as both a captain and broker, Mark is highly skilled at reading the market. “The market is currently in a good position as selling prices have come down to a reasonable range he explains. “The economy is strong and people with money have confidence about spending money - that combined with yacht sale prices being low has spurred a lot of recent sales activity.” One enduring trend is client preference for quality yachts. “I always focus on pedigree yachts as retain their value and they sell better when the time comes.”

With four sales completed in 2019 already, Mark has two boats that he recommends as must-sees for savvy owners looking to secure a quality purchase. “There are two standout yachts under 500GT that owners should, without doubt, take a look at,” he says. “Those are 155’ (47m) M/Y One More Toy and 144’ (44m) M/Y MIM – they are my two favorites, are both priced well and represent great deals.”

Watch this space for what the rest of 2019 holds for Mark and his team.

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