Here's my horrid boat yard/broker experience (short version): When I sold my Cruisers Inc 25' er in 1985, I had signed with the boat yard to broker it, giving them a commission on the sale. Through sheer coincidence, the son of the buyer was the guy who serviced copiers for me at the TV station where I worked. He told me that as he and his dad were looking at boats in the yard, they focused on mine... but the dealer kept trying to steer them to a different boat. I confronted the dealer and told him he had negated the agreement by his action. I told him I would give him $100 as a fair settlement, that he would consider himself lucky not to wind up on the bad end of a potential fraud action. Agreed.
For some, who don't have the time to deal with selling, brokers can be useful in fending off tire kickers and folks who just want to take a free ride. But I don't think they advertise as much as they indicate they will (is a picture on the office bulletin board "advertising"). They rely on traffic created merely by virtue of being in business. And, they are by instinct pretty good sales people.
Joel Albert, Potomac MD
"Charlie B" - 1988 32' FBS
Twin 318's/FWC/16x15 nibral props
docked Deale, MD