Five Reasons Customers Buy Pre-Owned Vikings
In Part 1 of this series we caught up with HMY broker and former Viking Yachts captain, Brian Komer, to learn why some buyers prefer to go the new vessel route when it comes to sportfishing yachts, rather than pre-owned. In Part 2, we tap into Brian’s extensive sportfishing experience to get more perspective on the flip side—why some buyers prefer the pre-owned route.
One of HMY’s newest brokers, Brian brings an almost endless wealth of knowledge from more than 17 years of being involved in sportfishing, from getting his captain’s license at 19 to spending seven years with Viking as a captain and mate in their demo program before joining HMY.
“Throughout my career, as I continued to grow and learn, I had the opportunity to work with some of the best captains and nicest owners in the industry, on a mix of production and custom boats,” recounts Brian. “I’ve traveled all over the world for tournaments, and you learn what works and what doesn’t very quickly. Viking’s work, hence their reputation.”
2013 Viking Yachts 66' - Knot Again
While it was a tough decision to leave Viking and join HMY, Brian has tons of sportfishing knowledge to offer and is looking forward to helping HMY customers navigate the buying process, whether it’s a new or pre-owned vessel. Brian is still great friends with the Viking Yacht Company, including CEO Pat Healy, and he feels so comfortable transitioning to HMY because of the parallel culture, family feel, and shared values.
HMY, the industry leader in listing and selling Viking Yachts and custom sportfishing boats, sold 72 pre-owned Viking sportfishing yachts in 2017.
FIVE REASONS CUSTOMERS BUY PRE-OWNED VIKINGS
Customization Not A Concern
There can be lots of trade-offs when buying pre-owned, but some buyers are simply fine with adding and removing features and fixing their newly-acquired Viking up to their specs.
Let’s Fish!
Some buyers just want to get out on the water and fish right away. They don’t want to wait on the design process. With a pre-owned Viking brokered by HMY, buyers have many opportunities for turn-key models that are ready to chase some fish.
2017 Viking Yachts 48' Convertible - Rehab
Investment for Eventual Upgrade
As we mentioned in Part 1, this applies to both new and pre-owned buyers. Some buyers are OK with starting with a pre-owned, slightly smaller vessel, learning what they like and want, and waiting to purchase their new dream boat down the road.
Economics/Economy
Brian says this can certainly play a role. As the market is affected by things such as politics, recession, tax changes, etc., buyers may opt to play it a bit safer and go pre-owned. The good news is, they’re still getting a Viking. And Viking is a company that knows a thing or two about adjusting due to economics. During the recession a decade ago, as Brian notes, “Viking scaled back, but didn’t completely shut down production. It was amazing they could do it while others completely stopped production. This kept them ahead of competition and people went to them instead of competitors, even when they resumed production.”
2011 Viking Yachts 42' Open - Sue's Seabee
Nostalgia
“Oh yeah,” says Brian. Nostalgia is a powerful force. Just as marketers and advertisers can harness its power, so too can a Viking. Brian recently had a customer who, years ago, had a 1996 58’ Viking, but sold it and got out of boating. He recently got back into boating and wanted the same boat. Due to its large volume of Viking inventory, HMY had the yacht he wanted and helped him get back into his dream boat.
Regardless of which route you go, you can buy confidently from HMY knowing they are the Viking sportfishing yacht experts and they want to make sure you get exactly the boat you want. As Brian says, “Don’t rush into a boat. I’m willing to bet the boat you want is out there.”
