Guide To Select Your Yacht Sales Firm
Your Guide To Select The Right Yacht Sales Firm
Are you bringing your listing to a yacht sales firm that has the proven marketing expertise and sales results to get your yacht sold quickly? If you are not sure, it’s time to ask some important questions. Surely you want to choose a reputable, experienced firm to represent your yacht and get it the targeted online exposure that it deserves. The way listings are marketed in this industry has changed dramatically in the last several years and it is critical to work with a company who has not only adapted to theses changes but is thriving in them. To help guide you in your search, here are some helpful questions to ask when on the hunt for the right yacht sales firm. For your consideration, we have taken the liberty of providing you with our firm’s responses and best practices.
1. How do your yacht sales compare to other brokerages?
Selling more than 400 boats annually, HMY’s sales continue to grow. In 2018 and 2019 our firm eclipsed over $500 million in transactions and we are on pace to surpass that figure in 2020.
2. How well optimized is your brokerage firm?
HMY is among the most optimized brokerage firms online today, backed by a talented team of digital experts who are constantly applying Search Engine Optimization (SEO) best practices to our website and our extended digital ecosystem. We know that Google looks at 200 various elements for SEO and we strive to leverage as many of those different areas of optimization as possible.
3. Will my yacht’s listing be SEO friendly?
Our commitment to optimization includes taking the time to write your listing in a way that ensures it will have a high rank in Google search results. We apply specific keywords and phrases that match consumer search behavior and expose your listing to potential buyers. HMY also employs a variety of on-site and off-site tactics known for getting us the search result we want for our client.
4. How do you leverage analytics to better position my listing?
HMY uses highly advanced digital analytics to attain comprehensive market, yacht, customer, and behavior trends. This perspective allows HMY marketing and sales teams to pivot our message, digital channel, and frequency on-demand to obtain better lead-generation results and qualified exposure. Digital analytics strategies have already yielded a substantial increase in qualified leads on our customer’s yacht listings for 2020 – in fact, HMY’s leads have increased over 90%.
5. How does your email marketing strategy sell my boat faster?
Unlike many firms, HMY invests a great deal of time organizing and maintaining an up-to-date database of customers, leads and industry professionals so that our engaging newsletters are put in front of the right audience on a regular basis. Our highly targeted contact list paired with a well-executed email campaign results in more leads! After the send, our team tracks the results of each email campaign to quickly identify what's working and to make smart decisions moving forward.
6. How is your firm's use of social media selling my boat faster?
We understand the power of a solid social media strategy. Being active and growing our audience on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube allows more opportunities to advertise your listing and reach the right customer at the right time. At HMY, leads come in from our social media platforms all the time. As our social media reach and engagement continue to rise, so do the leads that come in from those posts.
7. Is my yacht photographed by a professional?
Professional yacht photography is an absolute necessity when it comes to properly showcasing a listing. Ensuring that your boat is well-represented with the most impressive photos possible is money well spent. HMY understands that image is everything, and sometimes the first image a buyer sees can capture their interest. When we produce a photoshoot for your boat, rest assured, it will showcase it perfectly.
8. Will you produce a video for my yacht?
Not only do we shoot professional video of your yacht, we employ a finely tuned custom video strategy that includes walkthroughs, and social media shorts, all tied into the worldwide Google search and your listing on HMY.com. HMY received over 5.4 million video views on our YouTube channel with our top walkthrough video receiving over 850,000 views. In the month of August 2020. Our channel had more viewers spending more time watching our videos than ever before. And better yet, those videos were being shared at record levels. All this to say, HMY’s video strategy is attracting boat buyers and linking them to our sales professionals.
View our latest videos here.
9. Does your brokerage still participate in print advertising?
While highly-targeted digital marketing is the gold standard, HMY continues to be a dominant advertiser in print publications such as Yachting, PMY and Marlin Magazine. The yachting industry continues to thrive, boat buyers continue to purchase, and HMY knows we must be in front of these buyers in the print magazines which are the best of the best.
10. Does your brokerage firm have offices in major marinas?
HMY is proud to have office locations in five of the major marinas in the Southeastern US including Ocean Reef, Miami Beach Marina, Bahia Mar, Palm Harbor Marina, and Charleston City Marina. Plus, six other marina locations throughout the Southeast US. Having offices strategically located in these marinas provides exceptional exposure to boat owners and buyers, and a visual connection that is more powerful than you think.
11. Has your firm been in business for over 40 years?
Experience matters and HMY Yacht Sales has been thriving in business for over 40 years. There are not many other firms in this industry that can say the same. Our clients know that HMY is an iconic brokerage firm with standards that go above and beyond the norm. Top-notch yachting expertise is what you get when you choose HMY.
12. Is my yacht shared on competitor websites?
Yes. Because HMY takes advantage of Yachtworld, BoatTrader, and Boats.com MLS systems, your yacht will be listed on multiple websites allowing for maximum exposure. We also use other online sources to extend the presence of your yacht listing based on size and type which targets buyers more effectively. Because of these tactics, your listing will appear on a multitude of sites.
13. Is my listing enhanced on Yachtworld?
HMY has made the investment to highlight your yacht listing on the industry’s largest MLS with an Enhanced Ad. This means your listing will be more visible on the results page with a different background color and larger area of space.
14. Does your brokerage firm do Google paid advertising?
HMY’s digital advertising on Google and other platforms work cohesively in a planned strategy to provide maximum exposure for your yacht. Google is a platform in which HMY invests extensively across the many channels it offers.
15. Does your brokerage firm have the financial strength to take trades?
At HMY we have the robust monetary backing necessary to accept trades and take on the responsibility of marketing them aggressively throughout the listing process while ensuring qualified prospective buyers come to the table.
16. How has Covid-19 changed your marketing strategy?
When the Covid-19 pandemic forced a new normal in our society, HMY immediately made adjustments to offer our clients more virtual options. Through our new Go Live with HMY tool, you can set up a virtual yacht showing, in real-time, with a broker. We’ve made substantial investments in virtual tours and videos for every listing. Additionally, we’ve participated in virtual boat shows and will continue to do so until we can safely see you on the docks again.
HMY is a firm that is committed to our customers, and we maximize our global connections to ensure your yacht receives the targeted exposure where it's needed most. HMY Sales Professionals are connected to personalized, automated, and hyper-focused lead generation platforms creating customer inquiries for your yacht. HMY Marketing and Advertising is known as an industry leader for attracting customers so our sales professionals have a pipeline full of prospects for your yacht listing.
If you are ready to sell your yacht, reach out to HMY and get started today: (561) 262-4132
Visit our Sell Your Yacht page for more information.
