9. Inside the Market - Yacht Sales Insights & Trends for November 2025 - Berthon International Ya...

Inside the Market returns for November 2025 with a straight talking look at what is really happening in the yacht world right now. In this episode, Berthon International’s Sue Grant is joined by Alan Baines, Managing Director of Berthon USA, to unpack refit trends, pricing reality, and why some yachts are quietly selling while others sit and gather dust. They begin in Palma, where Berthon’s refit and service operation is busier than ever, but the profile of work has shifted. The focus now is on seaworthiness, safety and essential maintenance, not teak decks and shiny cosmetics. Owners are spending to keep boats safe and moving, not to win beauty contests. Across the Atlantic, the US brokerage market is surprisingly active, helped by one key factor: realistic sellers. Alan explains that where owners accept genuine market value, yachts are changing hands. Where they cling to 2022 pricing, they simply do not. Overpriced yachts remain a major drag on the market, often the result of brokers over promising to secure the listing in the first place. That leads to one of the central themes of this episode. The market is more diverse and specialised than ever, and no broker can credibly be an expert in every segment. Choosing someone who truly understands your type of yacht may not support an over optimistic asking price, but it dramatically improves the chances of a sale within a sensible time frame. Price remains the main driver of deals. Extra equipment and long option lists rarely raise the headline number. They make a yacht easier to sell, not inherently worth more. In a cautious, cost conscious environment, buyers reward value, not gadget count. Presentation also matters. With a good choice of yachts on the market, buyers are deeply project averse. Cluttered interiors, obvious deferred maintenance and “fixer upper” listings are sticking. Clean, de personalised, well prepared yachts are the ones that get serious viewings and offers. Location is the final, often overlooked, factor. As winter bites and charter flights shut down, anything parked in a hard to reach corner of the Med or Caribbean becomes difficult to show. If a visit involves multiple connections and an overnight stay, most buyers will simply not go. Until flight schedules resume in spring, badly located yachts are at a real disadvantage. Across the conversation, Sue and Alan keep circling back to seven simple truths that define this market right now: 1.Refit demand is strong, but focused on safety and seaworthiness. 2.In the USA, deals are happening where sellers accept true market pricing. 3.There are still too many overpriced yachts, often the result of over promising to win listings. 4.Specialist brokers who know a segment deeply give owners the best chance of a timely sale. 5.Yachts are selling on price. Extra kit helps them sell, but does not add real value. 6.Poorly presented yachts are being left behind. Buyers do not want projects. 7.With winter here, remote locations make yachts hard to show and harder to sell. If you want an honest view of where the market really sits at the end of 2025, this one is worth a listen. Send us a text (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/2528535/open_sms) Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528535/support)