Yacht sales are driven by a variety of influences - consumer confidence, the stock market, geo-political events, as well more localized factors like weather, infrastructure, and proximity to the water. All of these things play into whether or not "now is the right time" for someone. The one constant that never seems to waiver in all of these considerations - the love of boating. "There simply is no better recreation than being on the water" is something that our founder, Peter Schmidt says quite often. Whether your passion is fishing, cruising, sailing, or racing, owning a boat becomes more of a necessity to a particular lifestyle, than simply a hobby.
The marine industry has seen a continued decline in new boat sales for 5 years in a row, with some associations citing powerboat sales being down approximately 9% YOY. Some manufacturers have stated they are producing at leaner levels now closer to 2014-2015 numbers.
"When new boat sales are down, it doesn't mean people aren't boating," said Jeff Palmer, President of United Yacht Sales. "It just means they've switched to buying more brokerage boats, which is what we specialize in. 2025 was a great year for us. Our focus has, and always will be, on our clients' listings. We're purely a yacht brokerage company and aren't bound by the struggles of aging new boat inventory. Our clients come to United because they know we are going to represent their best interests."
United Yacht Sales has seen nearly a 20% increase in sales between 2022 and 2025. "Our business has grown substantially in the last several years, both in number of yacht brokers that have wanted to join our team, along with overall number of closings," he continued. "I'm thrilled to say in 2025 we continued our upward momentum by maintaining those same sales levels."
OUR 2025 HIGHLIGHTS
TOP BROKER IN DOLLARS SOLD - GREG GRAHAM
For at least the 5th year in a row, Captain Greg Graham is awarded the #1 yacht broker spot in total dollars sold. Greg's 2025 sales were dominated by luxury sportfishing yachts, as well as fishing-ready center-consoles. "Greg's reputation in the sportfishing industry precedes him," said Jeff Palmer. "You can't fake expertise when it comes to finding the right sportfish and Greg continues to be among the best yacht brokers at our company and industry-wide."
TOP BROKER IN TOTAL BOATS SOLD - DENNIS DEMOLE
Congratulations to Dennis Demole on winning the United Yacht Sales top broker for 2025. Dennis closed 2 boats a month on average including an array of cruising boats, trawlers, and center-consoles. "Dennis is usually one of the top volume producers in the company, " continued Jeff. "His customers like him a lot and continue to come back to him on both the purchase and selling side. Well done, Dennis!"
MOST POPULAR LISTING IN 2025
With nearly 10,000 visits in 2025, our listing "ICONIC", a 2003 Sunseeker 82 is our most visited boat online. Listed with UYS broker Jeff Beird, this Sunseeker was featured in several social media campaigns, email blasts, search engine marketing efforts, and listed on dozens of other websites. Overall, the boat was sold, the owner was happy, and Jeff continues to be one of the best brokers in South Florida.
TOP MOTOR YACHT SOLD IN 2025
The top motor yacht sold in 2025 was "ROMEO FOXTROT", a 2023 Hargrave 116, that was sold by UYS broker Paul Hannum who represented the buyers. This boat was designed by Hargrave Superyachts Division, who also completed the naval architecture. Hargrave Superyachts Division has designed 6 yachts and created the naval architecture for 7 yachts for yachts above 24 meters.
TOP SPORTFISH SOLD IN 2025
The top sportfishing boat sold in 2025 is the 2013 F&S 67 Convertible. Greg Graham represented the sellers in this deal, however this F&S was actually an off-market boat. Greg worked with the team at MacGregor Yachts on the transaction which completed without the boat ever hitting the internet. United Yacht Sales specializes in selling off-market yachts, which you can learn more about here: The Art Of Finding Off-Market Yachts.
ABOUT UNITED YACHT SALES
United Yacht Sales has the world's largest network of boat buyers and sellers in the industry, thanks to our team of over 250 yacht brokers in 104 different locations. Whether buying a luxury boat or selling one, we have the right expert on staff to assist you in navigating the brokerage market for your type of yacht. If you're looking at selling a boat, there is no quicker way to get activity than listing it with United. Our entire team is immediately notified every time a listing agreement is made with United Yacht Sales and many boats are sold before they ever even make it online. Our support team is among the best in the industry at marketing your yacht. 100% of our marketing budget goes towards advertising our clients' listings, a claim not many other firms can make. To get started listing your yacht, fill out our online form What's My Yacht Worth?
